Trinituner People: My CNG Experience

Nissan910 · Street 2NR Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 33 My 2NRide:

this thread is for CNG users to share their experiences and for non CNG users to get a sense of the pros and cons of the system.

As a recent CNG user, i must say that i am very impressed with the CNG kit in my car. With a 2000 cc engine, it is $14 dollars to fill the cng tank, which gives me enough power to do general driving. When i need more power, i simply flick the switch, and the engine gives full power with the premium gas i use.

It is an excellent mix of power and economy.

They are adding more CNG stations, which should make the fill up process more convenient. On the East West corridor, there are CNG facilities in the new Beetham Gas Station, the Gas Station by Maritime Plaza, by the Kay Donna Gas Station and also at Automotive Components ltd in Arima. Before this experience i thought that CNG tank takes a long while to fill, however it is very quick to fill, just as quick or quicker than filling up a normal tank of gasoline. With one tank of CNG, i can get 100 miles.

It would be good to get a sense of how many CNG users are out there, though of course many of them would not be on this forum. I am planning on writing to PEake's Gas Station in Cocorite to lobby them to install a CNG facility for the users in the West.

I am unsure of how compatible CNG kits are with newer cars with higher compression engines, but in this belt tightening era, a CNG kit can be a good investment.

It is also said that CNG works better with manual cars.

Advantages
Huge savings
Nice mix of power and economy
Easy switch between gasoline and CNG
Much cleaner gas, with a higher octane rating (130),
Less Emissions

Disadvantages
Initial Cost
Loss of some trunk space
Approx 10% less power on CNG
Restriction of about 60% of airtake which is necessary for the CNG kit to work properly. This can have a slight impact on the normal gasoline performance.

Regarding safety of the CNG system:

"In today’s world there are constant advances in all aspects that concern security in case of automobile accidents; in gasoline vehicles the fuel is transported in thin sheet metal tanks that are very fragile when impacted and can explode. CNG is stored in steel cylinders with 6 to 8 mm thick walls; this literally makes it the most resistant component of the vehicle. The steel fuel pipes are also more resistant than the gasoline ones; even if there were to be an accidental breakage or leak, instead of the dangerous gasoline spill on the ground underneath the vehicle, the very light CNG will rise rapidly and dissipate into the air"

CNG Resources

THE CNG OPTION: http://www.indiacar.com/infobank/cngoption1.htm
CNG TUNING How to do it: http://tinyurl.com/q9t4ez

sensiman · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 12:26 pm Post subject:

What's the initial cost?

QG · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 1:00 pm Post subject:

Nissan910, you have the Laurel HC35 rb20 sohc?

A padna of mines has one with CNG tank with a switch.

Good thread though.

Nissan910 · Street 2NR Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 33 My 2NRide:

Nope, i have a four cylinder 1997 Mazda Cronos

QG · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject:

oh okay.

wagonrunner · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject:

had it in a few vehicles.
1.5 PAY 323GLX
1.5 4G15 carb PBA Lancer
1.6 PAM 323.

tank took about $17 at high pressure, and that was enough to go from la romaine, - chaguaramas, and back to freeport, before i had to switch over.

Only reason i don't re-install it now, is stations are too few, and far between.

eitech · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject:

100 miles ain't much at all

Nissan910 · Street 2NR Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 33 My 2NRide:

100 miles (160 kilometres) for 14 dollars is good for me. Gives approx 60% saving on fuel cost.

bushwakka · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject:

yea $14 is rel good.....my only concern is that 10% power loss u talkin abt and the air intake restriction.....never heard of CNG in a subaru either

also, the CNG tank is quite heavy not so? takes up trunk space.....thats a con as well

Nissan910 · Street 2NR Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 33 My 2NRide:

yeah, the 10 % loss is no big thing, because as soon as you need more power, you can just press the switch to get full power on the gasoline.

The air intake restriction can also be overcome, as it should not be so hard to make a device that can open the airflow fully, or restrict it similar to how the throttle plate does turn... just with a press of a button.

bushwakka · Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:08 pm Post subject:

^yea i was thinking along that same line......but as simple as it sounds, it may be hard to bring that idea to reality for laymen like me and u? that cud be pioneered into a CNG kit and we cud patent it and make meeeeeelions? wha u say? Laughing

vin123 · Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject:

nos_specialist · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 10:27 am Post subject:

cng in an sr20de..wud dat work good?

Anil_Sooknanan · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 11:00 pm Post subject:

yea the B14 got CNG and if you don't know it, you won't even notice Mr. Green

Nissan910 · Street 2NR Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 33 My 2NRide:

Anil, you does do the tuning of the CNG kit?

De Dragon · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

My bro-in-law crashed a CNG equipped car a few years ago and the entire car burned down Shocked

Also the entire front of the truck that he crashed into Shocked

. So I'm not sure about CNG safety.

wagonrunner · Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject:

bushwakka · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:44 am Post subject:

cacasplat3 · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:12 pm Post subject:

wagonrunner · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:52 pm Post subject:

cacasplat3,
who was being sarcastic? i agreed with the man. Neutral

can't please some of you all at all.

when a gasoline powered car bursts into flame, how do we feel about gasoline safety? Confused

CNG and boost have been used in some buses, but generally the ratio of air to fuel in CNG is not consistent, so that makes it "not tuner friendly".

cacasplat3 · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 11:20 am Post subject:

^^^^i hear yuh Laughing

thank for the insight about boost Exclamation

Anil_Sooknanan · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject:

we tuned and repair the CNG for our self and boy it does wok. it starts same speed as the gas. there are a few tricks to it. i rewired it to switch over without the car cutting off using a 5 pin relay, installed a lock off valve when fueling up. so when you see me up on the highway doing it and you feel i racing yuh Rolling Eyes

with d cold breeze is only $16 i'll be putting Laughing

wagonrunner · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject:

^^^
why did your car have to cut-off to switch over in the 1st place?
from cng to gas was more or less instant with the rpm up, and from gas to cng, same high rpm, and wait for the engine to come close to base idle (400rpm), then switch over.

Kongorealm · Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:19 am Post subject:

This thread is very informative for those who would like a review of the CNG System but Nissan910 could if at least stated how much it cost him and where it was installed because in these times that's a big factor for most people...

Anil_Sooknanan · Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject:

we got our kit used of 5K the reason is because the owner could not tune or get it properly tuned.

Kongorealm · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:49 am Post subject:

Where you able to get it tuned and how has it worked for you?
Would you recommend the product since you purchased a used one?

De Dragon · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:45 am Post subject:

skylineGTR55036018 · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject:

cng takes a toll on your engine seals also...

wagonrunner · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:51 pm Post subject:

mossman · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:51 am Post subject:

could the ppl that actually have it installed tell me where they did it and how much it cost please Question