It is not surprising that against the background of the global rise in the price of petroleum products, a huge number of motorists are trying to reduce fuel consumption in any way possible. Immediately, we note that in developed countries the problem was solved, but far from "budgetary".
In simple words, the more economical modern in Europe is confidently replacing. For this, conditions have been created in the form of affordable lending, reduced taxation on vehicles with diesel engine etc.
However, on the territory of the CIS, for obvious reasons, not everyone can afford a new or "fresh" two or three year old diesel car used for cash or even on credit. It turns out that the main available alternative is the conversion of an existing gasoline vehicle to gas, that is, the installation of LPG.
At the same time, gas consumption can be even higher than on gasoline, but this type of fuel costs, on average, 50% cheaper. Also, a feature of the gas is a small loss (5-10%), which is not very noticeable for many. One way or another, for those who actively operate their cars, the benefits are obvious.
In parallel with this, responsible drivers often wonder if gas is harmful to a car engine. In this article, we will talk about how gas affects the engine, and also consider the main features of the operation of a gasoline internal combustion engine on a gas-air mixture.
Read in this article
Influence of gas on the engine and its resource
It is well known that, given the great popularity and demand for gas equipment this decision has both supporters and opponents. We note right away that in this article we will not consider in detail all the pros and cons of HBO, as well as the features of operation, installation of equipment, etc. Let's focus our attention exclusively on the power unit.
So, does gas fuel have an impact on service life and serviceability? gasoline engine, and if so, then why is the gas harmful to the engine. Immediately, we note that the gas does not spoil the engine and practically does not affect it in any way, however, in practice, it is far from so simple. Moreover, this question is surrounded by a lot of myths and misconceptions.
- First of all, for the normal operation of the engine on gas, both the LPG and the engine itself must be correctly configured. In other words, only a qualified technician should be able to install and configure. As for the car owner, he is also required to fully adhere to all regulations and recommendations regarding the operation and maintenance of gas equipment.
Ignoring these rules has led to the widespread belief that gas spoils the engine. One of the arguments is the fact that gas has a higher octane number than gasoline (92-98 for gasoline, while gas has about 110 or more). Many drivers claim that a higher octane number leads to the fact that the engine runs in abnormal modes, the gas "dries" the engine, and so on.
Indeed, gas has a difference in octane and slightly differs from gasoline in terms of combustion characteristics, however, with proper settings, it cannot have a significant effect on the state of the internal combustion engine, valves and other elements. We repeat once again, for this, the setting must be performed correctly.
The main thing is that a properly prepared gas-air mixture must be supplied to the engine. If such a mixture turns out to be too rich or over-enriched, then there will be consequences. By the way, the same consequences occur with gasoline.
Rich mix disables the catalysts, burnout may occur in the exhaust system, the engine runs intermittently, possibly. As for the lean mixture, when the mass fraction of fuel (gasoline or gas) in the composition is less than air, then the consequences of driving for the engine will be much more serious.
Depletion leads to the fact that the mixture burns longer in the combustion chamber, and the combustion temperature also increases. As a result, valves and valve seats are burned out, significantly reduced, and local overheating occurs.
Further, the problems progress, as the incorrect operation of the candles and other factors become the cause. In short, there is a serious disruption to the combustion process in the cylinders. You also need to add to this the incompetence of many craftsmen in various handicraft services for installing LPG equipment, as well as the desire of the car owners themselves to save as much as possible. It is clear that the reasons for many problems with the engine after the installation of gas equipment are obvious.
For example, in gas equipment, which belongs to the initial generations (HBO-1 and HBO-2), the mixture quality adjustments are a simple screw that can only increase or decrease the gas supply. In other words, using a bolt, you can enrich or lean the mixture. As a rule, many did it just "by eye", if only the engine worked steadily.
At the same time, not all drivers at that time knew that for correct adjustments, a special and not the cheapest device (a multicomponent gas analyzer) had to be present in the service. Moreover, in order to save gas, the owners themselves often made adjustments by tightening the adjusting screw and thereby greatly depleting the mixture.
The machine worked normally, gas consumption was falling, and internal combustion engine power also decreased slightly. But after a little time, everything ended, at least, with burned-out valves. So, it becomes clear that the valves burned out not due to the fact that the engine was running on gas.
- With the blend out of the way, let's also talk about the pops that stand out on the list. frequent problems gas equipment. Back popping on cars with LPG is actually an uncontrolled spontaneous combustion of a gasoline-air or gas-air mixture in.
As a rule, such claps can be heard on machines that are equipped with the same outdated generation 1-3 gas equipment, which are ejector-type installations. The specified cotton-explosion occurs as a result of problems with, incorrectly or, burnout of valves and for a number of other reasons.
