Propane conversion tips (caution)/update

AZB · #1 07-18-2008, 11:52 AM

Ok, I am not sure what you might call this thread, an update to previous thread on propane conversion or whatever.
here are Do's and Don'ts.
In santiago, the king of LPG (propane kit) conversion is:
Acosta auto gas. the are well equipped and have all mechanics, installers and electricians working in one place. they will modify and weld metals to propane tanks and install them well bolted to your car. they carry everything so there is no need to wait for parts or have to go else where to fine tune the car etc. they will do it all in one place and they are cheaper. I wish I had gone there in the first place.

They are located near the rotonda (round-about) of 27 de febrero when entering santiago from navarete road. They are in the street right behind auto dealership of ochoa. Tel: 809 295 7055

Now here is what you don't want to do.
Do not simply drive the car on propane. the system is designed to turn on the car in gasoline and then after you drive the car and when the engine RPM reaches 2000 RPM the system shifts to propane gas and turns off gasoline fuel. This is important that you do this. Some people (including myself), simply start the car, press the gas peddle so the engine increases the rpm to 2K and shifts to propane. We thought this will save the expensive fuel and we don't have to fill gasoline for months. wrong!
So happened my car would start on gasoline but it will run rough and often shake the engine. The next day, car won't start at all on gasoline. I went to mechanic and he told me i needed a switch installed so it would bypass the chip; this is because the data on computerized chip is erased so that why my car is not starting on gasoline. make the long story short, it seemed like a long complicated process and it was going to cost me money, pus I was not convinced of the diagnosis.
So what do I do? I go to public forums to see what the tigres are saying about it.
It quickly became clear to me that the problem was simple. I was the problem. I was running the car on propane for so long that the little tiny level of fuel I had left in my tank was drying up, solidifying and thus, clogging up my fuel injectors. The problem was so sudden I even thought my fuel pump was acting up. I mean the car would run one day on gasoline and the next day, it would not even start.
So I filled up tank quarter of the capacity, emptied a bottle of fuel injector cleaner and left the car parked for the night. The next morning I tried to start up the car on gasoline. It didn't at first but I kept trying. Then it would start but only on 2 cylinders. Shakes and then die. After a few more attempts, the car finally started and I gave some gasoline to run the engine up. Then, finally, it started to run good. I think the clog opened up and today I will run the car on gasoline only to clean up the fuel injectors.
lesson learned, from now on, i will run my car on gasoline for some distance until it will switch to propane all by itself, like it was supposed to do in the first place.
AZB

Hipocrito Mejia · #2 07-18-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZB

the little tiny level of fuel I had left in my tank was drying up, solidifying and thus, clogging up my fuel injectors.

You found out the hard way that over time, gasoline turns into a thick, varnish like substance, that can ruin your entire fuel system. This also applies to anyone that leaves their car parked for a while. You either need to empty out your tank or add a fuel stabilizer to prevent this from happening.

AZB, you may want to have the spark plugs pulled and looked at, to see if they are fouled up. If they are, your car will misfire and run rough.

AZB · #3 07-18-2008, 04:01 PM

i have had spark plugs replaced not long ago.
Car is running like new again. Thanks god.
AZB

cobraboy · #4 07-18-2008, 08:19 PM

Super simple solution: put Sta-Bil in the tank of gasoline. It will make the gasoline good for over a year.

I let the propane run dry before filling it up. Then I drive the truck to the gas station on gasoline.

BermudaRum · #5 07-18-2008, 08:31 PM

[QUOTE=Hipocrito Mejia;659678]You found out the hard way that over time, gasoline turns into a thick, varnish like substance, that can ruin your entire fuel system. This also applies to anyone that leaves their car parked for a while. You either need to empty out your tank or add a fuel stabilizer to prevent this from happening.

Need advise with the fact I am planning to store a car for 3-4 months. Other then having someone start it up say once a week, would this Sta-Bil as posted by Cobraboy or any other additive help for my gas system after I return? Thanks!

cobraboy · #6 07-18-2008, 11:16 PM

[QUOTE=BermudaRum;659787]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hipocrito Mejia

You found out the hard way that over time, gasoline turns into a thick, varnish like substance, that can ruin your entire fuel system. This also applies to anyone that leaves their car parked for a while. You either need to empty out your tank or add a fuel stabilizer to prevent this from happening.

Need advise with the fact I am planning to store a car for 3-4 months. Other then having someone start it up say once a week, would this Sta-Bil as posted by Cobraboy or any other additive help for my gas system after I return? Thanks!

I have left gas with Sta-Bil in machines for over 6 months with ~zero~ negative effect. It works.

AZB · #7 07-18-2008, 11:28 PM

ok, it seems the problem is not with clogging fuel injectors. here is what happened:
I was driving all day on gasoline and it was working just fine. Then I felt comfortable enough to switch it to propane to see if the automatic system would work. I switched on automatic and after 2k RPM, the system switched to propane. All went fine. Then I parked the car and after 2 hours tried to start the car again. Remember, now the car would start on gasoline and then switch over to propane after 2k RPM. The car started on gasoline but acted like it was running on 2 cylinders. The engine RPM would not increase, even after pressing on gas peddle. I can't raise the engine RPM, thus, the car won't switch to propane. Then the engine dies. I try to start it again, the engine runs rough for a few seconds and then dies. Dammit, it was happening again. This can't be clogged fuel injectors now.

I then simply put the switch on propane and started the car and drove it home.
Then I thought about that mechanic told me about computer getting confused and not starting the car as its programmed to do so. The chip was not giving out the signal to run at the right amount of RPM speed. So I disconnected the battery terminal and after 10 minutes, reconnected it again. This would surely reset the computer in the car. Sure enough, the car started on gasoline as if it never had any problems and ran fine. Now I am afraid to switch it to propane. I think the computer will get confused again. I was told, this happens to a few cars. Mine is camry 2000 4 cylinders. I think I would need the relay installed in my car to isolate the chip in ignition system or whatever the mechanic was trying to tell me.
More update later. Thanks.
AZB

Robert · #8 07-19-2008, 02:17 AM

This is why the expensive kits leave all the original engine mapping in place and use sequential injectors.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for

cobraboy · #9 07-19-2008, 07:46 AM

AZB, I am not so sure your problem is "chip" thing. My guess is your automatic switch cold be intermittantly faulty. The symptoms you describe sound like the car is trying to start on propane, not gasoline. You have to have airflow through the intake system to deliver the propane early.

AZB · #10 07-19-2008, 11:30 AM

Another mechanic tells me that the fuel pump is about to bite the dust because its been inactive for so long. it works good at times and then it faults other times. I want to know how many people with propane conversion are having trouble with their gasoline fuel system after a few months of running cars on propane? Mind you, my gas system works flawlessly. It maybe a unique problem to my car only.
I see people converting to this system on new expensive cars, they take the car straight from dealership to propane conversion places. Converting new cars to propane. This system can't be all that bad if people are taking new SUVs to convert them, straight from the dealership.
AZB