Are there any negatives to an LPG conversion on a high performance engine such as this?

Any reccomendations for installers?

Any 'Dos and Donts'?

Thanks

Welcome aboard

The subject has come up on here a few times but I'm not convinced by LPG.  Nowhere near me sells it and it costs just over half as much as unleaded and you get just over twice the fuel consumption so I don't think it adds up.  If it did, more folk would convert to LPG and more manufacturers would install LPG tanks as standard.

Andrew

....but you don't buy an M5 and then worry about fuel consumption.

It dependes on how many miles you do. LPG is great IMO it better for the engine I'v seen a 140k factery fit engine and it looked like new under the rocker cover and the oil was still clear arfter 6k. MPG will stay the same and you will be get the equ off 40 MPG on gas.

But you would need to uses the car to get your mony back but for me it's well work the out lay

Personally in a M5 I wouldn't..... how much fun do you think you could still have with the weight of the gas tank in the boot....

..... mounted quite high up as well..it will not help the handling.

I'd probably buy an more economical runaround for a couple of grand, don't know what a coversion cost but I'm probably not far out, and keep the M as BMW intended.

JMHO of course.... it's your car so your choice.

hopalong wrote: Any 'Dos and Donts'?

Dont!

Andrew Rolland wrote: you don't buy an M5 and then worry about fuel consumption.

Exactly

(p.s. welcome to the forum by the way  )

I reckon you'd seriously devalue the car.

if/when you come to sell it on, having 'money saving' LPG fitted to a car like an M5, is not likely to be a good thing in the eyes of potential buyers.

hopalong wrote: JPboost - Thanks for your comment, but I would be very interested to know why, in your opinion the fitting of LPG will devalue the car? What is so negative about the conversion that will affect resale value in a negative way?

'cos very very few people will want to buy a performance car that has been compromised just to improve fuel consumption and reduce running costs. - Just my opinion but I reckon you will significantly reduce your already limited number of potential purchasers. If there is not the market then the price will suffer.

With respect - if you can't afford (to run) it buy something else (like most of the rest of us).

Doubt you are going to get many views saying what a brilliant idea.

However, as sporty said, it is your car so do what you like.

Interesting to see that my point was not shot down in flames...makes a change!

An E39 M5 has 400 bhp and gets what 20mpg at a push IMO.  An 02 02 plate M5 will cost £18-20k

My E60 545i has 333 bhp and gets on average 25-26 mpg and it cost me £16k from a BMW dealer with all the BMW dealer back up and still with 1 years servicing . 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, 155mph limited speed, it's quick enough!

Will you notice the 67bhp difference between the two cars?  Ok the M5 will have better handling than my SE E60.

The M5 will mean you attract far more attention on the road that a seriously quick E60, you might be better off in a slightly more subtle car that has just about the same amount of poke but without the drawbacks of a 'flashy' M5 but the E60 545i will be far cheaper to run than an M5 without too much 'loss' in performance.

just my opinion....

Andrew

Andrew Rolland wrote: Interesting to see that my point was not shot down in flames...makes a change! An E39 M5 has 400 bhp and gets what 20mpg at a push IMO.  An 02 02 plate M5 will cost £18-20k My E60 545i has 333 bhp and gets on average 25-26 mpg and it cost me £16k from a BMW dealer with all the BMW dealer back up and still with 1 years servicing . 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, 155mph limited speed, it's quick enough! Will you notice the 67bhp difference between the two cars?  Ok the M5 will have better handling than my SE E60. The M5 will mean you attract far more attention on the road that a seriously quick E60, you might be better off in a slightly more subtle car that has just about the same amount of poke but without the drawbacks of a 'flashy' M5 but the E60 545i will be far cheaper to run than an M5 without too much 'loss' in performance. just my opinion.... Andrew

One could go one step further on that line of thinking and buy 530d or 535d, real world performance on one of these is probably on a par, if not better than,  a 545i and probably still see 30mpg's or there abouts. Initial outlay maybe a little higher but looking around at diesel car values resale will reflect this. 

hopalong wrote: Thanks for all the reply's so far... I understand the comments that I 'shouldn't' worry about fuel consumption on an M5.  But - what if I 'must' find a way to reduce fuel costs in order to turn the dream into a reality due to not having seriously deep pockets? I accept that it wont be a cheap car to run, but need to ensure that it is at least workable. Does anyone have any views on the likely performance drop (or not?)? Also, will I do any damage / will it run OK with a modern multi point LPG system. Obviously no point in me asking the LPG companies at this stage as they naturally enough will be biased in their opinions! Further comments / help please! Thanks.

1. If it mnt you haveing YOUR DREAM of owning a M5 Then you do it I know I wood.

2. It will make cluck all diffrence ti the resail off the car if anthing.

3. AS said LPG is great for the engine the Oil stays cleaner for longer, and the engine wear is a lot lot less.

4. On A modon LPG system You will lose nothing much on LPG you will get near the same MPG.

5. If fitted well the M5 along with all other BMW v8 run great on LPG.

IMHO It's very snobish to say no just because it's a M5 and all that. As I have said if it ment owning my dream car over not having my dream car for somthing stupid like have a LPG convershion I would go for a LPG system and have my Drewm car and rolocks to the lot off you Plese JMHO

I'm not 100% but it's partley due to the position off the injecters and were thay are. There placed as near as poss the the industion side off the manafold. best place is were the petrol injectors are most modon cars been direct injection now to give fare greater berning.

LPG has come along way from were it was sucked like a old carb just arfter the MAF it did and could calse a lot off probloms and the power was down but the new age of cars and LPG is so much better you will probloy lose 2% too 5% power mabe a little more in some car's.

The LPG system is put in and the car's Injecter loom is run through the LPG's ecu 1. to stop any fault lights coming up when the injecters are switched off. 2. So the LPG can utalise the injecter timing. it may and can be ajusted bye computer for the ignition time but its very good. LPG is also spliced in to the lamber sensors so it can stop any fault lights. We had a t5 volvo runing on a very simaler system and he was over harthin his fuel costs he did a lot of miles and got him £ back in 9 munths, theres a little more to it then that but I'm not very good at explaining things

But I must stress onley get it fitted at a well know and improved place. I have seen some very poor fitting, wiering must all be solded and heat shrunk and well taped up. I would always have a good look at car's thay have converted and the qualtey off the work that has been dun to your car.

hopalong wrote: I'm certainly not worried about my reputation - bit old for that! Just want to make sure that I wouldn't end up with a car that had been compromised due to the LPG installation, or that would suffer mechanically as a result of the conversion .... BTW thanks for all the comments / opinions so far...

No is the simpol anser. You are A OK to run on LPG. I have driven some very poor LPG fitted car's but some thet you just coud not tell the diffrence, witch was a v6 s type, P38 RR 4.6 and a L322 RR with the 4.4 BMW V8 all were very very good

bmw1066 wrote: No is the simple answer.

UweM3 wrote: But I have to agree with previous posters, buy something else. (driving an m5 and can't afford the petrol....blablabla)

I can't afford the petrol for my E36 325i, but I'm not going to convert that - and certainly not my E30 M3

hopalong wrote: Seems to me .... on balance that the general opinion is that technically and performance wise there is no reason NOT to do a conversion.

hopalong wrote: But .... for whatever reason - which no one has been able to quantify, there appears to be a prejudice against LPG. Maybe it's just not 'cool'.

hopalong wrote: Probably wont stop me though...

Sell it / declare it SORN & buy a diesel, but don't LPG an M

thepits wrote: hopalong wrote: Seems to me .... on balance that the general opinion is that technically and performance wise there is no reason NOT to do a conversion. .....on cars in general hopalong wrote: But .... for whatever reason - which no one has been able to quantify, there appears to be a prejudice against LPG. Maybe it's just not 'cool'. I don't think there is a prejudice per say - just on an M car hopalong wrote: Probably wont stop me though... Oh please let it Sell it / declare it SORN & buy a diesel, but don't LPG an M

SNOB

bmw1066 wrote: SNOB

I'm glad you put the  otherwise I might think you meant it!