The main threat to the engine is that excess pressure builds up in the intake manifold during a pop. Pressure build-up can damage or cause malfunction of the air flow sensor, damage to the air duct or housing. air filter... A frequent occurrence is the destruction of the intake manifold itself, especially if the element is made of plastic.
Note that the appearance of pops in the manifold is not due to the transition to gas, but as a result of breakdowns of the internal combustion engine itself and its systems. In other words, holes in the intake manifold can occur on a car without a gas installation.
We also add that with the release of HBO-4, which is injection equipment, and not an ejector type, such pops are almost completely absent. The fact is that fuel in such installations is supplied in small quantities to each cylinder. Even if there are malfunctions in the motor, there is no increase in the number of pops due to gas in the manifold.
Engine oil for gas engines
It should be noted that after switching to gas, experts recommend additionally for vehicles with LPG. The fact is that during operation with a mixture of gas and air, the temperature in the combustion chamber is higher.
Grease designed for gasoline and diesel engines may not correspond to changed conditions. To put it simply, the difference between the calculated operating temperatures for petrol and gas oil is about 200 degrees Celsius.
For lubricant such a difference is very significant, some gasoline engines simply cannot cope with such an increased temperature. As a result, the protection of motor parts and assemblies deteriorates. Also, when running on gas, ordinary oil can cause increased coking of the engine, since the lubricant "burns" from heating, after which a lot of carbon deposits and deposits are created.
As a result, the engine cokes, the oil consumption for waste increases, etc. It turns out that after changing the type of fuel, you still need to separately approach the issue of oil selection. It is optimal to use oils that meet the requirements and recommendations of the ICE manufacturer for tolerances, but they can also be used in gas engines.
Today, the choice of such products is quite large, so there are no special problems with the selection of engine oil for a gas engine. Such lubricants are offered by the leading brands Shell, Motul, domestic Lukoil and other well-known manufacturers.
What is the bottom line
As you can see, any problems with the engine (both with gas and without gas equipment) require an integrated approach to solve them. We are talking about the expanded, as well as the diagnosis of HBO and checking its settings.
It is important to understand that the engine should run quietly and smoothly on gas, that is, similar to the operation on gasoline. There should not be an increase in the temperature of the internal combustion engine, the appearance of shots in the inlet and outlet, detonation, etc. Only a slight loss of motor power is allowed.
The gas itself is initially cleaner than gasoline (especially on the territory of the CIS, gasoline contains many impurities and additives). It turns out that during operation on gas, less dirt, carbon deposits and deposits accumulate in the engine. As a result, such an engine is cleaner inside.
Gas also differs in that it does not have the property of getting into the crankcase of the internal combustion engine and, which is especially important for worn out motors with mileage. This makes it possible to change the lubricant not so often, reduces the loss of liquefied oil for waste, etc.
Read also
Advantages and disadvantages of using LPG equipment. Maintenance and operation of LPG, the benefits and harms of gas for the engine and standard systems.
24.11.2005, 16:20
I have heard many times that when running on gas, the engine wears out faster, however, no one could give me worthwhile arguments. Based on official sources, there are many advantages to working on gas.
Advantages:
- reduction in the cost of a kilometer run;
- an increase in the total mileage by full gas station;
- increase in engine resource;
- increased terms of replacement of engine oil;
- reduction of engine noise;
- reduction of the amount of harmful emissions in the exhaust gases.
Disadvantages:
- decrease in payload;
- decrease in useful volume;
- decrease in maximum engine power;
- an increase in the thermal load on the engine;
- an increase in the cost of service;
- increasing the risk of exploitation.
24.11.2005, 16:36
Decrease in max speed, increase in acceleration time, engine sluggishness, burnout of valves, increase in fuel consumption
24.11.2005, 16:38
What do you want to hear?
Added:
Valves will burn out only in greedy ones.
24.11.2005, 16:41
Regarding the valves, what is the reason for their burnout?
Added:
I want to hear well-founded arguments against gas related to engine wear.
24.11.2005, 16:46
stegmatix The main thing is that the gas equipment is supplied with high quality and it was made with high quality itself !!! And of course, not pouring gas from the cylinder, as some craftsmen do, And in all other respects I can not say any minuses ...
24.11.2005, 16:51
Valve burnout is associated with the economy of the owner trying to adjust the gas flow, like on gasoline. (in theory, gas consumption is 10-20% more)
I have not heard about engine wear. Quite the opposite: there is no detonation on gas and the gas does not wash oil from the cylinder walls.
Of the minuses: this is additional weight, the need frequent replacement filter and from time to time it is necessary to drain the condensate in the reducer (once a month, it takes 3 min.)
