Lets talk CNG

[AllTrac]

Those who already have a CNG kit installed, could you please give us a review? price? install? noticeable power loss? trouble going uphill? fuel savings? etc

Here are some FAQ's

Advantage of Using CNG Fuels!

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a substitute for gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. It is considered to be an environmentally "clean" alternative to those fuels. It is made by compressing methane (CH4) extracted from natural gas. It is stored and distributed in hard containers, usually cylinders.

Green fuel -
Commonly referred to as the green fuel because of its lead and sulphur free character, CNG reduces harmful emissions. Being non-corrosive, it enhances the longevity of spark plugs. Due to the absence of any lead or benzene content in CNG, the lead fouling of spark plugs, and lead or benzene pollution are eliminated.


Increased life of oils -
Another practical advantage observed is the increased life of lubricating oils, as CNG does not contaminate and dilute the crankcase oil.


Mixes evenly in air -
Being a gaseous fuel CNG mixes in the air easily and evenly.

What is CNG?
CNG is Compressed Natural Gas stored at high pressure of 200 bar or about 3,000 psi. Natural gas is a gas that comes from within the earth and consists of 85% methane, 10% nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and the balance is ethane, propane, and butane. The octane rating of natural gas is 130.


How much CNG will my car use?
The Amount used depends on the vehicle size and engine. You will get a little more miles per gallon. One GGE of CNG has more energy than 1 gallon of gasoline so the amount of CNG used is a little lower than that of gasoline. The octane rating of natural gas is 130.

Will using CNG harm my engine?
No, it is better for your engine as explained on our CNG home page.

Is this kit EPA Approved?
No, and you are not required to have an EPA approved conversion kit installed on your own car. Many non EPA conversion kits are being installed throughout the USA and without anyone having problems from the EPA. It is the installers of EPA approved kits that do not want you to install a non EPA approved conversion kit on your car and they are trying to frighten the consumer from installing them.

Can I install it myself or do I need a mechanic?
You can install it yourself if you can take the time to read and follow instructions, have basic mechanical skills and tools, and have and can use a DC voltmeter. We recommend that two people install the entire kit. You will need two people to install the cylinder anyway. You can ask your local mechanic if they will install it for you, but they most likely will not.

How long does it take to install?
It depends on the vehicle and your mechanical skills, but for most people it takes 6 to 8 hours. This does not include the time to install the cylinder.

Can I install more than one cylinder?
Yes, you may wish to install more than one cylinder to increase your driving range particularly in larger 8 cylinder vehicles. Connecting additional cylinders requires additional mounting hardware and a high pressure tee fitting. We have discounts for the purchase of 2 or more cylinders and we provide the tee fitting with the purchase of more than one cylinder per vehicle.

How long will it last?
Your kit and cylinder will last for many years, and will most likely outlast your car.

What maintenance is Required?
You only need to perform a quick visual inspection of your system each time you fill your car with natural gas.

Can it be removed?
Yes, you can remove it if you want and install it in another vehicle, but you may need a few different parts, which you can purchase from us.

Can I sell my CNG vehicle or will it have be removed?
Yes, you can sell your car without removing your conversion kit and you should get a much better price for your car.

Can the CNG cylinder explode in an accident?
A CNG cylinder is a very strong and thick storage tank and is just as safe or safer than a thin plastic or metal gasoline tank. Millions of cars have been safely driving on CNG for many years including many federal, state, and local government vehicles.

Is CNG more dangerous than petrol?
No, clean burning CNG is safer. One of the reasons is that natural gas is lighter than air. It is difficult to have dangerous concentration of natural gas in the case of leakage because it dissipates rapidly. The tanks are also designed to release air slowly, never exploding, even from several rounds from a high powered rifle.

The LPG/CNG Conversion Kit have large number of inherent safety features and is also manufactured, tested and installed as per highest international standards. It is thus safe in all the ways to convert the vehicle using LPG/CNG Conversion kit.

To understand this better certain facts are to be given due consideration

Fixed Auto LPG/CNG Tanks are made as per BIS Standards to meet all safety requirements.

A tank can normally burst only in the event of a fire in a car where the surrounding temperature exceeds at least 400 – 500 degree centigrade which again never happens in a car due the presence of pressure relieving devices. The tank s fitted with Multi Function Valve which large number of safety fittings like Safety Relief Valve, Excess Flow Valve, ROV’s, fusible plug fitted on it.

