lpg tune up
 

my car is running weak on lpg but not on petrol. how much should i expect to pay for an lpg tune up

A tune up is normally part of service, a service for a 4 cylinder is usually between £40 and £100 depending where you go with any repair work. BRC and Prins installers tend to charge at the top end of that scale making the system a higher maintenance cost than most of the other systems out there. I have seen some of those installers asking £150 for a 4 cyl service and £200 for a 6/8 cylinder!

I paid £114 for my BRC system six months ago.

TT

I think that goes to prove my point about BRC rates when the parts cost no more than other systems.

It could be worth asking on the lpg forum if there is a known installer on your area to look at it for you

I reckon you'll need to be a bit careful about what you ask for. To some 'give it a tune-up' will mean banging in new plugs, a new air filter, a new LPG filter, an oil and filter change, maybe new leads, rotor and dissy (if fitted), before you get anywhere near remapping the LPG ECU or adjusting the fuel pressure. Or maybe they'll get the spanners out and start stripping down the LPG injectors. That could all add up to quite a hefty bill - possibly some of it not really needed.

What are the symptoms? You say it's running weak on LPG, how have you worked this out? Have you read any diagnostic codes from the car's (petrol) engine management system?

Would I be right in guessing that you've got the engine management light come on, and the code is indicating lean running in some way? If you then delete the code the car is fine on petrol but then comes back when the car is on gas?

Basically, the car's ECU is receiving information from the O2 sensor that the exhaust gases are not within the limits accepted as normal for a correct fuel mixture. It works this out by measuring the voltage generated by a chemical reaction at the tip of the O2 sensor as this is heated. The generated voltage in effect varies consequent upon the amount of Oxygen in the exhaust gases. If the voltage goes outside of the range known to be generated when you have a 'perfect' fuel mix then the ECU will attempt to adjust the amount of fuel being injected in to the cylinders. It can only do this up to a point, beyond which it will trigger the engine management light.

If the car runs fine on petrol but not on gas then it's because the car's petrol ECU can't instruct the gas ECU to adjust the fuel mix properly. If it thinks it's running lean on LPG then there's too much Oxygen in the exhaust gases. This could mean that not enough LPG is being injected - so it could be partially blocked LPG injectors, or a drop in LPG pressure, or the gas regulator not vaporising the LPG efficiently, or an air leak on the inlet manifold in the LPG pipework.

Or it could be a failing O2 sensor.

I think that if you simply take the car to a garage and get them to do a 'tune-up' there's a chance that you get stuff done that doesn't need doing, and there's a risk that you'll still have the problem.

If possible, try to give the garage information about the specific symptoms, rather than assume that a 'tune-up' will cure it.

Cheers

Jack

lpg tune up
 

I took the car last june to the people who fitted the conversion for its third free service and he said it was running slightly lean but couldn't tune it as the leads he needed was playing up. I arranged to take it to him again last month and we had the same problem. he said all his computers wouldn't fix it so I have arranged to go and have it done in the new year. there is a local lpg fitter in poole. I just wanted some idea about what charges I could expect to pay. my fitter is near Exeter which is a bit of a trip but as it is still under warranty I don't want to loose that but, if he cant fix it this time what can I do.

I would give Steve a call and make sure that he now has the software/PC working to talk to your car.

If he can not get it working then the best thing to do would be to ask him to cover the cost of the other installer local to you adjusting the mapping.

Can anyone recommend me someone to go to for LPG tune up North Essex or Suffolk. I want to stear clear of Volvo agents