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SME Autogas Converts First Jaguar XF to Lpg Autogas

SME Autogas in Edinburgh believes it is the first to convert a Jaguar XF to lpg autogas.

Alan Wedgwood, lpg manager at SME Autogas, said: “I converted the car at the end of last year when it was only about four months old. To the best of my knowledge, it’s the only one in the country on lpg autogas and certainly in Scotland at the time.”

SME Autogas has invested in original equipment diagnostic tools for Jaguar/Land Rover and Citroen/Peugeot, and converted the Jaguar’s three-litre v6 engine using an XLR8 lpg autogas system. The system is suitable for all petrol engines and is capable of running a split fuel system to protect valves through the whole range or at the top end to give extra fuel on more powerful engines.

Alan said: “We used the fantastic XLR8 system supplied by Barry Kenworthy at Maple Garage in East Yorkshire and fitted a 69 litre doughnut tank in the spare wheel well. I had to add some split fuelling to keep the petrol management system happy, as the petrol system runs a high-pressure fuel rail and the ECU picks this up. We also ran split fuel to add some protection to the valve seats, as we are not sure if Jaguar upgraded the valve seats on these cars.

“XLR8 is the only system with a built in split fuel capability on the market to the best of my knowledge. The car’s management system was tricky to set up as it’s very sensitive on fuel trims, but the car runs very well. I have been involved with the XLR8 system since it came to market over four years ago and have been able to have a influence on its development along with Barry.”

Alex Hunter, who owns the lpg autogas Jaguar XF, said: “My lpg autogas conversion went extremely smoothly with very few issues and I’m really happy that I took the decision to convert to lpg autogas. The installation is extremely neat and looks for all the world as if it was an integral part of the car’s original equipment.

“The reliability is excellent and has never given a problem since it was installed in December. There were some adjustments required to the mixture, as the Jaguar XF has two very sensitive fuel mixture sensors in the twin exhausts, which triggered the engine management light. However, after a few adjustments, which literally took a few minutes each, the system has settled down well.

“The mpg is about 10 per cent down on petrol but the cost of lpg autogas is about 50 per cent of the cost of petrol, so I’m saving around £40 per week on 62 litres of lpg autogas. I think the system will pay for itself in around 15 months at about 62 litres per week, so that makes it a fairly quick return on investment.

“Also, the usage costs are similar to those of a diesel car, without the noisy engine, the smelly diesel fuel and, of course, a cheaper car to buy in the first place. I reckon my car was £5,000 cheaper than the diesel option to buy originally, and it will be cheaper to service and the fuel is much cleaner.

“Overall, I’m very pleased with the lpg autogas conversion and really glad I had it done!”

Contact SME Autogas on 0131 443 3372 www.sme-autogas.com

17/10/11

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