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I own a 1998 Land Rover Discovery V8 4Lt.
Great vehicle but a real killer at the pumps. Have been thinking about an LPG conversion, any info or leads in the Auckland area would be very much appreciated.
Cheers,
Richard
From the "Ask Jack" archives - 27 July, 2007
You need to have a good think about this and be prepared to keep the vehicle for at least a couple of years after the conversion, if you go ahead, simply to recoup your initial conversion costs.
First up, is the engine in good shape? There is little point spending a lot of money on a conversion if the engine is in need of some major repairs. If the vehicle has travelled in excess of 150,000kms then the risk factor is getting quite high. Next thing to consider is how to convert. You can change the vehicle to run solely on LPG which means removing the petrol tank and hiding the bottle(s) under the vehicle or run a dual fuel system (petrol / LPG).
If the second option was taken then you have to accommodate the LPG cylinder internally in the rear which can become a nuisance if you carry a lot of gear. A dual fuel system may also mean some compromise in the way the engine performs on one fuel or both. The installer I spoke to estimated a conversion cost of approx $4800 if you were to run the vehicle solely on LPG or approx $4000 for the dual fuel system (estimate only without sighting the vehicle).
An important point to remember when considering this option is the actual fuel cost saving. Comparing the cost of a litre of petrol against a litre of LPG can be misleading. A litre of petrol will in fact take you further than a litre of LPG.
The web site listed below has some general information and a list of installers. I phoned a company called Fuel Conversions and found them very helpful (09 630 1277). If you go ahead, use an experienced installer only. This type of work is very specialised.
Keen to know what you decide: