Your LPG Questions Answered

LPG costs slightly less than 50% of petrol. This is because the tax is far lower in recognition of the environmental benefits of LPG. There are also benefits such as a small reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and reduced mechanical wear. A Capital Autogas conversion should also add resale value to your car.

The simple chemical nature of the fuel ensures that it burns cleaner producing less CO2, oxides of nitrogen and particulate pollution than either petrol or diesel. LPG also has the potential to make a huge difference to local air quality, particularly in urban areas.

The LPG tanks are extremely strong and are rigorously tested, more so than conventional petrol tanks. Also, the gas cannot leak from the tank when the vehicle is not running. Safety features on approved LPG converted vehicles include: - An electronic solenoid valve shuts off the supply when the ignition is switched off, or the engine stalls. - Solenoid valves automatically shut off gas supply if a fuel pipe is damaged. - An electrical-operated switch cuts off the fuel when the engine is not running. In case of a fire the tank is designed to withstand enormous pressure and very high temperatures. A purge valve is fitted to the tank which means it's not possible for the tank to explode in extreme circumstances such as a car fire. