Akkkk!!! Premium for my turbo is getting pricey. Anyone else looking into using propane /LPG?

Yeah, My 940 SE turbo 2.3 manual runs on it. Mind you the system is expensive. It runs a full second injection system that scavenges a signal from the car's original injection system. The car therefore believes it runs on petrol. The tank is in the spare wheel well, it takes about 47 litres, real capacity is more but you can only fill to 80%. It drinks LPG at a fair rate, generally about 200 miles to a 46 litre fill up. That's driving hard, had it up to 210 kmh on the Autobahn last thursday. Generally it cruises at 90mph or so. If you tow with it it goes really dipsomaniac. It also uses more oil when running on gas, genarally a litre of high quality synthetic per 1000 miles. Oil consumption when running on petrol is minimal.

The system is made by Prins in Holland, converting a non Turbo is waay less grief.

Regards


Pete

I'd be a little nervous with the tank sitting in the tire well - how many 700/900s are out there with bashed tire wells? Of course I'm sure that safety is taken into account with the design of the tank, probably not an issue to worry about.
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Chris, Dartmouth NS Canada 70 M-B 280SE, 83 245DL, 84 244 turbo, 90 780 turbo, 92 VW Golf

The tanks are steel and rigorously crash tested, should be OK, there's no other sensible place to put it in a wagon. Lot of 4 doors have a cylindrical tank up against the rear seat in the trunk.

Regards


Pete

So that's about 12 gallons of Propane. at 200 miles per, and at hard driving, I'd say that's about 25 MPG less than premium. But I have read that propane is equal to 100 octane gas (petrol), so it should not ping on boost, and it should be possible to raise the boost. Propane is about $1.98 p/g vs. $2.30 for premium here, and propane has a 20% price increase since last year.

Yeah my 940 is a pretty late one, '95 so it runs the uprated engine with the bigger rods, but Volvo als detuned those late cars down to 165 BHP or so. I've not yet played with the boost. It also has a factory manual box, M90 5 speed.

Regards


Pete

I recall another post about this in which the member indicated that in addition to the increased oil consumption, a consequence of propane conversion is a short lifespan for heads, as I recall he was replacing the head about every 100k miles due to valve seat damage. I think that may have been a euro 16v turbo, but it seemed to be the accepted concensus that heads wear out burning propane.
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Chris, Dartmouth NS Canada 70 M-B 280SE, 83 245DL, 84 244 turbo, 90 780 turbo, 92 VW Golf

How does that translate in cost per mile?
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"Be blessed in your quest'' 89 764 (110K), '94 940T (180K) , '92 745T (totaled 2-10-05 RIP)

It very much depends on where I take it. Remember I'm in Europe, resident in the UK, not in the US. Our fuel prices are a tad steeper than yours!

In the UK a US gallon of 95 octane unleaded is around 6.36 US Dollars, A gallon of LPG is about 2.91 US

Petrol in Europe will be around the 5.90 US Dollar per US gallon, LPG Gas in France or Germany is approx 2.28 US In Holland a Gallon of LPG gas is about 2.04.

There are big variations from country to country, in Austria for instance it's difficult to find gas, and too expensive to make it worth looking.

The car retains its normal fuel tank, so it can take 70 litres of petrol and just shy of 50 litres of LPG.

Don't know about the head yet,I converted it in November 04 and I've only done 20000 miles with it since then.

Regards


Pete