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Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - fv43576

Hi, I want to buy a used car is Fiat Panda 1.2 4x4, on used car sale website, I have found one but it is fitting a LPG. I have never had LPG before so how good it is? MPG, Range on a 32 litre tank of gas? Is the owner must to have a certified of LPG to sell the car? and the lifetime how long is due before it need to service?

Are this dangerous cause risk of explosion when they are old? as I have see on Youtube that a car blow up with a fault LPG

Thank you

Fab.

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - madf

Unless you know who fitted it and have a certificate then LPG = trouble.

It may even be unsellable.

It requires annual servicing by a mechnic traiined in the installation make..

Edited by madf on 07/01/2017 at 12:26

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - fv43576

The owner send me a copy of certificate was fit by a company called www.ecotecautogas.com/ is proof that car was fit in 2013 but why is unsellble? risk of something?

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - elekie&a/c doctor

Not too sure why anyone would want to put lpg on a Panda.Other points to consider are restrictions on where you drive,especially if you want to travel through the channel tunnel,and where are the filling stations.?

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - SLO76
What age is it and mileage? Big fan of these wee cars but I wouldn't touch one with an LPG conversion. It's unnecessary, it takes up limited boot space and they're prone to burnt valves thanks to the different burn characteristics of the fuel.

They'll do 50mpg with a light right foot anyway so they're hardly costly to run to start with but they're also known to pop head gaskets around 70-80k too so you'd be better off forgetting the lpg car and look for a lower mileage car without it. Don't touch the diesel version with a barge pole!
Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - gordonbennet

Best if the car is on the LPG register, you can check here

www.drive lpg.co.uk/advice-and-information/uklpg-vehicle-register/

Insurers can then check its a certified installation online, makes life simple.

note, that gap between the e and i in the link should not be there, but the idiot swear filter had a fit, again, it gets quite tiresome being treated like little children here and spoils the forum.

Whether this car is a good buy depends on why its being sold, ideally it should have a flashlube system fitted, but then given how people can't even be bothered to check their engine oil these days its quite possible the reservoir ran dry 2 years ago and has only been topped up for sale, without flashlube you have an increased risk of valve seat recession.

Make sure that car changes over at the right time, water temp roughly 90'C, and make sure the engine starts and runs well both cold and hot, even when hot the engine should still start initially on petrol then change to gas in seconds.

Ideally the engine should have a compression test for peace of mind, but practically that isn't going to happen.

Presumably the LPG tank is toroidal and sitting in the spare wheel well, assuming this car has a spare wheel well.

I have had two cars converted to LPG, so i am a fan of it, but i would check carefully any car that already had the system fitted.

Edited by gordonbennet on 07/01/2017 at 18:46

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - fv43576

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Panda-4x4-with-LPG-full-MO...t that is where I saw, thanks so much for many advice I really do appreciate it

Fab.

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - fv43576

I have check on www.drive lpg.co.uk/advice-and-information/uklpg-vehicle-register/ it said the car has not been register, the owner was lying send me a false documents and on V5 it did not say anything about Bi-fuel. I am glad asked for help before bought that car. I shall forget about LPG probably not worth.

Edited by fv43576 on 07/01/2017 at 19:47

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - gordonbennet

The owner may well be straight up and above board, not every conversion has been put on the register, but if its not on the register then you might find that some insurance companies won't want to know, at the very least they will want to see the certificate (and quite possibly the original, not a copy), maybe some insurers are still a bit lax about such things but i've got two cars running LPG and in my experience they prefer it registered online, but will always want to see a certificate if not.

It can be put on the register but that might mean getting it inspected at an approved LPGA fitting station and they could then enter the vehicle on the register, but this is going to cost money, i could hazard a guess that £50 to £100 might cover that, but there is always the possibility that the inspector finds something he doesn't like and remedial work is needed, plus its all a faff/

Its not the end of the world, and if you really wanted the car and could come to some agreement where the seller got it put on the register that would be the best solution for you.

I had a look at the advert, bit concerned he only had two new tyres fitted, 4x4s should ideally have the same or as close as possible tread depths all round, so tyre rotating so they all wear down together is best practice, different sizes make the centre diff work hard constantly.

I delivered a few of these when new, many came new on Continental winter tyres.

edit, check the car's registration history, if it was on a personal number plate when registered on the LPG site then the current regn won't show, this is much easier to sort out for a small fee, if any.

Edited by gordonbennet on 07/01/2017 at 20:32

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - SLO76
I'd forget lpg on a Panda, it really doesn't help it much and while some engines are fine running on it to high mileage others have a tendency to suffer problems and this is one of them.

There's another two not too far from this that sound better. Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160908757...8

This is cheaper but a private sale so there's zero comeback if there's a problem and the fact it's had 5 owners and no mention of service history is a concern but you're more likely to get money off with a cheeky offer and it looks fresh in the pictures. Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20161211052...2

Should I buy a used car with LPG fit on? - Big John

I like the roof box that comes with it - reminds me of the Dads army episode where they converted Jones's van to gas with a bag on the roof !