Can it be installed on a hybrid?
We recommend our duel fuel system that runs on both CNG and gasoline at the same time for a hybrid.

Can it be installed on a turbo charged engine?
Yes, it can be installed on a turbo charged engine.

Can it be installed on a diesel engine?
We have conversion kits for diesel engines. A diesel engine requires a dual fuel system with at least 30% diesel fuel to operate safely, so it will be a mixture of the two fuels.

smallest tank:



6.5 gge cylinder 17.5" diameter, 35" length including the valve

This CNG tank will fit in the trunk or hatchback of most compact, midsize, and full size automobiles.

[olton]

My experience has been great - (12 years)

Some previous threads:

http://forums.trinituner.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=48723

http://forums.trinituner.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=45868

IMHO the country is not ready for more conversions. We had many more ppl with CNG, and many of them have fallen away solely because of the hassle involved in refueling. There are even fewer stations today, than back then.

Cart before the horse effort here.

[RBphoto]

From what I have seen from family and friends who have it, and seen it installed many times:

1) Trunk space, think a big subwoffer takes up space? This takes up to 60% of your trunk space

2) Holes in you car, have to be drilled for the tank mounting, tubing clips, stock intake etc. Some units have a little controller unit in the car.

3) Heavy, I guess 200 pounds.

4) Throttle plate gets very dirty fast. usually clean my throttle plate every 6 months and it only has moderate grime. I have seeen those on converted cars cleaned and it looks verry bad, plenty black soot. Timing has to be modified by a special piggyback ECU unit.

5) It is more cost efficient.

Well that's just about all the facts I know/ have seen about CNG. I wonder if massey will let me put this on the Tiida under warranty?

[acesinghit]

^^^excellent post dude........as for N&M and ur Tiida.....keep dreaming they'll say NO Im sure.

is bess we buy a B11/12/13/14 and put a CD17 or CD20 in it (some already come with it).

Or we need Hybrid cars in trinidad more now

[ztune]

cng?...that is good emotional stress, sure ya saved!...my dad had that in his car, .the line up in the gas station was a mess, setta ole man arguing who reach 1st and who after who, people leaving the line and coming back for their spot...before every highway run you have to go full, have 2 wait for hours for a few cars to fill before you do...rubber in the hose always bursting...

mechanical stress on your car?...be prepared for no trunk space, a weighed down back of you ride, a lazy ass drive (cant go up point a pierre hill properly), shocks would have to be changed every so often...

i'd say the $$ saved then, was not worth the stress involved....now?...still would not go back into that, chassis thrown, i am going to still use gas.(premium)

[hydroep]

I've read the notes on it's safety eh (thick tank, safety valve etc...), but I can remember reading about someone's tank exploding while filling up. They blamed it on a faulty tank valve and ACL warned people not to go by fly-by-night installers.

While this might be an isolated case as far as I can remember there have been numerous warnings to motorists about the dangers of carrying any type of compressed gas cylinders (LPG, oxygen etc.) in their cars. Even if you decide to risk it, they warn you to transport the cylinder standing upright, not on its side which is common in most passenger car installations.

Perhaps the CNG tank/valve design does address these issues, but I eh know nah. Still seems a li'l dangerous to me.

[JWT]

i wonder if manning s500 will use cng

[shaneelal]

Some good info on the link below:

http://cngchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=845

[olton]

I can remember reading about someone's tank exploding while filling up.

If you're talking about the incident at Chaguanas, it was an LPG tank that they used, and CNG is way more pressure than that can handle.

However it is absolutely safe, even in an accident. It has a narrow flammability range, disperses very quickly, and is non-toxic.

[Snyper]

allyuh remember when the CNG tank had exploded some yrs and damaged the man car now not me and that

[AllTrac]

Snyper, read the post above yours

[hydroep]

Cool, thanks for the clarification olton.

[Nik]

excuse my ignorance...

i would have to be forced with a gun b4 i put cng in my car... i personally just dont like it... not willing to sacrifice my trunk space for that tank (tank + music + cooler = hell no) music & cooler more important to me... the loss of power hell no... i like to to things to increase power so this is surely not an option open to me... i'm not going 2 sacrifice the things i like abt my car all to save a few $$$... if i was that cheap i'd live on crix & tap water

but 4 the avg joe who not into cars can see this as an option as it shudnt affect them in any way... i dunno

putting cng with boost is defeating the purpose of having boost so @ this present time i'll stay with premium gas

[vickylou]

Why ppl shud put CNG for...its better to pull a big strike for a few days...D strike is link up due to the high price of gas and we want it to drop....