Oh, yes, you still need to start on gasoline
24.11.2005, 17:17
Gas has a lower calorific value compared to gasoline, that is, when the same amount is burned, less heat is generated, hence the inevitable loss of power when running on gas.
At the same time, the rate of combustion of gas is slower than that of gasoline, and the gas burns out at the moment the exhaust gases are discharged, when the exhaust valves are open and they are most vulnerable, since they must cool when in contact with the seat. early ignition(3-5 degrees), and constant monitoring of the valve clearances (it is better to do it along the upper tolerance limit).
In general, gas has much more pluses than minuses, everything has already been said above. And burnout of valves, the smell of gas in the cabin, the danger of an explosion - all these are rather myths!
24.11.2005, 18:11
Senya, greedy = P
=8))
24.11.2005, 19:06
in fact, the calorific value of gas is greater than that of gasoline, and the octane number of cis is about 100 ... the decrease in power is due to a lower filling factor of the cylinders (cis - by 3-4%) and this is subjective - for me personally, everything is ok - it suits completely , the dynamics are almost like on gasoline (vw jetta2)
8 years on gas - and nothing
about 10-20% it all depends on the settings, but if you compare fuel prices, the question of efficiency disappears by itself
24.11.2005, 19:15
Calorific value in gaseous state, MJ / m3:
propane-85
butane-111
gasoline-213
"The calorific value of gas is slightly higher than that of gasoline. However, with an increase in the amount of air supplied to the engine, the calorific value decreases slightly.
The molecular weight of LPG is less than that of gasoline, and this degrades engine performance. Since liquefied gas enters the engine in a gaseous state, compared to gasoline, the filling of the cylinders with it decreases (the combustion rate of the gas-air mixture is lower) at a high speed crankshaft engine. As the engine speed decreases, less gas is supplied to the engine. Thus, when the engine is running on gas, its power is reduced. And this is one of the disadvantages of a gas cylinder engine. If the power of the engine running on gasoline is taken as 100%, then the power of the engine running on gas will be approximately equal to 90%, which leads to a decrease in maximum speed by about 4%.
The decrease in engine power occurs due to the lower heat of combustion than gasoline. And as a result, there is an incomplete filling of the engine cylinders with a gas-air mixture. However, by early installation of the ignition timing to TDC by 3 - 5 °, this disadvantage is partially eliminated. Under operating conditions, there is no big difference when driving a car on gas or petrol. "(C)
Added:
http://brc.narod.ru/zolot/zolot.html#chapter_2- read about gas
24.11.2005, 19:21
tarland, do you want to torture us here with your lectures ??? Would I like to pump you on my jet? And see if you notice the loss of power, or not?
Added:
| QUOTE(tarland, 24-11-05 @ 19:15) |
| (with) |
It so happened that when a car owner addresses a problem to a regular car service on a car with HBO, all its "sores" are associated with this additional equipment. In fact, in most cases, this is not the case. Those who make such a diagnosis often do not have a complete set of equipment for diagnosing the engine and car electronics. As a result of this tradition, all experienced "gas" service stations have a set of diagnostic equipment, and their specialists can diagnose in detail standard systems life support of a car engine. Therefore, stopping by a service station for the repair of gas equipment, take a quick look at what they have in service. If you notice one computer (laptop) and nothing else, run away from such masters, since the set of equipment for a professional workshop for HBO must include at least 10 items.
Opinion
Saad Tkachenko
Technical Director of Motor-Gas company
As an expert in the field of LPG installation, I believe that every auto mechanic who plans to install it should at least take courses on car design and diagnostics of its engine, as well as electronics. The thing is that the installed HBO of the 4th generation is still not completely autonomous in the car. It only executes the commands that the standard engine control unit generates, therefore, in order to understand how the system works and where failures are possible, the master must know how the engine and its components work, where the signals for the ECU come from, how they are formed, what air-fuel mixture should feed into cylinders, etc. Therefore, if a person starts installing HBO without proper preparation, it is just a game of "luck". Unfortunately, car owners who get to such craftsmen in return receive engine problems and malfunctions. This happens either immediately or after a while.
Diagnostic devices several types, including OBD, VAG allow you to connect to the standard engine control unit.
HBO diagnostics should be carried out in the same way as in the case of a car, only with a standard power system. Today, many are limited to only scanning a car, calling it diagnostics. In this case, a scanner is connected to the car on gas, which shows what errors the electronic control unit produces. Then they look at the decipherments of the errors or search for them on the Internet and make a diagnosis. But this is all wrong. Such a check makes up about 5% of the total volume of full engine diagnostics, since the scanner reads only those errors that are written in the computer. Have modern machines their list is wider, thanks to which it is possible to make the diagnosis more accurate. If this is a car older than six years, then the ECU of such a motor contains significantly fewer errors, so it is very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis.
