THE QUALITY OF LPG

ARE THERE DIFFERENCES IN THE

QUALITY OF LPG?
LPG is an economical substitute for petrol and stands for
Liquefied Petroleum Gas. In most European countries the
oil companies usually supply high quality LPG.
This does not mean the LPG you get from the filling station
is always the same.

There are 4 major differences in LPG that can effect the

performance and mileage:
1 Type of gas(es)
2 Amount of heavy ends
3 Solvent
4 Combustion differences

All our LPG systems are designed to run on LPG that

matches the HD-5 quality standard.
This quality, which is also recommended by the AAMA
(American Automobile Manufacturers Association), will
give the best mileage and performance.
If the LPG matches the lower HD-10 standard the engine
will probably work OK, but a lower quality LPG is not
suitable to be used in conjunction with your LPG systems.

1 Type of gas(es)

The LPG is
available in
different mixtures,
from pure propane
upto a mixture of
70% butane and
30% propane.
The 70% butane
and 30% propane
mixture gives the
highest
performance and
mileage. This mixture gives less tank pressure than pure
propane and therefore can't be used in winter. The oil
companies adapt the mixture to the time of year.
In some countries the LPG is all over the year pure
propane.
The propane will give less mileage than the butane.
 2 Amount of heavy
ends.

When you fill the

tank of your car you
will not only get the
liquefied propane /
butane but also
some heavy ends.
The heavy ends are
oil based fluids.
These heavy ends
are normally
harmless and will
grease your vaporiser.
Only when the amount of heavy ends comes above a certain
level they build up in the vaporiser.
The result will be that the membranes can't operate proper
and the engine might run lean.
The problem can be solved by draining out the heavy ends
or cleaning the vaperiser internal.

3 Solvent

Sometimes there
are (accidentally)
aggressive solvents
in batches of LPG.
These solvents are
capable of
destroying the
membranes and
valves in the
vaporiser.
Some of the
solvents are so
aggressive they will
decompose the
membranes in a few weeks.
If you had a fill with aggressive solvents contact your LPG
supplier and show him the membranes.
Your LPG supplier must contact the oil company and
inform him about the problem.
The oil companies usually pay the costs of the membranes
and the labour.
4 Combustion differences

LPG must combust like petrol. The percentage of oxygen

regarding to the amount of Co in the exhaust gases has to be
the same as on petrol.
If this is not the case a lambda controlled LPG system might
run very rich or very lean.
A rich mixture will result in a higher fuel consumption.
A lean mixture will result in a drop in power and a very high
fuel consumption and might even damage your engine.

Testing of the LPG quality can be done in a simple way:

1- calculate the mileage you get from different batches
(suppliers) of LPG.
2- install a vacuum gauge and look for the vacuum at a
certain constant speed on a certain road.
It is also possible with an EFI engine by switching between
LPG and petrol and comparing the needle position of the
vacuum gauge.
If the vacuum rises the LPG is probably of a higher quality,
if the vacuum drops the LPG is probably of a lower quality.

If the needle position is the same, the engine will not run
too lean, the engine might run rich. You can test it with a
Co-tester pre-cat. If the Co is over 1%, the quality of the LPG
is probably higher. By re-adjusting the main flow adjuster
you can profit by the higher quality of the LPG.

More information is in our LPG Book .

http://www.iwemaenterprise.nl/LPG_info.htm