spark plugs

[capt jack]

The thing about LPG is that when it's good it's very good, but if it's bad it's a nightmare.

Lots of garages and mechanics are scared of it for some reason, and there are a lot of myths. My own experience is of a highly successful conversion to my old V70, out of which I got 250,000 trouble-free LPG miles.

I was very careful when selecting the conversion company (Autogas 2000 in the end), and always made sure that the system was serviced (new filter and software re-set) every 12,000 miles.

It was also enormously useful that I spent a bit of time understanding what everything did and how it all worked. The principle is dead simple. The gas is stored in the boot tank under pressure as a liquid. It's piped to the regulator where a heating jacket (heat from the car's cooling system) re-vaporises it. It's then through to the solenoid/injectors where it follows the same path into the engine as would the petrol. The clever bit is the LPG ECU, which communicates with the engine's original petrol ECU to manage the swap over from petrol to LPG (and back again), and effectively 'tricks' the petrol ECU into accepting the LPG.

Systems vary a bit in detail, and the technology on later 'sequential' systems in more sophisticated, eliminating the quirks of the older more rudimentary control technologies. It's the limitations of these older systems that got LPG some it's shady reputation.

The LPG business has some great companies, who take it all totally seriously and do things properly, but there are also sadly quite a few cowboys who simply see it is a chance to make a few easy £. Daft as it seems, when you put a car in for MoT they don't actually check the LPG conversion!

There is an LPG Association, and that's where you'd need to start to check out your installation company.

Hopefully you'll get all this sorted and start to pocket the substantial savings that come from running on LPG.

Good luck with it all

Cheers

Jack

[pacman67]

Jack,
Thanks for the info, as you may or may not be aware, i bought the car from a forum member who had the car converted at a cost of about £1600 in mid 2011, i have the paperwork somewhere. As i say, i am making inroads to get a service on the system, hopefully all will then be well.

[bongodave]

Originally Posted by volvobaggen

True, Denso is more bang for the buck than anything else. Cheaper, 100% japanese and Toyota OEM.

I read somehwere that Toyota V6 engines used to come from the factory with 3 cylinders fitted with NGK and 3 cylinders fitted with Denso, so they are probably not that different

What I don´t like is that NGK has a factory in France that makes spark plugs under the NGK logo now. French plugs are installed in the Volvo 240, but it will be Denso next time.

If anything like Mitsubishi V6, this is cos the rear bank of plugs are densi iridium due to them being tricky to change, hence service schedule says every 60,000. The ngk are cheaper and changed more frequently.

Personally, for LPG Volvo where they all easy, I get the cheapest possible and change every 12,000.

[The Thong]

I think my plugs need doing. Halfrauds are listing Champion plugs for my car. Are champion any good ? It's s S60 2t by the way.

TT

[bongodave]

I would look on ebay mate. Got a set of Bosch plugs for just over a tenner. I've still got it in for Halfrauds after they wanted £34 for a max £10 set of wiper blades for my sister's car.

They're good for bikes, but that's about it.

Bit dearer than mine, but Denso are good plugs. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-Denso-...item4d00c46e2a

[classicswede]

Keep well away from champion plugs as they are nothing but trouble. I stock NGK but Denso are also very good.

[The Thong]

Cheers Fella's, just ordered a set of Denso plugs. I've done 16k on this set so it's time to renew. Much appreciated

TT

[bongodave]

Originally Posted by The Thong

Cheers Fella's, just ordered a set of Denso plugs. I've done 16k on this set so it's time to renew. Much appreciated

TT

Always happy to help a Leamingtonian what-what *doffs cap. lol

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by bongodave

Always happy to help a Leamingtonian what-what *doffs cap. lol

Sorry to disappoint I'm from the not so Royal Walsall I was exiled to Leamington

[pacman67]

Denso copper plugs from ECP, about £15 for the set, and ive adjusted the gap down to 0.7. As per the great advice on here (thanks guys).