can mpg be increased?

[jamesandtheopenroad]

Hi

So I was wondering if mpg can be increased (even if only slightly) on a 1.9dg?

I recently took the van on it's first long run (616miles) and at 55mph it returned 27.5 - 28mpg which I was well pleased with. But if I could squeeze out another couple of miles out of her, I'd be a very happy camper.

I know all the obvious - correct tyre pressure, not carrying anvils around etc etc, but is there owt else?

I needs a new exhaust soon and I know that can give increased performance depending on what type you go for (i.e. Covkids experiment with a bike back box!) but does this help towards greater mpg too?

Any ideas are most welcome

[jamesc76]

thats a good mpg your getting now! other option is lpg it ???

[jamesandtheopenroad]

Yeah, I know - couldn't believe it when I worked it out.

I’ve seriously considered an lpg conversion but I’m not sure if the numbers really stack up at the moment because;

petrol - 616miles @ 27.5 mpg average = 22.4 gal. @ £5.22 per gal (£1.159pl) that is £116.93 total
lpg - 616miles @ 20 mpg average (going by mpg figs in the Alt fuels forum) = 30.8 gal. @ £2.93 per gal (£0.65pl) that is £90.25 total

Saving £26.97 on the journey.
Whilst any saving is good, I think I'll only be doing 6000 miles per year and a conversion costs roughly £1000 - it would take 3 & 3/4 years to pay for itself ( – and that’s provided I’m strong enough to put the savings aside and not spend it on beer and bbq's ).

[eatcustard]

Whilst any saving is good, I think I'll only be doing 6000 miles per year and a conversion costs roughly £1000 - it would take 3 & 3/4 years to pay for itself ( – and that’s provided I’m strong enough to put the savings aside and not spend it on beer and bbq's ).

but if you dont do it, you cant buy the beer and BBQs

also petrol goes up in price faster than LPG.

[tonytech]

Most folk reckon they get the same mpg on petrol and lpg.
So you need to recalculate using the same mpg figures.
I can get 27 mpg out of my 2.1 auto if I drive it gently, but I dont have a camping interior.

T

[Cruz]

I get an average 16mpg out of my lump

[Aidan]

lpg has gone up by 30% in last year, more than other fuels
unless you do more than 5k miles a year and plan on keeping for more than 3 years then just keep doing (as lpg doesn't stack up )what you are doing as that is top figures for one of these vans, obviously old school driver with mechanical sympathy

ps I'm lpg 2.1 and only save about 1-2p/mile over what yours costs

[jamesc76]

also petrol goes up in price faster than LPG.

now that lots of people have lpg fitted to there cars the price has started to go up, you didnt honestly believe the government weren't gonna bump it up!!!!!!!!!

I get 32~34mpg out mine if I drive carefully, so I actually win on petrol!

[kevtherev]

petrol - 616miles @ 27.5 mpg average = 22.4 gal. @ £5.22 per gal (£1.159pl) that is £116.93 total
lpg - 616miles @ 20 mpg average (going by mpg figs in the Alt fuels forum) = 30.8 gal. @ £2.93 per gal (£0.65pl) that is £90.25 total

.

LPG is the same difference now as it was three years ago.
take the most expensive fuel on the forcourt and half it.
go to a non forcourt and it's 60% lower

I pay 52 p per Liter at my local supplier

your figures are fudamentaly floored
my van does the same on either.... 24 mpg ..16mpg in town
I paid for my conversion in a year.

having had it done for five years I reckon I have saved tens of thousands.. better hurry and do it soon then you can start saving.

[Cruz]

LPG is the same difference now as it was three years ago.
take the most expensive fuel on the forcourt and half it.
go to a non forcourt and it's 60% lower

I pay 52 p per Liter at my local supplier

your figures are fudamentaly floored
my van does the same on either.... 24 mpg ..16mpg in town
I paid for my conversion in a year.

having had it done for five years I reckon I have saved tens of thousands.. better hurry and do it soon then you can start saving.

Agree with mpg figures, price differential and break even speed but not price per litre. Locally it's 56.9 (Calor) or 62.9 (Morissons)

Plus getting cheap as chips LPG rather than mugs gold means I get an equivalent (lpg 1/2 price of petrol) 32mpg around town and 48mpg on the motorway rather than the exact same figures but the uncomfortable feeling of getting stiffed for 115.9p/ltr

I remember the heady days of 36.9p when I first jumped on the wagon about 4 years ago

[andisnewsyncro]

Think back to the early 80s when diesel was so cheap, before any "normal" people had diesel cars...

It's going to be the same with LPG I reckon. Those of you who did it a few years back have had the savings, but I personally don't think it will pay off for anyone converting now doing a low-ish mileage

[kevtherev]

sorry pal but that's tosh...


there are no plans to increase duty..we already pay more duty in % terms than the other road fuels any way.

Succsesive Govs. have encouraged LPG as a road fuel as it is a greener fuel albeit fossil, emmisions have it as a cleaner fuel than derv or petrol.

wholsale LPG price is driven by the leisure industry.. not OPEC

[Cruz]

Using the following values I worked out year one would give me a profit of £104.46 if I converted now instead of 4 years ago

Conversion = £912.50
Annual mileage 8000k
20mpg average
equating to 400 gallons per year
Litre to Gallon conversion of 4.54
Petrol @ 115.9p = £2104.74
LPG @ 59.9p = £1087.78
Saving on fuel = £1016.96

And year two gives a £1000 profit

I 'think' I have that right (sticks neck out)

[jamesandtheopenroad]

Sorry guys, I didn't intend this to be a for/against debate for lpg conversion, just a post to see if there was any way to squeeze a couple of extra miles out of the old girl.

But I can only go by the prices I see on the forecourt and at the moment I can can get petrol and lpg at £1.20 & £0.69 and £1.16 & £0.65 respectively. Not half the price.

And I was working out the mpg by what I KNOW I get with petrol, and what I THINK I might get with lpg - based on members who have conversions, mpg post on the Alt Fuels forum - it appears from them that lpg gives slightly less mpg that petrol.

But if I can get 27.5 mpg on lpg, then happy days.

[andisnewsyncro]

sorry pal but that's tosh...


there are no plans to increase duty..we already pay more duty in % terms than the other road fuels any way.

Succsesive Govs. have encouraged LPG as a road fuel as it is a greener fuel albeit fossil, emmisions have it as a cleaner fuel than derv or petrol.

wholsale LPG price is driven by the leisure industry.. not OPEC

Wish I had your faith Kev (is that where the Rev bit comes from.. )

I still can't see them leaving it alone in their scrabble to increase revenue for the pot; looking back at what governments have "promised" before and then failed to deliver or gone back on .....

To be fair though I've never really got to grips with the maths