Spark plug test stand- compulsory service station equipment for servicing gas equipment. The gas-air mixture has specific properties. For the engine to last long and reliably, the spark plugs must be in perfect condition.
Any diagnostics of the operation of a car with HBO should begin with checking the standard spark plugs and ignition coils, as well as high-voltage wires... I advise all owners of cars with HBO, when contacting a service station, to find out how many and what types of diagnostic equipment there is at this station. If there is none or there are only a few devices, then it will be difficult to establish the cause of the problem existing in your car. The fact is that the gas-air mixture in a hot engine ignites very easily. At the same time, the gas-air mixture, due to the increased electrical resistance in such conditions, may not ignite at all or ignite intermittently due to problems with spark plugs, explosive wires and ignition coils.
The oscilloscope makes it possible to analyze the presence and nature of signals in the fuel supply circuits (petrol and gas), check the signals of various sensors and the operation of electronic control modules.
If the master tells you that a coil, candles or wires can only work or not work, do not believe these words. The fact is that the ignition coil can be as if it is working, but at the same time it does not give out the voltage of 20-25 thousand volts, which are necessary for good sparking. As a result, the lambda probe, and the ignition coil, and the catalyst (due to carbon deposits), and other components may suffer. Signs that something is wrong with the engine: jerking, the engine stalls not only when switching to gas, but also when stopping at traffic lights, when power is lost, etc. In such cases, it is imperative to do a motor diagnosis.
A pressure gauge is required to measure the pressure in a standard fuel (gasoline) rail. A drop in pressure in the gasoline supply system can provoke a greater gas consumption.
From my own experience, I will say that in about 80% of cases of problems when the engine is running on gas, the culprit is the standard power / ignition systems. That is why the master installer and the HBO tuner must have a high qualification of the master diagnostician and the listed list of equipment.
LIST OF EQUIPMENT FOR COMPLETE DIAGNOSTICS OF THE CAR ENGINE AND ITS SYSTEMS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATION FOR INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF LPG.
Test bench for the performance of gas injectors allows you to evaluate the uniformity of gas supply to different cylinders. If the gas portions are very different, there may be problems with the engine: burning pistons and valves, burning valve seats, etc. due to lean mixtures, work can also be lost on gasoline.
Stand for ultrasonic cleaning of injectors necessary in case of contamination of the nozzles, which is detected by checking them on a special stand.
The smoke generator helps locate air leaks in the intake manifold and the gasoline vapor recirculation system.
Laptops with software from various manufacturers of electronics for LPG equipment, starting from the fourth generation.
Pneumoster, or cylinder tightness tester. It can be broken due to wear of parts of the cylinder-piston group ( piston rings, pistons, cylinders), burning of valve seats, burnout of valves and pistons, cylinder head gaskets.
A pressure gauge for checking the pressure in the intake manifold, or a vacuum gauge, is used to assess the general condition of the engine, the presence of air leaks or a violation of the thermal clearances of the valves, etc.
A compressor is required to control the level of compression in the cylinders, which makes it possible to assess the wear of the parts of the cylinder-piston group and the tightness of the valves.
Exhaust Gas Analyzer allows you to fine-tune gas equipment in older model engines with a carburetor power system, as well as to install third-generation LPG equipment on injection vehicles.
A multimeter is needed to find open circuits.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Gas does not spoil engines.
I said this phrase, probably for the ten thousandth time.
And every time he heard her, the man froze and waited for an explanation. And I had to give explanations. : (To argue for a long time why a seemingly good idea - to leave less money at gas stations - has so many opponents and is accompanied by so many myths ...
So, if it's that simple: gas doesn't spoil engines, where did this persistent myth come from?
In this article I will try to express my vision.
Economic expediency…
It all started back in the 80s of the last century. Then, in a country called the USSR, an energy saving program was adopted. A large number of compressed and liquefied gas stations have been built. All bus fleets, large car depots and taxi companies were forced to use gas.
It was then that it sounded for the first time: the gas spoils the engines. Damages engines and even .. affects potency.
The engines of cars switched to gas broke down one by one, they literally fell apart for parts. The drivers refused to work in vehicles equipped with gas equipment.
For many years, the gas was labeled - it spoils the engines.
What happened? .. And the adopted program was not so bad, and the equipment of the Ryazan Gas Equipment Plant was modern, or even progressive at that time and very reliable. Why did all the enterprises, having installed gas equipment, removed it within six months?
Because you can't drain the gas. The drivers were deprived of the opportunity to drain fuel. The hard worker could not imagine his salary in a different way: money in the cash register plus drained fuel in cans. Most of all, the taxi drivers were outraged by the introduction of gas - they were its most implacable opponents. And today, sitting in a taxi, ask what the driver of the car thinks about the gas equipment. I assure you that if the car is not diesel, then it runs on gas. Taxi driver today is the first defender of automotive gas equipment. He, winding 50-70 thousand kilometers a year, will tell you by his example, how his swallow flies on gas, like a bullet, and will fly this bullet with checkers for many years to come.
It's all about economic expediency: it is profitable for a modern taxi driver, a private trader, to save fuel. Gas gives him this opportunity.
For the same reason, from the distant 80s, the drivers of enterprises today refuse to drive on gas. You cannot pour gas into a canister. And the drivers of enterprises, in their absolute majority, sabotage the use of gas in transport. And the reasons are often the same: the gas spoils the engine.
Well, in order to complete this section of the article, I will allow myself to speculate about state affairs - any program for transferring transport to gas will be covered with a copper basin, if the interests of the driver are not reflected in it. A gas-powered driver has to pay extra.
Is that all? .. nothing else? .. Was the gas discredited by taxi drivers of the 80s? ...
No, not all ...
There are still victims of gas equipment ...
The reputation of automobile gas equipment was often spoiled by the illiterate actions of the servesmen and the lack of basic knowledge about the rules of LPG users among consumers.
When opponents of gas begin to prove their point of view - gas spoils the engine - they first of all point to a higher octane number of gas - from 95 to 112 ... work and valves burn out. In fact, a few units of difference in octane and slightly different gas combustion characteristics from the characteristics of gasoline cannot seriously affect the condition of the engine and valves.
But! .. Under one important condition: a properly prepared mixture is supplied to the engine: the so-called stoichiometric mixture - 1 to 14.7 for gasoline and 1 to 14 - for gas (part of the crowd for the boat is 14.7 and 14 parts of air, respectively) If the prepared mixture is not in the parameters, this entails problems. A rich mixture leads to catalyst failures and burnout exhaust system, poor ... but a lean mixture, that is, a mixture in which there is much less fuel than it should be, entails more serious problems. When lean (and it doesn't matter if we are talking about gas or gasoline), the burning time of the fuel mixture and the combustion temperature increase. In turn, this entails a number of problems: burnout of valves and valve seats, failure of spark plugs, broken spark plugs entail a number of other problems, including provoking back popping. The fault is a poor fuel mixture.
What does the adjustment of the fuel supply look like in gas equipment of the first (second) generation? .. This is an ordinary screw, by holding it you can restrict the gas supply, and by unscrewing it, increase it. The first methods for adjusting the LPG sounded something like this: tighten the bolt until the car starts to choke, and then release it 360 degrees. Unfortunately, these adjustments were often very rough and did lead to engine problems.
Subsequently, the services acquired complex multicomponent gas analyzers and the quality of adjustment work has significantly increased. However, the problem was not completely resolved: there were still customers. Customers who knew what this adjusting bolt was for under the hood - they themselves saw from behind the master more than once how he famously twisted it in one direction or the other, like a tap on a water tap.
I remember how one car owner told me with admiration: “I squeezed it on the back! .. And she goes! I squeezed one more turn - it still goes! I squeezed it for another turn, it still goes, it only accelerates slowly! Less consumption than gasoline! Eh you ... You are good lads here in Minsk ... only you do not know how to regulate! .. "
This way of saving for many car owners ended up with burnt-out engine valves. Leaning the mixture on gasoline would lead to the same results, but the client, as a rule, does not know how to adjust the carburetor (this is difficult technical device!), and the adjusting bolt of the gas supply is right in front of your eyes. Here it is: spinning and saving even more.
This car owner was lucky. He came to the service, shared his "know-how" and explained to him what was wrong with this method of adjustment. But there were many who did not come. And often the minders, raising the head of the engine, without understanding for a long time, announced the verdict: the valves were burned out due to the gas.
Reverse claps
Reverse pops have seriously damaged the reputation of gas as a fuel.
A reverse pop is essentially a spontaneous combustion of the fuel mixture in the intake manifold of a car. Reverse pops can also be used on gasoline. Remember how the "vacuum cleaner" shot at the "Caucasian Captive"? .. But the real problem reverse pops became precisely in gasified cars when using traditional, ejector HBO - 1-3 generations on injection cars.
Reverse cotton occurs due to malfunctions in the ignition system, improper installation of the UOZ, improper installation of the timing belt, burned out valves and many other reasons.
Reverse cotton can be a serious problem for the car enthusiast. How does this happen. As a result of the back pop, overpressure builds up in the engine intake manifold. Excessive pressure, in turn, can damage the air flow sensor, air duct elements, the air filter box, and the intake manifold itself. Especially if it is a plastic collector.
