Installation of Systems

Almost all unleaded petrol-fuelled vehicles can be converted to LPG (Autogas) at a reasonable cost.

Installation

The first consideration of the installation is fuel storage. A special LPG tank must be fitted to the vehicle. These tanks are extremely strong and safe and can be fitted in place of the spare wheel or as a cylindrical tank in the boot.
Loosing a modest amount of space is the only sacrifice required – compensated for by the many benefits you’ll enjoy from operating on dual fuel. An additional LPG filler is also fitted.

Under the bonnet the fuel control system and associated electronics are fitted. On a late model vehicle (2003+) this is usually a new style Sequential Vapour Injection (SVI) system (e.g. our Lovato Easy Fast system).

On vehicles (1990-2003) the traditional venturi system is fitted.

Apart from physically fitting the components various connections also need to be made – into water pipes and fuel injectors – as applicable.

The final part of the conversion is the test drive and confirmation that all accreditation requirements have been met.

The average cost of an LPG conversion on a VN-VX 6 cylinder Commodore for example is around $2350 (recouped quickly in fuel cost savings)

  • Systems range in price from about $2,000 to $3,500 installed, depending on the type of vehicle, type of system and additional options.
  • Lovato Autogas warranty that it’s products are free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of 3 years or 100,000 km from installation date. The installer provides warranty on the installation. 
  • The Industry Association (Powered by LP Gas) has issued a Code of Practice for fitting LPG equipment to a motor vehicle.
  • Dual-fuel systems allow the vehicle to operate on either LPG or unleaded petrol. This can almost double the vehicles range. The petrol tank still remains in the car and the driver can switch from gas to petrol or vice-versa.
  • Running your engine on LPG is beneficial to your car. LPG is a cleaner burning fuel than petrol, so engine life is actually extended. Engine oil and spark plugs potentially need changing less often when running on LPG, so service intervals can be increased if applicable. (Vehicles with manufacture’s warranty should still comply with the specified service schedule).
  • The time taken to install an LPG system varies depending on a number of factors including tank options, the number of cylinders and so on. A typical family sedan with a single boot-mounted tank should take one to two days, whilst a large four-wheel drive with multiple tanks might take two to three days.
  • Your insurance company should be informed of the modification to LPG, and you should ask them to revise the sum insured to reflect the cost of the system – and increased value of the vehicle as applicable. There is no premium penalty for having your vehicle converted to LPG.

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