I live in Fairfield County, Connecticut and own a 1998 E430 (W210). But its getting increasingly expensive to keep my car filled, as premium fuel is $4.19 a gallon. I was wondering if it would be worth it to convert my car to LPG/propane. If you know of any places that convert cars to LPG/propane, please let me know.
Also, I heard about the Turbonator (Turbonator.com - Official Site), it says that it helps me save gas. If you have any experience with it, tell me how it works and if its worth the $39.99 they charge.
Please email me with your reply/replies (ggharek@gmail.com). Thank you.
Welcome to the forum, ggharek. Please take a moment to complete your user profile, available via the "User CP" link.
I'm sure that propane and LPG conversions will become more common as time progresses, although I cannot name anyone who produces the necessary parts. I did read a recent story about a pump to fill your LPG tank in your car, drawing from your house gas line.
As for things like the Turbonator, if it would have helped, the factory would add such technology. Don't bother with it.
The automakers take special care to create the proper swirl of combustion gases within the cylinder and head. This swirl is created by a number of factors, including the head design, both the combustion chamber and the ports, piston design, and I've even seen one engine that used different timings for the two intake valves.
Turbulence in the intake tract does not translate into turbulence in the cylinder. If it did, rest assured that the manufacturer certainly did not forget about this critical piece of modern engine design and your efforts are only going to make things worse.
Some twenty years back, I know some people who had been experimenting with their engines, and one of those experiments was putting moth balls into their tank. I don't know if anybody heard those. For sure, those engines are gone.
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I live in Fairfield County, Connecticut and own a 1998 E430 (W210). But its getting increasingly expensive to keep my car filled, as premium fuel is $4.19 a gallon. I was wondering if it would be worth it to convert my car to LPG/propane. If you know of any places that convert cars to LPG/propane, please let me know.
Also, I heard about the Turbonator (Turbonator.com - Official Site), it says that it helps me save gas. If you have any experience with it, tell me how it works and if its worth the $39.99 they charge.
Please email me with your reply/replies (ggharek@gmail.com). Thank you.
In two words DONT BOTHER. There are literally dozens of claims about fuel saving gadjets and I have never heard of any that work either on the news or forums. When I opened the link you posted, before it even loaded you could just tell it was an amater site.
The only real way for you to save fuel is correct tyre (tire) inflation, lose any extra weight in the trunk etc, and drive gently, you will save money that way.
As for fuel cost the world is suffereing, but rest assured that you are the luckiest country going as you pay next to nothing for your fuel compared to ROW. it now costs me $140 to fill my CLK 230 tank and I only do 20 miles a day, I still fill up nearly 3 times a month !
If all else fails buy a diesel or smaller engine like the rest of us !
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ggharek
I live in Fairfield County, Connecticut and own a 1998 E430 (W210). But its getting increasingly expensive to keep my car filled, as premium fuel is $4.19 a gallon. I was wondering if it would be worth it to convert my car to LPG/propane. If you know of any places that convert cars to LPG/propane, please let me know.
Also, I heard about the Turbonator (Turbonator.com - Official Site), it says that it helps me save gas. If you have any experience with it, tell me how it works and if its worth the $39.99 they charge.
Please email me with your reply/replies (ggharek@gmail.com). Thank you.
LNG/LPG Only advantage now is greatly reduced emissions, the operating costs are close to gasoline. The conversions are not suitable for a Mercedes Benz due to the complexity of the induction system, fuel injection, and ECU. most conversions replace carburetors on simplistic engines.
For "mysterious reasons" the propane prices in USA always follow the gas prices. I've seen several cars running on propane in USA, what was done in 1970's but carrying 40 gal propane tank took lot of the space and the hassle wasn't worth small price difference.
In Europe where propane cost 1/2 what gas do -they have computerized systems that makes switches of fuel at highway speeds, but from what I heard such a system cost in the range of $2000.
Probably more like $3000 with present dollar inflation.
How long would it take to recoup that kind of investment?
Diesel conversion to VO make much more sense.
LPG conversions very popular over in the UK on Mercedes, Jaguars and Range Rovers due to running costs so whoever said they dont work on mercedes engines is i'm afraid very wrong.
I'm not sure why you moan at $4 a gallon over in the UK we are paying around $ 10.50 a gallon in your money so its costing me at the moment around $560 a month to run mine.
The prices are closing lately, with gasoline going up and diesel remaining relatively flat. However, even at the extreme difference that we have seen lately, diesel costs less for the fuel to go the same distance.
The prices are closing lately, with gasoline going up and diesel remaining relatively flat. However, even at the extreme difference that we have seen lately, diesel costs less for the fuel to go the same distance.
Thats correct Matt L
Diesel I think is more expensive then petrol around the world and certaily is mush dearer here in the UK then petrol. But as you said, the extra cost is outweighed by the extra MPG you get, so = > cost less.......
LPG Conversions
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