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4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Discuss your latest mods or ideas, and anything to do with the BMW X5 (E53).
IanP
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by IanP » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:17 pm

Mine was already fitted when I bought the car, when I went back to the installer for servicing, he told me that the previous owner hadnt wanted to fit 2 vapourisers to get full throttle performance because of the cost. It stutters a bit over 4.5-5000 revs but you rarely need to go faster than that. If I do then I switch to petrol which is like a turbo coming on boost. 99% of the time it doesnt bother me

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Don Coffey
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Don Coffey » Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:04 am

Hmmmm, sounds like a little bluffing going on. If the installer did indeed offer this cheap option, I wouldn't be using him.

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Imy
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Imy » Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:43 am

I agree with Don. I cant imagine the additional cost to have been that much more on top. Iv never even read or come across anything to suggest that this would be an additional option.

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Geezer » Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:35 pm

I may be wrong, but I thought a vaporiser was an essential part of the LPG system as it essentiall converts the LPG from a liquid state (how it's stored in the tank) to a gas state to be used in the engine? Without vaporisers you may not also be getting the full fuel efficiency/economy gains of the log system. What sort of mileage do you get from a full tank of LPG?

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Raj » Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:02 pm

Cheers for the info.

Look forward to seeing it and your thoughts once fitted.
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by james8whippy » Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:43 pm

Yes thanks for the info :)

I am very much looking forward to the outcome as I'm looking to convert my 4.6 to LPG too.  :hmmm:

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Geezer » Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:50 pm

I'll keep you posted, but chances are I won't pick the X until next week as I live in London and the installer is in Birmingham.

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briankerrys47
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by briankerrys47 » Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:30 am

Sounds like this installer could be a 'legend' if all goes well,just like Jason ::)  ::)

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Y13HYA
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Y13HYA » Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:40 pm

i had mine converted by a company in Leeds, called Leed LPG. 24 months unlimited miles warranty and cost me £1200. Its a KME Gold System. They do one day conversions. Which i found odd but 3 people work on the car. Very neat job. 85 litre tank (holds around 70litres of gas on a full tank). Get between 200-250 miles on a tank of LPG. Price for LPG is 73.9 @ shell. 70 litres of Gas cost £51.73. I worked out that if i did 200-250miles of petrol i would be paying £94-£100. So not a bad saving!
Powerwise, i would say it is 85-90% the same as on petrol. But obviously switchable at anytime. The filler cap is hidden behind the towbar cover so no nasty hole or filler caps in the body - completely hidden!.

I was told the system would 'bed in' and 'self learn' - which to be fair it did
I had a teething issue at first where the car would occasionally run a little lean on idle and after giving it some and would stall. I took it back a week later (having covered 700 miles in the first week lol - it had improved by this point but was more of a piece of mind thing for me. They re-adjusted the fuelling and since then has been bang on. (touch wood)
Overall pretty pleased. But i find myself switching to petrol every now and then to get a good rush ;)

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Last edited by Y13HYA on Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[align=center]2003 Estoril Blue X5 4.6iS - LPG Converted  www.xenon-upgrades.co.uk[/align]

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Geezer » Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:06 pm

Y13YHA, thanks for the informative debrief on your conversion. At £1,200 it's a fair but cheaper than mine which is costing £1,500. Your price/mileage figures, are they for urban or motorway miles? I'd also be interested in knowing where u decided to have your LPG level indicator?

On a separate note, I had a call from the mechanic saying the rocker cover gaskets will need changing. In all fairness I'd thought about asking him to change anyway a the X is on 96k.

He also said there was a knocking coming from the rear of the car but he had yet to investigate. This had me worried for about an hour, until I realised that I'd put a can of de-icer in one of the cubby holes at the back and it was probably this moving about  :-[

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Imy » Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:32 pm

My indicator is next to the gear indicators. But it's where ever you feel most comfortable with. I get my lpg for 68.9 :) it's 78.9 normally but my local bp garage give me 10p off

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Aaron_P85
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Aaron_P85 » Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:58 pm

In my Mondeo I had the indicator put a little higher where your left knee sits against the tranmission tunnel if that makes sense? It was 'out the way' so wouldn't destract me at night or day with flickering lights but one very slight move of the head and I could see it no problems, a friend put his down between the transmission tunnel and his seat, but I didn't like the look of that
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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by murf62 » Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:38 pm

Mine is by the gear lever.  Whilst it's fine there, given the choice I would probably stick it in the space to the left of the headlight switch so it's out of the way.  There is little point in looking at it because the level indication lights are crap.  Once you've done a couple of tankfulls, you'll get used to how far you can get and just reset the trip each time you fill up.

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Geezer » Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:23 pm

I can see the attraction of having it next to the gear leaver, flick back to petrol and into sport mode for a quick boost. But for aesthetics out of the way would be better.

Imy that's a whopping amount off :o obviously I'll be looking for keenly priced LPG soon. Where's you're local BP and would he offer others the same price?

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Re: 4.6is - decided to LPG convert

Post by Graham_The_Baker » Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:39 pm

My LPG indicator is in the front ashtray out of the way. Nice and neat.

By the way, be very wary of any fitter who does a conversion in one day! The fuelling and ecu set up takes a few days hot and cold running to get perfect.

Graham

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