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  #1  
Old 03-02-2008, 11:03 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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adrianb Level 1 (10)
Default SUV gas conversion

I met a belgian guy today who has had his SUV converted to run on natural gas. Apparently everyone is getting this done now and its a major reduction in fuel spending. I spend about RD$2000 to drive round trip from Santiago to Cabarete, he said it costs him around RD$300 with natural gas.

Does anyone know much about this? Is it safe? Does the car lose a lot of value? It costs RD$20,000?
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  #2  
Old 03-02-2008, 11:13 PM
Honorificabilitudinitatibus
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 13,673
Rocky Level 2 (98)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianb View Post
I met a belgian guy today who has had his SUV converted to run on natural gas. Apparently everyone is getting this done now and its a major reduction in fuel spending. I spend about RD$2000 to drive round trip from Santiago to Cabarete, he said it costs him around RD$300 with natural gas.

Does anyone know much about this? Is it safe? Does the car lose a lot of value? It costs RD$20,000?
Right or wrong, this is the conclusion I came to after seriously considering doing it on my old car.
The kits here are cheap, as you mentioned, somewhere around 20K, way way cheaper than in Europe, for instance.
It is my understanding and experience that the way it's done here ruins your engine much quicker than with regular gas.
The public cars do it as they drive so much to earn a living, but they probably only get 1/4 the life expectancy from the engine.
Like I said at the beginning, right or wrong, this is the conclusion I came to.
All you have to do is go to the propane gas stations and listen to the sound of the motors from the cars filling up.
You can hear it, like a gurgling underwater type sound.

When I first considered it, some good friends in the know, whispered to me that only fools did it as it ruins the engines really quickly, but then I went on the net and studied up on it, and they were saying the contrary.
I later understood that it was because of the quality of their installations, as compared to the ones here.
I don't have the scientific explanations, but I have seen the results.
Don't do it, buddy.
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  #3  
Old 03-02-2008, 11:15 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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Hipocrito Mejia Level 1 (11)
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Do a search for "propane conversion" to see prior discussions.
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  #4  
Old 03-02-2008, 11:26 PM
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adrianb Level 1 (10)
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Thanks for the feedback guys.

These people seem to think its ok: Propane conversion shops Santiago

Seems Chip had it done.. Chip, how's your SUV holding out?
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  #5  
Old 03-02-2008, 11:42 PM
AZB AZB is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2002
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AZB Level 2 AZB Level 2 (132)
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Almost all the folks in santiago who have converted their cars to Gas kits are very happy and highly recommend it to others. I might get my camry to be converted to this system.
AZB
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