.

'The Pits'

You haven't told me WHY you feel so strongly about not doing it to an 'M' car??????

Why not?

thepits wrote: bmw1066 wrote: SNOB I'm glad you put the  otherwise I might think you meant it! .

 Whats the first thing I'm going to do to my M car ahh yes

OK - an M car is meant to be the epitome of each BMW range.

M stands for Motorsport - BMW design and build 'special' M cars which are meant to to be the best in that series.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they haven't - yet? - produced an LPG M car?

So, if you buy an M car then it is meant to be the best petrol car that BMW have created in that range - so we buy it.

If you buy any M car it is "assumed" that you can afford to run it in the form that BMW designed it.

In the currect climate I can understand why that is a problem, my E30 M3 is a daily drive and 100 miles per day is really silly I know, but convert it? Never!

If you want an M car, then leave it alone, if - unfortunately - it is impossible to afford, then change it.

IMHO

hopalong wrote: Seems to me .... on balance that the general opinion is that technically and performance wise there is no reason NOT to do a conversion. But .... for whatever reason - which no one has been able to quantify, there appears to be a prejudice against LPG. Maybe it's just not 'cool'. Probably wont stop me though...

I think you probably got that dead right.

However, I don't think I would worry about the prejudice too much if I was happy that I had made the right decision.

Perhaps, from my point of view, the biggest issue would be the whole cost/saving of the exercise with the biggest unknown being what somebody would give for the car when it comes time to move on.

Would the car be saleable and how much below a standard car would it be worth. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe, with fuel prices going the way they are, you would have people queueing up to buy it.

sorry I was offline over the weekend.

But the point I was trying to make was that having an LPG conversion is purely a money saving exersise.  From a car buyers perspective, it's not the conversion that is the issue, it's the logic/mindset of the person who fitted it.

Some old vehicles probably are worth more with a good LPG conversion.  When you buy a car lke an M5, your ideal car is one that has had no expense spared in its upkeep/serviceing etc.  A car that has had an LPG conversion may well have had every penny required spent on it... but it does look like the owner is trying to cut costs.

You can see that lots of people don't like LPG.  While that doesn't matter in the slightest, in terms of what you should do to your car.  It's the same peopel who are your market for when you come to sell.  Value will be affected accordingly.

No one has yet asked, but how much is a LPG conversion on a M5?

.......and why are manufacturers not going down the LPG route, because it's is also a finite resource?

hopalong wrote: About £2500 for the conversion...

for which you could get a nice (diesel) daily run-about, lay-up the M5 and only bring it out in the summer.

The best of both worlds

an M5 is an OK car  on e bay right now is an Aston Martin with LPG did'nt bother the owner there .

I have had  a maserati converetd   & it went very well indeed .

I have also had a Twin turbo special Chasseur Jaguar converted & a guy came from Zurich just to buy it,did'nt put him off.

I then Had a nice 540 Manual converted & to be honest that went far better on Lpg it was so smooth , the BMW V8's go very well on LPG.

I now have a M3 .......NO I am not having that converted ,why because I beleive that the time of LPG savings has passed.

nothing to with it being an "M" car oh whoopee doo, no not at all.....

From this year on there will be an increase of 1 p per litre over & above that of petrol. Also, & this is the main reason,there is a dirty little secret of LPG that NONE of the LPG installers want you to know.

Dirty gas...after a while there is a build up of Gummy residue that gums the LPG injectors ,these are hard to clean the car runs like a pig & you lose your savings as you are on petrol & a trip back to the installer who tries to clean at cost £30 usually. ALL the injectors are affected on ALL of the kits , the gas sent here from Europe is of inferior quality & is more propane than over there ,ALL the LPG kits are designed for the europe LPG gas , there is one Kit called PIRO that has been designed specifically for UK  but thats got its problems too including the sticking injectors.

This has only recently been the case, 3 years ago everything was Rosy but Now LPG is well...The Pitts .excuse the pun old Bean.