[TK!]

diesel and f--k up the earth more.. thanks pnm

[cornfused]

If you remotely care about performance forget it. a rough estimate that the power delivery under cng is less than 60%, even if its not that low coupled with the weight of more than two cement bags consistently in your trunk .....

It kills your suspension and its a real hassle as pointed out above at the few filling stations

i think also your intake must be cleaned regularly and must not have any leaks

Nothing good about it in its current format and environment to use in tnt

imho

[ztune]

diesel and f--k up the earth more.. thanks pnm

yep!, i say we diesel up, dont do a ring job! and go drive in front d budget lady!

[RBphoto]

i think also your intake must be cleaned regularly and must not have any leaks

I observed this (see my last post) you throttle plate will be black with fine soot in no time. There arre not enough filling station sfor this to be supported. And yes, is a bunch of old fogies that does be filling. Once I was riding in a snado/curepe taxi and he decide he have to ffull up on CNG when he reach by Kaydonna gas station. Talk about cuss, I not talking about how much the passengers cuss him eh

He was second in line and we take over half an hour.

[acesinghit]

remember last year a silver Nissan Wingroad WFY11 blow up in a NP gas station by cor. Tragarete Road and Maraval Road, Newtown, POS? Cause the CNG tank explode and convert the Station wagon into a hatchback.

[wagonrunner]

remember last year a silver Nissan Wingroad WFY11 blow up in a NP gas station by cor. Tragarete Road and Maraval Road, Newtown, POS? Cause the CNG tank explode and convert the Station wagon into a hatchback.

was it a CNG tank in that instance?

[shaneelal]

CNG Cheaper, Cleaner, Safer


As of January 2011, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GoTT) had implemented fiscal initiatives in support of CNG adoption, including the removal of motor vehicle tax and VAT on imported OEM natural gas vehicles (less than two years old). Jumping on the heat of that announcement, Maska South Motors in La Romaine boasted of importing 200 CNG ready vehicles in a bid to support the Government’s push for Trinidad and Tobago to be greener.

However, they have only brought in six units to date, citing complications with the Motor Vehicle Tax exemptions which only catered to vehicles factory fitted by the Orinigal Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) with the CNG-only capability and not the bi-fuel vehicles supporting both CNG and gas, as brought in by Maska.





One would have thought that a bit of research would have been done by the technocrats before advising the lawmakers.

[TrinbagoMan]

Are there any CNG gas stations in port of spain (besides beetham)

[JoKeR1980]

not in POS but the station by maritime roundabout has one cng pump

[bushwakka]

jus to add....there is a post in tech stuff alrdy discussing this in more detail.....

but there are the 'new' kits soon to be available i think that addresses the concern of the power loss

[curtisg]

The reason why those cars exploded is because they didn't install from a reputable dealer and their tanks weren't certified.The unscrupulous stupid people used lpg tanks and one welded a cng tank mind you an lpg tank only holds max 300psi and a cng tank which is not welded at all but extruded 7mm thick is rated at a burst pressure of 7500psi however the normal operating pressure at any pump in Trinidad is 3000psi.And yes there are new kits CNG Solutions Technologies www.facebook.com/cngsoltech

[Country_Bookie]

CNG price going from $1.07 to $1.00 in the budget later. Not sure that price change going to make a big impact on ppl switching to CNG based on the reasons in this thread. There might also be further incentives WRT importing vehicles with CNG already installed; i.e. lower Motor Vehicle Tax and Duty VAT etc.

Question is which RORO dealers sell RORO car with CNG already installed? Haven’t seen any being advertised, and neither have I seen any Japanese used car websites (tradecarview,kobemotor, sbt japan, sayuri etc) offering CNG ready cars.

[White CZ4A]

I was interested but found out it cannot work with turbo/supercharger applications.
Which I find pointless.
The world is moving toward turbo vehicles with smaller engines.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

^ some local new car dealerships have been testing models that are imported with CNG

Toyota T&T Ltd. has a Hilux with a factory installed CNG kit that they were testing. There is a review in Zorce. Given the cost of diesel here, CNG in a diesel vehicle didn't seem to make much sense since you still had to use diesel along with the CNG anyway.

[SR]

Install cng in all non diesel government vehicles.........show you are making the initiative first

[crazybalhead]

CNG?