The reverse pop is the result of a malfunction in the car.
However, this fact is little consolation for car farmers, who had to buy expensive sensors to eliminate the effects of cotton, and then spend money on replacing worn-out elements that caused the cotton.
Many drivers, when faced with reverse cotton, abandoned the use of gas equipment. For these people, gas is associated only with troubles and unnecessary troubles - they did not have time to learn any useful qualities of HBO.
The problem of reverse pops, fortunately, went away (or goes away) with the advent of injection equipment, the 4th generation HBO. The fuel mixture in the injection LPG is supplied in small doses directly to the engine cylinder. And even with the faults in the car, there are no pops ... This means that it has become another reason to talk less about the fact that gas spoils the engines ...
Most of the problems (and not only gas ones) are from ignorance….
Well, let’s take this example: the master “Igrik” works at the service station "X". And then a client-car enthusiast comes to this master and says: “Look, please, a typewriter, it shows some errors on the panel” ...
Let's see.
Only she's on my gas ...
Gas? !!! .. - horror is read in the eyes of the master ...
And here you need to understand the master ... He even has an electric stove and an electric kettle at home. He only saw a gas cylinder at his grandmother in the village, as a child. And he remembers him vaguely, like a neighbor in a quilted jacket or a toilet on the street. In general, he cannot understand how this is so: a car - and suddenly it runs on gas. The master did not come across this in the magazines he read. And most importantly: no one pays extra for reading magazines and figuring out what it is: a car on gas ... A car on gas?
Of course, the master does not try to convey all this complex drawing of his worldview to the client. Moreover, there is a queue of 5-6 cars. Therefore, he simply says to the person: "I will not watch the car on gas!"
It is because of such masters that we have a good service at the Gaz-Alternative service station. computer diagnostics... However, the problem of refusal to service gasified cars is gradually disappearing. Gas in a car is no longer a curiosity. But the fact that many car mechanics discredited the use of alternative fuels precisely because of a misunderstanding of the topic is a fact.
Well, what really is? ..
But in fact, gas saves the car engine.
The gas-air mixture has smoother combustion characteristics. Therefore, the gas engine runs more smoothly. No shock loads (or less) with a sharp increase in revs. Gas enters the cylinder in a vaporized state, which means most of the impurities and harmful substances - heavy fractions, dirt, etc. do not enter the engine. Engineers know that the engine of a gas-powered car is clean and free of deposits and deposits. Gas does not dilute engine oil and the oil retains its properties longer. Well, and much more, which can be described in other articles.
So ... Everything is on gas :)
Director of Gaz-Alternative LLC, Mikhail Dulko
The article is the intellectual property of Gaz-Alternative LLC. When using the text of the article - in whole or in part, a link to the source is required.
Gas is the most realistic alternative to gasoline and diesel. This is primarily about liquefied propane-butane. Alas, compressed natural gas, methane, is not very popular, primarily due to the undeveloped infrastructure (ZR, 2013, no. 3). But there are enough refueling stations with liquefied gas - you can fearlessly embark on long journeys.
The main reason for switching to gas is financial gain. In the old years, the scale of the economy was breathtaking: sets of gas equipment for primitive carburetor engines were inexpensive, and propane-butane cost half as much as gasoline. Now the situation is different. To make friends with the gas supply system modern engines, a completely different level of components and the qualifications of installers is required. Together with new requirements for cylinder safety, this has led to a significant increase in the cost of the kits.
Each kilometer traveled on gas costs, on average, a third cheaper than on gasoline.It is still possible to buy two liters of propane-butane at the price of a liter of gasoline, but for the A92 this border has actually been passed. Now the price of gas in Moscow is about 50% of the cost of a liter of 95th. In addition, the engine's appetite for the new fuel will increase by about 15%. So there is no need to talk about a double win in money per kilometer.
Armed with the exact numbers, I figured out the benefits of installing HBO on two editorial machines with an enviable appetite. It turned out that a good-quality set with installation in the capital for "Nissan-Almer" will pay off in just 18 thousand kilometers, and for 12 thousand. This is less than the average annual mileage of most cars. Total: each kilometer traveled on gas will be, on average, one third more profitable than on gasoline.
Tired of the excessive fuel costs for Almera (she eats an average of 10 l / 100 km), we equipped it with HBO, which we reported in the December 2014 issue of Za Rulem magazine. The study of specialized forums did not reveal a uniquely best kit. Therefore, we chose the installer on the recommendation of friends. A set of the Polish company LPGTech with a 42-liter toroidal cylinder cost 25,000 rubles.
