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Converted in June 2011. Works perfectly and cheap to fill up. Dual conversion. Starts on gasoline until engine reaches 140 degrees then the computer switches it to Propane. I can manually switch between gasoline and Propane otherwise the computer makes the change. If I run out of Propane the computer switches to gasoline. I get 8000 kms between oil changes with synthetic oil and the oil is still the color of honey when drained. Octane level in Propane is approx 105.
Mileage is slightly lower then with gasoline...approx 8%. Currently I am paying .58 cents a litre for Propane. A fill up averages $28 and I get just over a week between fill ups.
This is my 3rd vehicle on Propane. All of them have been cheaper to operate and Propane is much easier on the engine due to it being a true gas and not a liquid that has to be vaporized. Gasoline is also very dirty in terms of the elements that make up its composition. Propane is non-toxic, the fumes will not kill you although you can get a nasty frost burn if you put your hand into the Propane stream. Better for the environment in terms of pollutants. Propane is as easy to get in BC as gasoline is. Believe it or not Propane is safer as a fuel then gasoline is. The biggest benefit it you can continue to drive a large vehicle cheaply.
Mileage is slightly lower then with gasoline...approx 8%. Currently I am paying .58 cents a litre for Propane. A fill up averages $28 and I get just over a week between fill ups.
That's a cheap fill up! Some cabs run on it in my area, as do all delivery trucks.
I had a local company do the conversion for me. The total cost including taxes was $5500.00. The conversion paid for itself in fuel savings within 18 months. I just had to make sure I was going to keep the vehicle long enough to justify the conversion costs. The other thing I forgot to mention is the system can be moved to any other vehicle that has a 6 cylinder engine in it. The cost to move the system is approx $1500. When the system is pulled from the MDX it will revert to running on gasoline. With the higher octane rating the engine runs beautifully. The only issue I have to keep in mind is because it only uses a small amount of gasoline to start, I have to keep my tank topped up to prevent moisture build up in the tank. I usually put gasoline in about every 4 months or so and then it's only down 1/4 tank.
that's great for people who put the miles on! Are those injectors in the one pic above the coil packs? are they tapped into the intake manifold or something?
Sounds like a pretty good deal/set up and as you put it - if you plan on keeping your vehicle a while. Not sure how viable an option propane is for most as I don't believe the infrastructure exists in most places to support it.
I am not sure about the rest of Canada but in BC and Alberta Propane is can be found at almost all PetroCan, Shell, Super Save gas stations. I have driven through the mountains from Vancouver to Calgary. Then up to Edmonton and on to Slave Lake. Back to Jasper, up to Prince George and back to Vancouver without having to worry about not being able to find a fueling stop.
that's pretty cool, it's nice to see someone do that here in the west. People in Europe have been doing this since the 90s. My dad had a converted Yugo on this back in the 90s in Serbia. 5500$ seems like a lot, but I guess it works out if you drive lots
ATLS_666 Re: mileage
In the city I get about 345 kms per Propane fill up. On gasoline I get about 410 km. On the highway I get about 450 km on Propane and approx 520 km on gasoline. Between them both I should be able to drive close to 1000 km depending on the speed i travel. When I do an Edmonton trip I can go from Vancouver to Kamloops, fill up...Kamloops to Blue River, fill up...then to Edson, fill up and on into Edmonton without ever using gasoline.
Sorry guys...been away for awhile. The tank is mounted under the back where the spare tire is normally stored. The spare tire is strapped down in the back above the fold down rear seats. The tire and holder will be reinstalled when I remove the system. The tank is 55 liters but the interesting thing about Propane is the warmer it gets the less you can fill the tank. In the winter it will hold the full 55 liters but in the summer it holds about 51. It has an automatic shut off that only allows the tank to be filled to 80% of its total capacity. The tank can hold nearly 60 liters. This is a safety feature that prevents excess pressure as the temperature goes up.
This is something I'd be very interested in doing. I am in BC so there are enough propane stations around. Do you know of any similar SUVs a conversion can be done where you won't lose trunk space? An MDX would be too big for me.
you can do it on any car. You can choose to not use a spare tire. Get CAA. Any SUV that has the full tire on the trunk would work, although not many have that these days.
10-06-2014, 10:50 AM
