Anybody here drive a LPG car? does it affect the towing abilty. We are newbies and haved a LPG Rover 75 1.8 with a Dethleffs caravan, will this car be ok for the job, the car runs no differently on Gas than Petrol, but I wondered if threr was any difference when towing. With gas 39.9 p litre and petrol 90.9 p liotre it seems to be the best thing.
Rover 75 LPG Conversion
- Thread starter Mark_374224105
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LPG is a slightly lower caloriofic value but higher octane. The 1.8 engine responds well to the conversion (same as the 1.8 Freelander) - you may find a little less power when towing but if the Engine Management system is set up correctly (multi point gas injection systems are far better in this respect than the single point) you should see little diference as the engine will really "enjoy" the higher octane fuel.
I am certainly an LPG convert having ran an LPG vehicle for nearly a decade.
What really impressed me was the clean engine oil even after 6000 miles. Far less engine wear as a result.
Loads of good LPG websites out there - try googling - I am sure you will get some good feedback.
Great having half price fuel isn't it!
I am certainly an LPG convert having ran an LPG vehicle for nearly a decade.
What really impressed me was the clean engine oil even after 6000 miles. Far less engine wear as a result.
Loads of good LPG websites out there - try googling - I am sure you will get some good feedback.
Great having half price fuel isn't it!
We are loving having extra cash in our pockets rather than in the petrol tank. We have nit noticed any difference in peformance so and we are well pleased with the car in all aspects. Thanks for the info.LPG is a slightly lower caloriofic value but higher octane. The 1.8 engine responds well to the conversion (same as the 1.8 Freelander) - you may find a little less power when towing but if the Engine Management system is set up correctly (multi point gas injection systems are far better in this respect than the single point) you should see little diference as the engine will really "enjoy" the higher octane fuel.
I am certainly an LPG convert having ran an LPG vehicle for nearly a decade.
What really impressed me was the clean engine oil even after 6000 miles. Far less engine wear as a result.
Loads of good LPG websites out there - try googling - I am sure you will get some good feedback.
Great having half price fuel isn't it!
Mark
The rover 75 is a very good tow car indeed very sure footed and convident, my father has had two in the past one a saloon the other a tourer both of which where diesels and superb. I have only ever driven a range rover with LPG and can confirm i noticed no real difference in power at all.
I still get a huge grin of satisfaction when I fill up and everyone watches me at about 42p per litre when they are having to pay about 90p now!LPG is a slightly lower caloriofic value but higher octane. The 1.8 engine responds well to the conversion (same as the 1.8 Freelander) - you may find a little less power when towing but if the Engine Management system is set up correctly (multi point gas injection systems are far better in this respect than the single point) you should see little diference as the engine will really "enjoy" the higher octane fuel.
I am certainly an LPG convert having ran an LPG vehicle for nearly a decade.
What really impressed me was the clean engine oil even after 6000 miles. Far less engine wear as a result.
Loads of good LPG websites out there - try googling - I am sure you will get some good feedback.
Great having half price fuel isn't it!
Laugh all the way to that bank!
And lets not forget the environmental benefits.
I have towed with an LPG Vectra and V6 Shogun. Couldn't tell the difference with the Vectra but the Shogun which was an Auto always changed up a little earlier when towing uphill on gas.
Didn't really matter though as the beast had about 200 bhp plus and never struggled even with a horse box and two up.
I now tow with a diesel but I must admit a prefference to a nice smooth V6/8 petrol, running on lpg of course. An Amazon or another Shogun would be nice!
Didn't really matter though as the beast had about 200 bhp plus and never struggled even with a horse box and two up.
I now tow with a diesel but I must admit a prefference to a nice smooth V6/8 petrol, running on lpg of course. An Amazon or another Shogun would be nice!
I very much remember a interview with comedian Jimmy Carr who had a Rover 75 LPG conversion which went "Bang" @ 80 mph on the M 40 (middle lane) it's replacement was another and also suffered engine problems (not related).
The thing you have to remember with the Rover 75 is it suffered very erratic build quality issues with a two factories producing essentially the same products with different parts and very different QI values.