Six months later, it is time to check how Almera is handling a new menu for itself - propane-butane. In the course of operation, material has accumulated about the operation of the filling station network. We shared our observations, which can be found below, in the June 2015 issue of the magazine, calling the publication "Is there life on gas?" We add that the gas-fueled "Almera" still serves in the "Za Rulem" vehicle fleet, without causing any particular inconvenience - no new revelations have appeared over the past time.
NISSAN ALMERA
- Manufacturer - AVTOVAZ, Russia
- Year of issue - 2013
- In operation ZR - since April 2013
- Mileage at the time of the report - 60,000 km
- ZR publications:
- 2013, № , 8, 12;
- 2014, № 2, 3, 7, , 12
I'll start with the fact that during this run I stalled a dozen times - by car with automatic transmission... This is not difficult to do. One has only to try to get under way exactly at the moment when the engine, after warming up, switches from gasoline to gas.
On the very first "gas" kilometers he noted that trip computer Almery continues to calculate consumption in liters per kilometers. I rejoiced early: the sensor sharpened for gasoline began to lie shamelessly. The error, according to my observations, is 20–25% downward. The real appetite of the motor (see table) increased by more than 20%. This exceeds the promised 10-15%, but I have reason to doubt the correctness of my calculations based on checks and mileage.
Judge for yourself. The gas level indicator installed in the passenger compartment is not trained for accuracy. Over the course of 120-150 km from the moment of refueling, it shows the maximum level, and over the next 20 km drops to the minimum, at which it remains until the tank is completely empty. Therefore, I made it a rule to reset the odometer directly at the gas station. In urban mode, a 42-liter capacity is enough for 300-315 km.
Each trip to the gas station is also a kind of lottery. With gasoline, everything is clear: pour before the cut-off or until it flows out of the neck. The supply of propane-butane stops at the signal of the pressure sensor, which can work in different ways. I was poured 41, 35, and 23 (!) Liters into an almost empty bottle on different dispensers. Add to this the dubious type of equipment at many stations, which makes you suspect underfilling. So, in such conditions, calculate how much fuel actually remained in the tank and how much you actually poured.
Despite some inconveniences, I like driving on gas. There are no complaints about the equipment of the Polish company LPG TECH. The problem with the defective sensor in the highway was solved in half an hour - under warranty. He did not hold pressure and cut off the fuel supply. As a result, fifteen minutes after starting the HBO was turned off, and the engine automatically switched to gasoline. Propane power was resumed (for the same 15 minutes) only if the engine was completely cooled down. The only thing so far scheduled maintenance the run of 10,000 km cost a modest thousand rubles and took 20 minutes.
There are savings, and they are tangible: the cost of a kilometer of mileage has decreased from 5.71 to 5.03 rubles (despite the fact that Almera drove less than a third of its total mileage taken as the basis for the calculation on cheaper fuel). For this I am ready to endure minor inconveniences.
If you also want to install LPG, I advise you to start by calculating the payback period, and then carefully consider where you will refuel. The rest is secondary.
They have gas ...
Going on a New Year's trip to Germany, my wife and I were determined to save as much as possible on fuel. I infected the Internet with optimism. The successfully found site mylpg.eu turned out to be a treasure: everything gas stations European Union with addresses and coordinates for the navigator!
From 5000 km Almera drove on gasoline about one and a half hundred. The lion's share of them fell on Belarus, where the gas station, which I had hoped for, turned out to be closed, and there was not enough gas until the next remaining gas. In Belarus, gas water heaters on highways are located in a single complex with gasoline ones. True, they are standing in the far corner, and their operators in half of the cases turned out to be ardent advocates of safety: get out of the car, open the hood, step back 20 meters. Not the most pleasant procedure in cold weather. What if a child slept in my car?
In Poland, propane-butane is sold on almost every corner. The prices on local highways and on the Warsaw - Berlin toll road differ: from 2.2 to 2.5 zlotys per liter in the first case and from 2.7 to 3 zlotys in the second (for the duration of the trip, 1 zł = 16 rubles). But there is no discrimination: columns labeled LPG or Autogas (European spelling) peacefully coexist with gasoline ones. There are no refuelers, no bright posters with safety precautions.
On the German autobahns, you can get hold of gas not in all roadside complexes, but in general - no problem. However, there is a nuance. If the Russian adapter (Dish type) is used by both Belarusians and Poles, in Germany it is different (ACME type). A set of adapters is usually available from the cashier. He was not found only at one of about a dozen gas stations where we stopped by. They give out the necessary piece of iron for a reason, they require a deposit - a passport or documents for a car. Cash will do, too. I left 25 to 70 euros as a deposit. If for some reason this option does not suit you, wait for a car with Polish numbers. Such people often drive propane, and the drivers, as I myself have seen, amicably share the adapter without any capitalist conventions. By the way, adapters of four different types are used in Europe.
