Does LPG make your car slower?
Modern gas installations – especially those from a trusted manufacturer – are safe and stable devices that can be installed both in cars that are several years old and in new car models. But is it true that they have a negative effect on engine performance?
WInfluence of the gas installation on the power and performance of the vehicle
Although many drivers say that installing an LPG system may not only result in deterioration of engine power, but even contribute to significant damage to the car, in reality things are quite different.
Surely you’ve heard the myth that installing LPG systems can reduce engine power and performance. However, if we have doubts as to whether LPG installation will not harm our car, we can both before and after After its installation, determine the characteristics of the engine’s performance by making appropriate measurements in the dynamometer.
To our surprise the actual power drop is approx. 4% – so for the average driver it is absolutely imperceptible.
Photo 1 – Measurement of power on the dynamometer (and the size of the drops) made by the workshop Greg-Gaz, in the customer’s car Renault Laguna 2.0T 170KM. Reliable OPTIMA kit with Barracuda injectors and SHARK reducer. Having data such as engine torque curve or power curve will allow us to check and compare changes in the operation of the vehicle after installation of the installation.
How to protect yourself from improper gas installation
Often, when deciding to convert a car to gas, we choose among the cheapest local offers. However, this is a mistake that can cost us a lot – cheap LPG installation services are usually offered by general workshops whose employees do not have specialist knowledge necessary to carry out the entire process properly. By entrusting the car to an incompetent installer, you run the risk of making mistakes or even deliberately carrying out important aspects of the installation carelessly to save time. This means that even if we actually save at first, we may have to spend the saved funds on expensive repair of defects after a short period of use of the car.
Therefore When deciding to install LPG installations, let us use the services of a proven and specialized company that will guarantee us a professional and safe conversion of the vehicle to a new power source. This will protect us both from a significant reduction in engine performance and from having to spend money on expensive repairs.
See also: List of recommended ALEX workshops
Cheap, does not equal well
The latest autogas installations are advanced electronic and mechanical systems, mainly consisting of drivers, injectors and reducers, on which the correct operation of the engine depends. It is worth paying attention to the manufacturer of individual components and the opinion of users. Installations dedicated to a given engine will work much better than cheaper counterparts being a collection of random elements.
If the price of the installation is clearly lower than the market average, the warning lamp should light up. The logos on the components alone do not prove their quality and reliability. While in the first few months we will not see a difference in operation, after a year it may turn out that the installation or, even worse, the engine – is to be repaired or even replaced.
Photo 2 – ALEX IDEA Kit for cars with direct petrol injection. Eliminated faults caused by mismatching elements ensures economical and safe driving with an LPG-powered car. The assembly of LPG installations should be based on compatible elements – only then will the installation be efficient and reliable.