I would have one but would be very wary and would seek the view of a good inspection service and a good warranty.
The other thing that I have noticed with LPG installations is some engines seem to take conversion better and have either no issues or known issues.
The thing with the Rover 1.8 K series engines is they are known to be C**P there is fact at least 3 class actions by different groups currently going through the courts. As the case is complex - as the known issues are made by a subcontractor to Rover and not by Rover themselves a company that we all know is no longer trading.
MH
The thing you have to remember with the Rover 75 is it suffered very erratic build quality issues with a two factories producing essentially the same products with different parts and very different QI values.
I would have one but would be very wary and would seek the view of a good inspection service and a good warranty.
The other thing that I have noticed with LPG installations is some engines seem to take conversion better and have either no issues or known issues.
The thing with the Rover 1.8 K series engines is they are known to be C**P there is fact at least 3 class actions by different groups currently going through the courts. As the case is complex - as the known issues are made by a subcontractor to Rover and not by Rover themselves a company that we all know is no longer trading.
MH
Not sure I would agree that all K Series are C**p!
But is does have a recognised problem that is easily cured. The designers originally placed the cooling thermostat not in the top hose so it is affected by hot water leaving the engine but at the back of the engine where cool water would be trying to get in to cool the engine down.
So if you think about it - how would you fancy your central heating boiler having such an arrangement? Where your boiler will carry on heating up regardless of he actual temperature of the water because the thermostat controlling it all is sat in cold water returning to the boiler.
The reason why this was done was to get the demister to work within seconds rather than a few minutes. So you can have nice clear windows but a rogerred headgasket after about 25,000 miles. The head gaskets fail because of localised extreme heat build up because of the thermostat on the "wrong side" of the engine stopping the free flow of water through the engine.
A truly awful design ballsup born of a focus groups desire for quick demisting overriding conventional wisdom of where the thermostat should be placed.
From 2001 the thermostat was removed from the engine block and placed in a remote plastic housing - better - but not as good as junking the Rover system and placing a thermostat in the top hose where just about all other engines that I know of have them sited.
The kit for this costs about
But is does have a recognised problem that is easily cured. The designers originally placed the cooling thermostat not in the top hose so it is affected by hot water leaving the engine but at the back of the engine where cool water would be trying to get in to cool the engine down.
So if you think about it - how would you fancy your central heating boiler having such an arrangement? Where your boiler will carry on heating up regardless of he actual temperature of the water because the thermostat controlling it all is sat in cold water returning to the boiler.
The reason why this was done was to get the demister to work within seconds rather than a few minutes. So you can have nice clear windows but a rogerred headgasket after about 25,000 miles. The head gaskets fail because of localised extreme heat build up because of the thermostat on the "wrong side" of the engine stopping the free flow of water through the engine.
A truly awful design ballsup born of a focus groups desire for quick demisting overriding conventional wisdom of where the thermostat should be placed.
From 2001 the thermostat was removed from the engine block and placed in a remote plastic housing - better - but not as good as junking the Rover system and placing a thermostat in the top hose where just about all other engines that I know of have them sited.
The kit for this costs about
As you say Clive the k series had a few issues but it was far from crap like monkey states, not too many years ago and it may still stand the engine was the most widely used power plant in the world, powering not just rovers but hand built sports cars and competition cars throughto even rescue hovercraft, infact the vessel that carried out the rescues on morcambe beach is powered by a rover k series engine, it was in its time a design break through with the bolts going right through the block. as i said originally the 75 is very good value for money and avery robust comfortable car that you can rely on, especially in diesel guise.
Thanks for all your comments, we are going to try out our van this weekend, I will let you know how we get on with the towing.
Mark
Mark
we've driven an lpg 3.5 trooper for the past 4 years. get a good system installed by an experienced fitter and you'll have no problems. i was a diesel convert before this car and only bought it unconverted because we could'nt find what we were looking for. since the conversion we haven't looked back. lpg is the way to go.
