Citroen XM Forum

So how's it work then? I've got the 80 litre petrol tank. There'll be a tank of indeterminate size in the boot with LPG in it. I Start off on my journey am I starting with petrol or is it LPG until I run out and have to switch to petrol or what? What's the MPG of gas and how much will it cost to 'fill up'?

I imagine I would see a return on the investment after some time:

But given I spend, say £1,200 on petrol a year, I imagine after a couple of years I'll feel the benefit....

It depends on the kit you go for, some are a boot mounted tank, others are a small tank mounted in place of the spare wheel carrier under the car. There are flaws. My friend's car has the tank under the boot, and he carries the spare wheel in the boot of the car. The filler is in the back bumper just behing the right hand mudflap.

The you start the car, it will start on Petrol, and then switch over to gas very shortly after. Inside the car they mount a little swtich and guage unit so you can switch between gas and gasoline.

Tanks are of varying size, and you can never fill them fully either for some reason.

I don't know enough about them to carry on, but Paul (citxm) and Steve (steelcity) both have/had TCTs on lpg, and would be better to comment on them than me.

Its certainly cheaper running LPG providing you do enough miles to get your money back. One of the drawbacks is the limited range because of the size of the tank, I can drive from Dorset to Inverness on about 2/3 of a tankful of diesel, you would probably have to refill with gas twice on that journey.

Peter

I did a little research and yes, I think you'd have to be doing about 15k mile a year to see a return within 2 years.
As it is a diesel will cost approximately 70% of what I spend on fuel If I were to sell my car and buy a similar diesel, it would take less time as the depreciation I would suffer on the petrol XM and the inevitable expenditure on getting the diesel up to scratch would be less than the cost of LPG. If you get what I mean?

Anyway, back on topic: unless you are intending to do a fair few miles every year, the initial lower price of a petrol vs. a similar condition/spec. diesel (in most cases) and the fact diesel is a tad more expensive over here than petrol, means it isn't such an issue. Go for the best-cared-for and nicest condition XM you can afford. And enjoy...

Don't forget that a car fitted with LPG can't go through the Channel tunnel or various other Alpine ones.

Are cars with LPG worth more, I thought normally less...

I see LPG as a benefit, and would pay a bit more for it. Petrol benefits, for diesel costs.

robert_e_smart wrote:I see LPG as a benefit, and would pay a bit more for it. Petrol benefits, for diesel costs.

Not convinced.

(especially as I use Le Shuttle three or four times a year for 'free' - using my Tesco voucers!)

Jury, as they say, is out.....

robert_e_smart wrote:I see LPG as a benefit, and would pay a bit more for it. Petrol benefits, for diesel costs.

I don't consider the way a petrol engine drives as a benifit, I like to be able to lollop along in 5th all the time, its hard work driving a petrol engine after a diesel - you have to keep changing gear, they have spoiled the BMW diesel by designing it like that - but then I am old

Peter

In my opinion the LPG conversion is only meaningful when you do a lot of miles/kms on the motorways. My V6-24 'fuel guzzler' does 12.5 km/l on long trips (motorway/highway/expressway) and driving long distances in Europe with a 5-speed LPG 2.0 ltr XM definitely showed no better economy. It hovered around 10 km/l. But the gas is cheaper than petrol.

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Peter.N. wrote:its hard work driving a petrol engine after a diesel - you have to keep changing gear - but then I am old

Old enough for an auto box by the sound of it Peter

Paul

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