What is LPG? Possible car problems and their solutions

GLP are the acronyms of Liquefied petroleum gas. A fuel that some vehicles can use, either from the factory or because they have been adapted later. It's more economical and ecological than gasoline, so many people opt for it. And more so now that it has the advantages of a hybrid.

In this article we are going to tell you about the characteristics of LPG or Autogas, how it affects the use that is given to the car, what are its virtues and drawbacks and what you should take into account to know if it is worth it.

What is LPG

El GLP o Liquefied petroleum gas is actually a mixture of two gases: the butane and propane. That is, two fuels that are frequently used in heating and cooking. Both gases become liquid by lowering their temperature below -40º C. Afterwards, it is kept in this state by keeping it at high pressure inside a cylinder.

What cars can use LPG

In order to start the combustion of LPG a spark is needed, so only the gasoline engines they can equip the necessary systems to use it. Diesel engines are not supported, since instead of this they resort to the increase in pressure of the diesel so that it ignites.

Some cars come prepared of manufactures to use LPG, but even if it is not, almost any gasoline car can be retrofitted subsequently. The necessary requirement to receive the transformation is that it meets the Euro 3 emission regulations. Or put another way: almost any gasoline car after the year 2000.

LPG problems

LPG cars have presented some problems or breakdowns, although they have been corrected in one way or another. The principal problem presented by some cars with this system is the galling of valve seats. These are the little rings placed on the butt against those who press the valves when they close. The consequence was that you could have engine compression problems.

The reason for this problem was because LPG lacks an additive to prevent it In our country. Some manufacturers claim that the valve seats have been reinforced to prevent this. So, if true, engines that come with the LPG system from the factory should not present any problems.

For those who have a retrofitted LPG system in a specialized house, it is better to use additives to protect it. those of the houses V-Lube o Arexons are good examples. However, even if you have a car with LPG from the factory, it is better that you consider the use of these additives and at least ask in the workshop of your brand.

Other problems that LPG cars have had are due to manufacturing defects, not the gas itself. For example, some Renault engines used by Dacia. That is, breakdowns that occur in any engine type: gasoline, diesel, gas, hybrid, electric… which therefore should not weigh on LPG systems.

How much does it cost to convert a car to LPG

If one does not opt ​​for a new LPG car bought directly from the house, you can always go to a specialized center to adapt it. The price is usually between the 1.700 and the 2.500 euros depending on the make of the car, its number of cylinders and its size. You can ask for a budget without commitment in any of them.

Does it affect the operation of the car?

Current LPG systems allow car performance to be practically the same. Experts indicate that the decrease in power is below 2%. So that the change is imperceptible to the driver. A car with 125 hp using gasoline will deliver 122,5 hp while using gas.

When the transformation is complete, the car is able to use gas or gasoline indistinctly. The path between the two systems is faint. At most, a decrease in noise will be noticed when consuming the gas.

Unless otherwise indicated, the system itself will choose which of the two energy sources it will use at any given time. They are normally set to start using gasoline, switch to gas after a short time and return to gasoline when the gas is going to run out. Therefore the car will run on LPG most of the time.

Related article:

Cars with LPG and CNG in 2022: differences and prices

Related article:

What is CNG

From how many km per year is LPG profitable

To find out if the extra outlay for the LPG system is worth it, a number of km traveled per year. Normally 15.000 or 20.000. Nevertheless, this method is somewhat misleading, since a person who does only 10.000 km a year can also get profitability. The only difference is that it will take longer to recover the investment.

Below we leave you one calculator with which you can clearly see the calculation, but if you do not want to mess with the numbers, we leave you some approximate examples, with the average prices of gasoline and LPG today (1,342 euros and 0,728 euros respectively).

A car with a combined fuel consumption of 6,5 l / 100 km is adapted to LPG by 2.000 Euros. Its owner walks 20.000 km per year with him, so recover the investment in 3 years. If only I walked 10.000 km per year, I would also end up getting the money back, but it would take 6 years.

In the same way, the more the car consumes, the sooner the investment will be recovered. If you consume 10 l / 100 km, it will take only 2 years old to recover that same investment, with 20.000 km per year, or 4 years if it only travels 10.000 km.

Half price at gasoline today in Spain*

Half price of the GLP today in Spain*

*: You can filter by province.

Is LPG worth it?

In addition to the money savings that LPG can bring, there are Another series of factors that should be evaluated to make the right decision. For this we have developed a list of the pros y cons who has a car fueled by this gas, either from the factory or with a subsequent transformation.

Pros

• Economic: the aforementioned saving money if done correctly.
• Products: emits 15% less CO2 and between 70% and 90% less NOX. The latter are the dangerous gases that have brought so much tail with the cases of cheating in the emissions tests such as the dieselgate.
• ECO Sticker: the car will be entitled to the ECO-type environmental sticker, so it will have several advantages. Among them are discounts on regulated parking zones.
• Less wear: all the mechanics consulted indicated that LPG-powered cars dirty the engine less and use less oil.

Cons

• Less trunk or no wheel. Depending on where the LPG tank is placed, two things can happen: either part of the trunk is lost because it is located there (less frequent) or the spare wheel is lost because a toroidal-shaped cylinder is put in its place. This last case is the most frequent today, since modern tires are much more resistant than before.
• Fewer gas stations with LPG: Although the pumps of this type of fuel have proliferated in the last decade, we must take into account if we are going to have one nearby. For this we leave you this map where you can see where the closest one is:

Advice to decide on LPG or not

• • Use the calculator you have above. This way you will know if it is worth the investment. In the case of new cars it will always be profitable except with very low annual mileage or if the car is retired too early.
  • Look at the map of the gas stations with LPG. You must have at least one nearby of your usual routes. For example, on daily commutes to work or on long trips to your hometown or for any other reason. A person who lives in Barcelona or Madrid rarely has a problem, but things can change if he lives in a somewhat remote town.

• Take into account the autonomy that you will have using LPG. For example, with a toroidal tank located in the spare wheel well, about 33 liters of capacity can be achieved. With a consumption of 7,5 liters of LPG every 100 km you will have a range of about 400 km. If you want to know how much LPG your car would consume, a good approximation would be to add 15% to the liters of gasoline that it usually consumes. For example: if it consumes 8,7 l/100 km of gasoline, it will consume 10 l/100 km of gas and the autonomy will be 300 km.