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What is the real MPG of Amazon 4.7 V8 VX?

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daimon
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Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 23:48    Post subject: LPG Reply with quote

The LPG is great, cost wise huge saving, the only downside is loss of space, I have an import so have slung x2 90ltr tanks underneath giving 400+ miles per 110 ltrs.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 23:48    Post subject: Google Ads keep this community free to join!


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The Silver Bear
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 21
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:41    Post subject: MPG Returns Reply with quote

This summer we drove a non LPG 4.7V8 through France and Spain into Northern Portugal.  All the way I kept a record of litres used and km/miles covered.  In the UK I use the wonderful beast for getting to and from work.  Which involves two 130+ motorway journeys each week.  Without fail, when using the Amazon in this way, I achieve a little over 19 mpg and sometimes, if I am gentle, a little over 20.  It is only short journeys around town that bring the figures down. This compares favourably to my previous main car which was a SAAB 9-5 2.3HOT Aero Estate.  This only returned 24 - 25mpg.  I have just priced an LPG conversion whcih would appear to be £2000 and a good investment with returns in about 12 months.  Will be hoping to have it done over the next couple of months.
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Sahara
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Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 3
Location: London

PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 18:16    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all,

Recently imported my LC100 series sahara 4.7l V8 from Aus.   I owned it there previously and used it to tow a 3500kg off-road caravan.  Dont ask about the mpg (l/100km) in that situation!

Here in the UK I get 12mpg with a heavy right foot round town and 17.5mpg on the motorway.   The car is fitted with twin spare tyres, steel rear bumper, steel roofrack steel replacement front bumper and bull bar as well as long range fuel tanks totalling 250l. It must be way heavier than the standard car, but does 17.5 mpg on the motorway in that state with a family on board.

I have also had the motor chipped and a free flow 3" mandrel bent exhaust fitted which has lifted power by 30kw.
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The Silver Bear
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 21
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 19:59    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have now had the LPG conversion carried out - what can I say - amazing! Same performance, same fantastic V8 and I now get the equivalent of 30mpg. Truly the best move and pay back time is well under one year.
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Sahara
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Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 3
Location: London

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 15:31    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr Silver Bear,

How much did you pay?   I presume you got to keep the original petrol tank as well?  Do you need to remap the ecu for LPG?   I am seriously considering the conversion, provided power loss and cost are too horrible!

Cheers
Rob
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imprator
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Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 17:47    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sahara

Pending The Silver Bear's reply, my own experince after running with LPG for 4 years on a 1999 Amazon are;

I had a toroidal (donut) tank installed in the spare wheel well. This is unobtrusive, although you can see the bottom of the tank from the rear of the car if viewing from a low angle (such as sitting in a following car). The only other outward indication of an LPG system is a small filler aperture (with twist-off cap) that is fitted into the nearside of the rear bumper. As the colour matches that of the bumper it is almost unnoticeable.

The existing petrol tank is untouched and the car can run on LPG or petrol at the touch of an in-cabin electric switch. This can be done whilst driving; the switchover is marked by a momentary hesitation of the engine, nothing more.

The LPG system is designed so that the car always starts on petrol and swiches to LPG after a minute or so. This switchover is marked by the same small hesitation refereed to above. There must always be at least some petrol in the tank or the car won't start.

There is a very slight loss in performance when running on LPG, but it's only noticeable under strong acceleration - and then only if you are looking for it. You can always switch to petrol if you really want to get every last horsepower out of the engine.

No remapping of the ecu is necessary. All that is required is the fitting of the LPG system and you're away.

By fitting a tank in the spare wheel well you lose this space for the spare wheel (or auxilliary petrol tank). As an alternative you can have an LPG tank fitted in the luggage compartment, but that involves holes being drilled through the floor to install piping, the inability to use the third row of seats - and, of course, permanent loss of luggage space.

MPG is less when running on LPG than with petrol - there is about 15% reduction.

The nominal LPG tank size doesn't directly equate to the number of gallons/litres of LPG that the tank will hold. You will only be able to fill about 80% (I think that's about right) of the tank's nominal volume with liquid LPG. I don't recall the size of my installed tank, but it gives a range of about 200 miles when cruising on motorways at about 90 mph.

I recently costed a new installation with my local LPG man as I am planning to get a newer vehicle shortly; I was quoted just over £2,000 including VAT.

If you decide to get a conversion I strongly recommend using someone who has worked on V8 engines before, and preferably someone who has successfully done an Amazon conversion. My original installers didn't do a perfect job; the car hesitated under full acceleration as if suffering a misfire and occasionally hesitated under steady high speed cruising because the system would momentarily switch from LPG to petrol and back again. That installer never did get it right, but the guy I use now fixed it first time with no problem. If anyone does experience any difference in smoothness when running on LPG please be aware that the vehicle should run as smoothly on LPG as it does on petrol. If it doesn't the fault lies with the LPG installation, not with the car's ecu settings, tuning, spark plugs or any other excuse the LPG installer might suggest (I've been there...)

My experience with a four year old LPG installation might not directly equate with an up to date system. They are improving all the time and others with more recent installations have reported no noticeable loss of performance at all. There may be other differences. I don't have any experience of such systems so can't comment, but perhaps The Silver Bear can?
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The Silver Bear
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 21
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 17:47    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cost is £2000 for the conversion plus VAT. I cover 20k per annum so pay back is approx 11 months. No discernible change to performance - I am seriously delighted with the investment. It has made owning my beast even more enjoyable and I put an extra £50 in my pocket each week!

I used a Prins conversion, organised through the following site. http://www.prinslpgnetwork.com/index.html

They arranged for a company in Woking (Dual fuel Conversions) to carry out the work. Great service and I would highly recommend.

Conversion is pretty much state of the art.

I would most definetly use them again.
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The Silver Bear
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 21
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 17:49    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oops - sorry forgot to answer your other quation. Yes you do keep the original tank, the LPG tank is 95 litres and sits where the spare is normally housed. You need the petrol tank as the system starts on petrol and switches over to LPG at 55C.
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Sahara
Newbie


Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 3
Location: London

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 18:02    Post subject: Reply with quote

Many thanks for these responses - its really encouraging to hear that it works so well.  I think i may need to investigate the ecu a bit further - a currently have a Unichip which sits behind/infront of the standard ecu and has been programmed to tweak the ignition timing etc as with many other "chips".  I am not sure if these "enhanced" settings will still work for LPG.  Some chips i know are switchable between LPG and Petrol settings but i dont think that the Unichip is.

As an aside - if i dont go the sensible route and convert to LPG i may go and fit a supercharger instead!

Any many thnkas again  - really appreciate the advice and its great to have found the forum!

Rob
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