[BMWdriver85]

Hi,

Sorry if this has been asked b4 but i was just wondering if anybody here has had their BMW E90 professionally converted to LPG?

I have a 2007 BMW E90, 318Se, thankfully i don't have the efficient dynamics on my model which i suspect would complicate any LPG installation.

Does anybody know which LPG system is best for my car? Also will an LPG system upset the BMW internal computer mangament system of my car; i know the diagnostics of the car are very sensitive - i don't want to end up with an LPG system fitted which caused a light to flash up on my dashboard!!

Any helpful comments appreciated

[zaheer]

You have a 318 isn't that economical enough lol j/k!

Do a search on google there's so many and vary in price... All say LPG is better for the engine...not sure about that tho...hmm

[vasillalov]

LPG = ?

[CollinsE90]

Originally Posted by vasillalov

LPG = ?

liquefied petroleum gas

[BMWdriver85]

Hmm so it seems nobody else has had an LPG conversion done on their E90? (For our USA colleagues.. LPG= propane)

The Garage i have booked into are LPGA approved and a VW/Audi Specialist. The conversion is going to cost £1400 and they seem confident. I've been all over google and i haven't found any converted E90's yet. A few converted E46's are about but i suspect they don't have the same sophistictaed engine management systems as the E90.

If anybody finds examples of any converted E90's please do let me know.

Incidentally the garage are looking to use a BRC system if that means anything to anybody..

[vasillalov]

I am yet to see a direct injection engine that works with propane-butane mix...

[Kiemyster]

this is interesting.... I would like to see how this turns out....

what are the performance benefits of this (if any)?

[vasillalov]

Originally Posted by Kiemyster

this is interesting.... I would like to see how this turns out....

what are the performance benefits of this (if any)?

No performance benefits at all. You actually loose a lot of power. The benefits: propane-butane mix costs about 1/3 of the price of petrol fuel in Europe. Normal fuel injected cars get about 20-30% mpg DROP but its definitely worth it at 1/3 the cost.

Like I said, I think it will be very difficult to make this work on Direct Injection engine.

[BMWdriver85]

No you do not lose 30% power, its more like 5-10% loss of power. This is well documented all over the internet.

Fuel economy with LPG is found to be 10-15% lower than standard petrol.

LPG costs 57p per litre, vs. £1.18 for unleaded. Plenty of E46 owners seem happy with their LPG cars. Are 2.0 litre petrol engines on e46 direct injection?

My LPG installers are suggesting to use the BRC system and they claim to be able to deal with direct injection engines eg mitsubishi gdi. see

http://www.brc.it/getcontent.aspx?t=1&nid=190&lang=en

from what i gather some petrol is required to cool the injectors in a direct injection system so the savings are not as good..hmm..

[BMWdriver85]

The other question i have for you guys...is my engine actually direct injection since me e90 is 2007 model and was sold to me as having 129bhp..looking at this article below tends to indicate that my model is not direct injection (I don't have efficient dynamics on my model)

2007 engine upgrade


In 2007 the 3-Series had most engines updated. All petrol engines got direct injection in place of the less efficient Valvetronic to boost output - 318i increased from 129 to 143hp, 320i from 150 to 170hp, 325i from 204 to 218hp, 330i from 258 to 272hp. Four-pot diesel engines received 3rd generation common-rail injection to boost power as well - 318d increased from 122 to 143hp and 320d from 163 to 177hp.

Fuel efficiency was lifted also by the "Efficient Dynamics" measures, including brake energy regeneration, low rolling resistance tires, on-demand water pump and air conditioning. The four-pot engines also got auto start stop to boost fuel efficiency in urban driving.


lifted from

http://www.autozine.org/Archive/BMW/new/3er.html

Any further comments/advice appreciated

[BTM]

Originally Posted by CollinsE90

liquefied petroleum gas

Yup, namely propane