My CNG conversion

[Owram2]

I finally complete reading the entire thread!

 

First, i would like to say hi to all as this is my first post.

I am currently looking to buy a new car when i came across the CNG option. I would like to find out more before i jump into this option.

 

There are a lot of questions to ask but unfortunately few has been answered (Most of them from this thread). So I would like to ask a few more questions here and hope that others will share their experience.

 

a) How many type or size of cylinder are availabe? I came across 60L, 20L and Carbon fibre made cylinders.

 

b) One of the major concern is power lost in a CNG vehicle. According to manufacturers, around 3~5% loss. How true is it from the end-user point of view?

 

c) Am i right to say that if I switch to petrol mode, there will be no power losses at all? Power is only loss when it is in the CNG mode.

 

d) Confirm that the amount of road tax for CNG converted is the same as petrol driven cars? eg 1600cc or 2000cc.

 

It is actually quite frustrating to talk to the Sales Exec about CNG. All seems to be against the idea of conversion and yet none can tell me why is it not a viable option.

Edited February 3, 2008 by Owram2

[Owram2]

The price of CNG differs from station to station?

Or the price of CNG just went up again?

[Dirtrider_ak]

If smart is taking advantage on consumer, I don't think It will be good. They will kill their own soon. Because another 15km is another station which is more than 1/2 their price up north. So they better bring down their price before they are controlled by taxi only which is not as profitable. 4 cents will be resonable to me.

[Dirtrider_ak]

On 31 Jan.

 

Haha they are not operating 24 hrs? I was there around 22 hrs bright but chained up.

 

Anyway the price is $1.28 ??

 

Looks like I will not be going there, it is expensive! I will stay within $1.11.

 

for 10 cents more you can drive the Malaysia to do shopping and gas up.

 

In malaysia boleh, no matter how they cut throat ..... it is less than S$5.00 investment for that drive. + S$2 tolls still cheaper ! Plus you get 1/4 tank petrol and full tank of gas.

[Perrier]

You are fast!

[Genie47]

Yeah but 1.28 is good.

 

I go up north fill gas and petrol to last me for a week. I want to go in only once a week. In the end the cost is SGD40 a week. I consume CNG first then petrol in SG.

 

In the end from the distance I cover a week, I calculated that it will be around SGD26 a week if getting the CNG from Mandai. Convenience and savings.

[Tohto]

Yes. The taxis fill up at 1.07 while we private car owners fill up with 1.28

 

Now to answer your question of the kg per cylinder this is weird.

 

In MY pumps I get 12-13kg of gas. When I filled up at Mandai, my completely empty cylinder gave 9.97kg of gas.

 

I can come to one conclusion. MY kg is smaller than SG kg.

 

BTW, this 9.97kg of gas lasted me the same distance as the MY 12kg of gas.

 

I kept thinking about it and this is hillarious! Malaysia Boleh!

 

Maybe MY pump meter does not require any calibration. Or it is calibrated lighter

[Sniperben]

maybe most is against it as their company is not doing CNG?

[Karoon]

i'm not too sure of the tax

 

like in business, the early birds converters will have most benefits

 

but as cng becomes more mainstream, the govt definitely will have to recoup their petrol tax losses from elsewhere, and prime target is obviously the cause of the drop (cng cars)....

 

so.... wait for the budget

[Owram2]

I finally complete reading the entire thread!

 

First, i would like to say hi to all as this is my first post.

I am currently looking to buy a new car when i came across the CNG option. I would like to find out more before i jump into this option.

 

There are a lot of questions to ask but unfortunately few has been answered (Most of them from this thread). So I would like to ask a few more questions here and hope that others will share their experience.

 

a) How many type or size of cylinder are availabe? I came across 60L, 20L and Carbon fibre made cylinders.

 

b) One of the major concern is power lost in a CNG vehicle. According to manufacturers, around 3~5% loss. How true is it from the end-user point of view?

 

c) Am i right to say that if I switch to petrol mode, there will be no power losses at all? Power is only loss when it is in the CNG mode.

 

d) Confirm that the amount of road tax for CNG converted is the same as petrol driven cars? eg 1600cc or 2000cc.

 

It is actually quite frustrating to talk to the Sales Exec about CNG. All seems to be against the idea of conversion and yet none can tell me why is it not a viable option.

 

So any end-user feed back on the above?

[Twnll]

Get cylinder to fit comfortably into the boot then load up on roof bars. Build up! Speed is limited to 130kph on the expressways with the roof bars and box. Much cheaper than changing to a new car.

 

Melchers are not the only one. Scantruck does it too but they didn't reply me the last time. Give Melchers a call.

 

 

Hmm, good idea to install roof rack - eg Thule? How much it cost and how much added weight.

[Perrier]

a) How many type or size of cylinder are availabe? I came across 60L, 20L and Carbon fibre made cylinders.

 

Smallest allowable size is 60kg according to what the dealers have told me.

 

b) One of the major concern is power lost in a CNG vehicle. According to manufacturers, around 3~5% loss. How true is it from the end-user point of view?

 

No idea yet. My CNG car has not arrived yet.

 

c) Am i right to say that if I switch to petrol mode, there will be no power losses at all? Power is only loss when it is in the CNG mode.

 

Yes

 

d) Confirm that the amount of road tax for CNG converted is the same as petrol driven cars? eg 1600cc or 2000cc.

 

You can refer to the LTA website for reference.

 

http://www.lta.gov.sg/motoring_matters/mot...ax_electric.htm

[Genie47]

VW Passat the world's first CNG turbocharged car. German engineering rocks!

 

 

http://www.carblog.co.za/2007/12/18/volksw...ged-cng-engine/

[Luvknowmore]

Today, I went to Tampoi. The pump is 10.1. It is almost the same as what I pumped in JI earlier which is 9.9.

[Aimnfire]

Nabeh! One with two hoses only good for ulu places like Jln Gangsa in the middle of Pasir Gudang Industrial Estate next to the Johor Port. KNN! SPC Talk big only. They think traffic will not be high. Wait until all the PI cars start Qing up and the taxi drivers will start to KPKB.

 

well they will reply that they did their part in supplying a fill up station for CNG. If can't queue, then use petrol lorrrr

[Owram2]

Since the CNG conversion have a power drop in CNG mode.

Will it be less noticable when you install it on a higher performance car? Say a camry or something?

[Genie47]

Please lah! All of you wanting to convert keep harping on power. How much power do you need?

 

In CNG mode my car can climb the slopes of NUS/Kent Ridge and NTU's hilly roads. It's called taking advantage of gears. Slower but still can climb and the car didn't choke and die when the RPM dropped.

 

Seriously! If you power is a concern to you because you have a dyno butt, don't do CNG.

[Genie47]

Filled up in Mandai this evening. Like ghost CNG station. I was the only car there and next came a E200 NGT.

 

There was this Chinese national servicing my car. He was helpful but a little rough on the fill port.

 

Cost me 12.10 for a complete fill up. Ran out of gas 12km from the filling station.

 

The main guy said many private cars have come to fill up. Most are from the northern estates. They can only accept cash and he was filling up by pen and paper the collections. Not in full operation yet. As someone has mentioned to me, it is a "soft launch".

 

They are open tomorrow to 6pm. 7 and 8 Feb, they are open from 10am to 6pm. 9 Feb it is 7am all the way 24/7.