Maroon400

That's great stuff Adam! The only problem is that we have to keep this info to ourselves, imagin if every person that is currently spending silly money on small engined cars that have "great MPG" woke up and realised the truth! Shhhhhhhhhhhhh mums the word :-)

I have driven on LPG now for over 16 years, I have never used anyone who is a member of this self appointed organisations and I have never had a problem with any installation that I have had on my cars or my wifes. Hang on a minute....maybe I'm going nuts but did you not say you had a car converted by BA? and are they not members? Also I wonder if you would be so vehemently opposed to this organisation if Profess were members? Please forgive me if I've got the wrong end of the stick. Just a thought :-)

Hi guys, the reason I started this blog was an attempt to elevate potential "convertees" of "the only way is Wales" feeling I got from researching this forum when it came to LPG conversions, It was either Profess or Tubbs. In Bluesmans defence he has repeatedly said that although he thought Battersea Autogas were not the neatest, he had no issues with the reliability of there installations. Now know one actually knows everything, and we all deserve to have the right to choose. That said we all want to have "the best" so really the only potential problem is when we get attached to our own choices and get the habit of defending them at all costs. We all do everything we can to ensure that we have made the right choices but if something comes along to threaten the decision we have made we are compelled to defend. It seems that the use of a relatively new advance in gas piping technology has perhaps caused us to review our opinions regarding the way we think things should be done, no problem! Let's embrace it. BRC considered by many to be one of the worlds leading manufacturers of LPG systems list this product in there catalogue and obviously believe in it. Lest we forget we, those of us that have converted are by nature embracers of new technology, that's why we are running our cars on LPG so lets not get stuck on what happened yesterday. I know very little about this whole subject but have learnt so much from you all and this whole experience, and hope that we can all benefit from this blog. Battersea Autogas, Profess, Tubbs and many others do what they can to provide us with the best they can, and it's up to us to choose who ever we think is best at the time we make the decision to convert our cars. So on this occasion I chose BA, I needed the filler to be where it is because I have a back problem, if this decision meant that the filler pipe must now occupy the space in the boot designed for the tool box so be it, it suited my needs. I also decided that I wanted to have the BRC system which uses a larger size injector, meaning that they could not be hidden by the engine cover, so be it. The installer on this occasion decided to use a fixing point for the solenoid near to where the manufacturer of the car chose to attach the coolant reservoir, so be it. If the system is safe, works well and is reliable, I am more than happy. Hopefully the MPG and very slight hesitation when pulling away that Battersea Autogas have assured me will be corrected when the car goes in for its 1000 mile service will be resolved, then I see no reason to be dissatisfied. I hope that from now on anyone that drives "our cars" living in the London area considering converting there car will not feel that they have to travel a long way to get a professional and safe installation done. I know that all your comments have been said with the best intention and I look forward to learning more and getting advice about the great and unique cars that we drive. P.S. I have to say that without any doubt my car has never driven better!

REPLY FROM BATTERSEA AUTOGAS REGARDING MEMBERS CRITICISM OF THERE LPG INSTALLATION ON MY CAR. Hi Gary, here below listed the few key points I want to make clear about what some people of the blog where concerned was not safe, correct or simply not neat. 1. The filler point under petrol flap is not allowed by UKLPG regulations unless in very few occasions where the petrol filler space is manufactured to have enough room to fit the UKLPG approved filling bayonet (I'm not aware of any Lexus in this situation). No use of filling adaptors is permitted for certified LPG conversions and ALL OUR LPG CONVERSIONS ARE CERTIFIED by the main association, we let other installers do dodgy conversions without certificate. 2. The connections from and to the solenoid valve are (as many where thinking) for the main gas supply from the tank to the reducer. The pipe being used is a fairly new technology which together with the traditional and more known copper pipe and elastic pipe can be used as a choice with the advantage to be more resistant and flexible (that's why its name is flexi pipe). See approved specification and codification written on the pipe itself on picture 1, the assembly on picture 2 and the BRC GB catalogue section correlated to it on picture 3 3. The solenoid valve fitting as mentioned by you too is not hold up to the suspension leg top mount fittings (3 main nuts around the top rubber) but instead the chassis around it (see offside suspension wing where by manufacture Lexus fit the coolant expansion tank to it) 4. LPG injectors visible out of the engine cover due to the nature and the design of the BRC injectors having a slightly longer shape than any other from different makes. However visible they are obviously strongly and securely fitted by metal brackets as every single unit fitted at conversion. 5. I couldn't be more confident about the quality of all of ours LPG conversions. I'd like to suggest you (for your own peace of mind) to contact the main UKLPG inspector John Walker through the official website www.drivelpg.co.uk and book an appointment with the main government with duty to supervise on the works carried out by us approved installers. 6. At present time the new LPG components are going through a settling down process. Any fine tuning required to the system will be carried out as by standard procedure at the 1000 miles free check up in which our team will re-control the whole installation and adjust any little wrong tuning followed by the automatic self adjustment the system is going through from new. Initially it's acceptable to experience minor loss of power, hesitation on pulling away or fluctuations in fuel consumption. Any of these will have to be reported at the 1000 miles check up appointment in order to correct what hasn't settled down perfectly during the 1000 miles interval. Once again, many thanks for choosing us, for any assistance required please do not hesitate to mail or call me. Regards Marco Giachino - Battersea Autogas

You know what's quite funny, regarding where the pipe goes in from the filler to the boot, when I got the car the tool box was just floating around in the boot, and it's only now that I've realised where it lives :-) so when I took the car in for the conversion they asked me what that slot was for? I had no idea and thought it might be quite neat to run the pipe through there, ha ha :-) wot a *****! I've only just realised

If this really is a dodgy instal then I'm gonna need all the help I can get from you guys, it's one thing to criticise someone's work but if they are acting irresponsibly then that's a different matter and should be stopped!

I'll get them to confirm this, find it hard to believe that a registered well established installer would fit a dangerous system, but maybe I should get the whole thing checked over by an independent ? The whole reason for this blog was to try and create some clarity around the minefield of conversion/installation. Where should I take it in london? There must be inspectors that check the work of registered installers.

Where should it be?

Where should it be?

MPG up to 17.5 now so that's the equivalent of around 35 based on current prices right? I'm told this is to be expected until the first service at 1000 miles. I still have the occasional fractional hesitation when pulling away, anyone else experienced this?

I think that was bluesman marks car. I like that to but there is rumour around that the UK government my ban the use of the required adaptor. The final decision for me was my damaged spine, it just had to be in the most accessible position.

Not sure why the pics are upside down? Weird

Better pics Please clarify guys, do your cars have the coolant reservoir bolted to the offside strut bulkhead? If so then maybe it's not to much of a problem if other elements are mounted in the same way?

Please don't think I will be offended by your comments, this is nothing to do with me in reality, all I've done is go to an installer to have the job done and let others see what happened. I will not make any comments at this stage. I will offer Battersea autogas the opportunity to defend themselves, and invite more members to make there comments. This is all good! Keep it coming

At this stage Ian, I can't disagree.