Focus 1.6 Conversion

[bt_cav]

Hi all,

Im looking for you oppinions, I'm seriously thinking of converting my Focus LX hatch 1.6 (2004)to LPG as I do around 550 miles a week. I have had a quote of £1600 including a lubrication system as my engine has a tendancy to burn valves....... It was only a short call to the garage so thinking of asking for a written quotation, the system he would be installing is a "Landi"

My Focus had done almost 100,000 miles (regular good quailty oil changes) I have had the cam blet changed, new disks & pads and new shoes in Feb. She is going in for an MOT next week sure she'll pass fine (fingers crossed)

So now I have painted a picture of my focus whats your thoughts, is it worth investing £1600 on a 6 year old car, how much room dose it take up, what about the hole cut in the body?

[artscot79]

Hi all,

Im looking for you oppinions, I'm seriously thinking of converting my Focus LX hatch 1.6 (2004)to LPG as I do around 550 miles a week. I have had a quote of £1600 including a lubrication system as my engine has a tendancy to burn valves....... It was only a short call to the garage so thinking of asking for a written quotation, the system he would be installing is a "Landi"

My Focus had done almost 100,000 miles (regular good quailty oil changes) I have had the cam blet changed, new disks & pads and new shoes in Feb. She is going in for an MOT next week sure she'll pass fine (fingers crossed)

So now I have painted a picture of my focus whats your thoughts, is it worth investing £1600 on a 6 year old car, how much room dose it take up, what about the hole cut in the body?

the zetec doesnt like lpg and runs really badly so i wouldnt do it a 1.6 isnt really needing it to be honest on the other side i worked at a fuel station and lpg isnt always available and it was nearly 80p whan i was there 2 years ago the more people use the lpg the dearer it will get but i know the zetec engines react badly to lpg conversions google it and youll see done it for you...the heads fitted from the factory for LPG equipped vehicles suffer valve seat regression, so a non lpg focus will eat valve seats Early symptons are misfire when cold, running fine when hot. Change is from one day to the next. Both heads tested showed this after around 30,000 miles running on LPG. Before, they run absolutely fine and you would not be able to tell there is serious trouble under way.

special hardened seat inserts will resolve the problem but are expensive and cost to get fitted

Alternatively, youll be eating heads every 10 months, labour cost to replace around £400-500, plus cost of head from scrap yard or dismantler. There is still a small saving, but not worth the hassle.

so you would need the conversion hardened valve seats etc the conversion alone would take 1.5 years to recoup the costs then the 500 quid or so for head work assuming you have no other issues.any lpg ive driven suffers from poor performance as well till you switch back to petrol hope it helps if the mpg is an issue then time to change car im afraid

[ford focus edge]

Why not just buy a diesel and save a bomb. I understand youve oviousally looked after you focus but covering that sorta millage a diesel would make more sence than LPG and from a personal view a car thats lpg converted means steer very clear when the times comes to sell where as high millage diesels are 10 a penny so that alone should prove there upto the job. Even if it is the fuel of satan.

Mike

[bt_cav]

Hey guys thanks for your advice, LPG is not the way forward for the focus, If I'm going to change cars the ideal Focus for me would be a Mk3 Diesel sport estate with at least A/C hopfully cruise control but I'm guessing such a Focus would be few and far between and worth a fair few quid.

[ford focus edge]

Hey guys thanks for your advice, LPG is not the way forward for the focus, If I'm going to change cars the ideal Focus for me would be a Mk3 Diesel sport estate with at least A/C hopfully cruise control but I'm guessing such a Focus would be few and far between and worth a fair few quid.

ZS focus estates that are mk2.5's are few and far between because as far as im aware theyve only just started to make the ZS avable as an estate. The mk2.5's seem to hold value aswell im due to change next may and i quite fancy one but no way in hell am i shelling out the kind of money they want for them there nice, but at the end of the day its a focus :P

Mike

[catch]

Why not just buy a diesel and save a bomb. I understand youve oviousally looked after you focus but covering that sorta millage a diesel would make more sence than LPG and from a personal view a car thats lpg converted means steer very clear when the times comes to sell where as high millage diesels are 10 a penny so that alone should prove there upto the job. Even if it is the fuel of satan.

Mike

I'm with you all the way Mike.

oh dear I did not see the two posts that came after the one I quoted

And yes whilst I like the body styling of the Mk2.5 the ESP and Cruise Control, I ain't prepared to pay what they are asking for second hand motors as of yet. Like you say in all other aspects it's the same car as I'm driving now.

When I was looking at replacing our written off Mk1 Focus, with another Focus back in Jan 2009. I quickly came to the conclusion at the time that I could pick up a 5 year old Volvo S40 2.0D SE with all the toys including leather heated seats, self dimming rear view mirror, rain sensitive wipers, all electric windows, disks all round, DSTC, and cruise control for the same money as a bog standard Focus 1.6 Petrol of the same year, with none of those things.

[jay1981]

A mate of mine has had 4 cars that run on LPG, all of them have been professionally converted. All of them have had problems - misfires, poor performace and smells of gas in the car. :o Any running faults when running on petrol will be far, far worse when running on LPG.

His current car is a 1.6 petrol, but the running costs are no cheaper than diesel.

You will have to have several holes cut, one for the LPG filler, and one big hole in the boot floor to act a vent in case the LPG leaks. Most LPG tanks fit in the spare wheel well and you will have to find another place to keep the spare wheel.

Not to mention the fact LPG can be hard to get in some areas at weekends, and those places that are open are expensive.

My advice would be to stay well clear. LPG is fine for a V8 Range Rover, but for a small family hatchback just buy a diesel instead. And a LPG conversion COULD make your insurance double, because it is classed as a modification. Insurance companies do not seem to like LPG conversions.

[catch]

And a LPG conversion COULD make your insurance double, because it is classed as a modification. Insurance companies do not seem to like LPG conversions.

I was recently doing on line quotes, and because I have DIY fitted front and rear parking aids, when I put them in the quote the insurance premium jumped up by quite a bit. Now apparently 33% of Vehicle Accidents are Caused by Driver Error, when Parking or Reversing... Fact! So where is the sense in that, I fit aids that make it less likely that I have a prang and the insurance goes up. So I did not opt for the cover on the parking aids. Besides if the metal strip antenna's ever need replacing they only cost a tenner for two antenna, so you also end up with a spare.

So the moral of the story is insurance companies don't like modifications, PERIOD.

[jay1981]

Quite suprising really, when you modify you car in a way that makes it LESS likely for you to have a bump, then you insuracnce goes up. You would have thorght that it would have dropped really.

Insurance companies just see it as an opportunity to make a few extra quid.

[catch]

Quite suprising really, when you modify you car in a way that makes it LESS likely for you to have a bump, then you insuracnce goes up. You would have thorght that it would have dropped really.

my sentiments entirely, there was me expecting a lower quote and I got higher ones.

No matter, at the time of purchase the front and rear parking aid set up cost me £105 in total. So to me being on £100 insurance excess if a prang was my fault, it was a no brainer to fit the aids.