I calculated the costs at home. It took 556.5 liters of propane for 5000 km (average consumption 11.1 l / 100 km) for a total of 23 195 rubles (at the rate of 70 rubles per euro in effect at that time). Gas in Europe is doubled cheaper than gasoline, but part of the savings is eaten up by the increased appetite of the motor. I suppose that thanks to HBO, up to 20 thousand rubles have been saved in the family budget. One trip to Europe almost completely repaid the cost of installing the kit!
... and we have gas
For the whole of Moscow - about 55 filling stations. A good third is located on the Moscow Ring Road, another part is under reconstruction, after which the preservation of the gas profile is a big question. Having decided to reconnoiter the situation in the neighboring regions, I sketched out the route of the race, capturing both federal highways and regional roads.
On paper, the idea seemed a bit adventurous. The already mentioned site benzin-price.ru reported only 17 gas stations in the entire Ivanovo region (there are 153 gasoline stations, according to the same website), and in the Smolensk region - about a dozen (gasoline - 257). For comparison: in the Moscow region, almost 250 gas water heaters and 1365 gasoline ones were announced, in the Nizhny Novgorod region - 70 and 532, in the Vladimir region - 48 and 310. The ratio is depressing.
But in reality, everything turned out to be good. The longest section, on which I have not met a single gas station, stretches for 210 km - from Nelidov on the M-9 highway to the entrance to Smolensk. To be fair: on most of it, the 170-kilometer stretch of the P136 road, there was not a single decent gasoline station. Outside the city, one bottle "Almere" is enough for 360-400 km. So if you start looking out for the coveted word "propane" 200 km after the previous refueling, then you probably won't have to switch to gasoline.
Frequent stops take time, but more money remains in your pocket. In addition, on a long journey, it is recommended to stop every two to three hours to warm up. So consider this as an additional contribution of LPG to your safety while driving.
Safety and other aspects of HBO will be discussed below.
A LOT OF MINUSES OF TRANSFERING AUTO TO GAS
Of course, switching to propane-butane is not without its drawbacks. The first one is related to the car warranty. Even upon presentation of all the required documents from the installers (which in itself is a great success), the dealer will most likely refuse free repairs. The second appearance in the car fuel system, whatever one may say, quite a serious interference in the design. Therefore, do not be surprised if, for example, engine malfunctions in an official service will offer you to eliminate at your own expense. And the trial is a long matter with unpredictable results. Therefore, the owners of fresh cars for the most part drop out of the number of potential visitors to gas stations.
An exception is cars equipped with HBO at the car factory itself or in a company authorized by the car manufacturer. We have few such firms, and, as a rule, they specialize in commercial equipment. For example, GAZ, which serially produces gazelles with LPG, both for liquefied and compressed gas fuel.
The second strong argument against is a bulky balloon. It is impossible to place it without sacrificing practicality. The toroidal will displace the spare tire from its rightful place: you will have to transfer it to the trunk or even leave it in the garage. The usual cylindrical capacity will negate the transformation of the luggage compartment. Even sedan owners are unlikely to enjoy it, let alone station wagons and crossovers. However, it all depends on the specific model. For example, the owners of "Logans" of the first generation with a non-folding rear seat have nothing to lose. In addition, to owners of "UAZ-Patriot" and other full-size off-road vehicles, installers offer many options for placing the cylinder: a large cylindrical - not only along rear seat, but also on the side wall, less voluminous - under the bottom, and if toroidal - two on the floor. In the latter case, a flat raised floor is laid over them. True, it is 250 mm higher than the standard level. Although with such a volume of the trunk, this is not much damage.
Another nuance is the availability of gas stations. In the development of the network, gas ones are significantly inferior to gasoline and diesel ones, nevertheless, there are no problems with propane-butane either in large cities or on highways. The all-knowing Internet will help to plan a long-distance route: several resources at once will prompt the coordinates and addresses of the gas station. True, to a car enthusiast, accustomed to modern colorful signs and spoiled by the service of large network gas stations, they will seem, to put it mildly, out of date and even unkempt. There are complaints about the quality of gas on the Internet. However, the situation is no worse than with gasoline and diesel.
... AND A COUPLE OF MYTHS
Most of all concerns are associated with the health of the engine switched to gas. One of the most common arguments is the likelihood of valve seats burnout due to an increase in temperature inside the cylinder. Qualified installers unanimously say: correct and careful adjustment of equipment reduces risk to nothing. And we don't hear massive complaints from users either. Conventional spark plugs are friendly with propane-butane, but if desired, you can replace them