I stand-by what I said because Rover under BAE, BMW and Phoenix continued to sell a faulty product the majority were sold when Rovers warranty period was 12 months (remember those days)
Good dealerships were forced to tow the party line and not admit there was problem. Secondly It was pointed out to me that the majority of customers effected are either family's or pensioners and not company car owners.
So you've paid out for probably your largest purchase (apart from a house) and you find after 15 months in a lot of cases that you looking at a significant bill and/or a car which won't move and a dealer/maker that won't help.
Monkeys Husband
Good dealerships were forced to tow the party line and not admit there was problem. Secondly It was pointed out to me that the majority of customers effected are either family's or pensioners and not company car owners.
So you've paid out for probably your largest purchase (apart from a house) and you find after 15 months in a lot of cases that you looking at a significant bill and/or a car which won't move and a dealer/maker that won't help.
Monkeys Husband
Well I think Monkey knew something I didnt, We had gone 13 miles and the Cylinder head gasket went, came back on a flatback truck courtesy of the RAC. Not really ideal for our first trip out with the Van.
God knows how much it will cost, will find out Monday. Monkey I salute you .
Mark
God knows how much it will cost, will find out Monday. Monkey I salute you .
Mark
And the cost of conversion was?I still get a huge grin of satisfaction when I fill up and everyone watches me at about 42p per litre when they are having to pay about 90p now!
Laugh all the way to that bank!
And lets not forget the environmental benefits.
Surely it depends on how many miles you do as to whether it's worth the cost of conversion.
Sorry to hear about your problem Mark, I have had 1st hand experience of cars letting me down whilst towing and I can guess how you feel.
Monkey is correct with his comments - if Rover had made decent vehicles they would still have been in business.
The bigger problem is going to be getting spare parts in the future - manufacturers will normally make parts available for several years after a model has gone out of production.
What happens when a company is no longer there to do this I have no idea.
In your situation I would have the car repaired and think about selling it - buy from a manufacturer still produces cars. (not Citroen -I have one and thats crap also!)
Best of luck
Monkey is correct with his comments - if Rover had made decent vehicles they would still have been in business.
The bigger problem is going to be getting spare parts in the future - manufacturers will normally make parts available for several years after a model has gone out of production.
What happens when a company is no longer there to do this I have no idea.
In your situation I would have the car repaired and think about selling it - buy from a manufacturer still produces cars. (not Citroen -I have one and thats crap also!)
Best of luck
Mark
it gives me no pleasure what so ever to here of your problems..Please contend yourself with the thought that in this case it may not be as a direct result of the design more the load placed on it. A Caravan creates such a large load on an engine because despite its relative low weight its wind resistance is significant.
The problem is one of design and quality. Cars are made to be light weight and cheap hence the design of engine and transmission/drive train will be a compromise in some respects this is why a some believe Landover etc is chosen because its drive train is often designed for extra load. However if you compare a Rover 75 diesel to a Rover 75 petrol you would see far more BMW in it's design (the diesel) and few will doubt that cars such as the 5 series are not designed to take abuse. Shell in Germany ran a number of vehicles well over 500K in order to prove their lubricants were up to the Job. Interestingly enough they ran them in a fleet of BMW's and Merc's I think it's more than being patriotic and they were hedging their bets !!
Monkey's Husband
it gives me no pleasure what so ever to here of your problems..Please contend yourself with the thought that in this case it may not be as a direct result of the design more the load placed on it. A Caravan creates such a large load on an engine because despite its relative low weight its wind resistance is significant.
The problem is one of design and quality. Cars are made to be light weight and cheap hence the design of engine and transmission/drive train will be a compromise in some respects this is why a some believe Landover etc is chosen because its drive train is often designed for extra load. However if you compare a Rover 75 diesel to a Rover 75 petrol you would see far more BMW in it's design (the diesel) and few will doubt that cars such as the 5 series are not designed to take abuse. Shell in Germany ran a number of vehicles well over 500K in order to prove their lubricants were up to the Job. Interestingly enough they ran them in a fleet of BMW's and Merc's I think it's more than being patriotic and they were hedging their bets !!
Monkey's Husband
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