Gas installation. Should it be installed on a car?

Installing a gas installation is still a good way to reduce the cost of running a car. There are two conditions - a properly selected HBO installation (for example, sequential) and a sufficiently large monthly mileage. We advise when and which installation is beneficial.

After falling record last spring, gasoline prices are steadily rising. Therefore, one should not be surprised that the services that install HBO installations, again, cannot complain about the lack of orders. By installing "gas", you can save a lot. However, before deciding on the conversion, it is worth considering whether it will be paid. Below we write about how much you can save for every 100 km of run on liquefied gas instead of gasoline.

Serial installation - expensive, but safe

Sequential direct gas injection units are currently the most popular on the market. They are used in the latest gasoline engines with multipoint electronic fuel injection. The advantage of sequential gas installations is, above all, very precise work. Gas is supplied under pressure directly to the intake manifold next to the petrol injectors. The advantage of this solution is above all the elimination of the so-called. outbreaks (read below). Such a gas supply system consists of electrovalves, cylinders, a reducer, a nozzle, a gas pressure sensor and a control system.

It is distinguished from cheaper installations by more advanced electronics. The biggest disadvantage of such an installation is the high price. Prices for a series installation start from PLN 2100 and even go up to PLN 4500. However, it’s not worth saving on a gas installation, because a cheaper system may turn out to be faulty, which will not work with your car’s engine or will not allow you to develop full power, remind companies specializing in the installation of LPG.

Old engine - easier and cheaper installation

A cheaper setup can be fitted to older vehicles with less advanced engines. For an engine with single point fuel injection, only a set of basic elements is needed, additionally equipped with a control system responsible for dosing the appropriate fuel mixture into the engine and maintaining the best fuel composition.

Ignoring this device and installing a simple HBO installation can damage the exhaust gas catalyst. If the engine is not filled with the correct mixture, the engine will run unevenly and the gasoline metering control device may fail after a while. In this situation, the car will also have problems when driving on gasoline. To avoid them, you will have to pay PLN 1500-1800 for installation with an additional control system suitable for engines with single point fuel injection.

The cheapest installation for carbureted engines

The simplest and cheapest solution is to convert the car with a carburettor-equipped engine. In this case, additional fuel dosing control devices are not needed. The simplest gas installation includes a reducer, solenoid valves, a cylinder and a switch in the cab. Such a set costs about 1100-1300 zł.

It happens that in addition you need to install a computer that monitors the dosage of the appropriate fuel mixture. This mainly applies to Japanese cars equipped with a gasoline supply control unit. This increases the installation cost by about PLN 200. Currently, such HBO installations are rarely installed. They are suitable only for old cars, most of which have already been converted to gas, or due to age and technical condition, they simply are not worth it.

HBO installation service - change oil more often

A car running on autogas requires proper operation and regular maintenance of both the engine and the fuel system. Riding on gas can accelerate wear on valves and valve seats, auto mechanics say. To minimize this risk, you should change the oil more often (instead of every 10, do it every 7-8 thousand km) and spark plugs (then the car runs smoothly and burns gasoline correctly). It is also important to maintain and adjust the installation.

Follow the arrows

An incorrectly selected gas installation can lead to shots in the intake manifold, i.e. ignition of the air-gas mixture in the intake manifold. This phenomenon is most commonly seen in vehicles with multipoint petrol injection. There may be two reasons for this. The first is a spark that occurs at the wrong moment, for example, when our ignition system failed (engine failed). The second is a sudden, temporary depletion of the fuel mixture. The only XNUMX% effective way to eliminate shots is to install a sequential installation with direct gas injection. If the cause of the explosions is lean mixture, an LPG dosing computer can be installed.

Profitability of LPG plants - how to calculate?

If we assume that the car consumes 100 liters of gasoline per 10 km at a price of PLN 4,85 per liter, then the journey for this distance will cost us PLN 48,5. When driving on gas at PLN 2,50 per liter, you will pay about PLN 100 for 28 km (with a fuel consumption of 12 l/100 km). Therefore, after driving every 100 km, we will put PLN 20,5 into the piggy bank. This means that the cost of installing the cheapest unit will pay off in about 6000 km, the single-point injection engine feeder will pay for itself in about 10000 km, and sequential gas injection will start to bring savings. less than 17. km. Is it worth it to install a HBO installation? It all depends on the annual mileage and the planned life of the car.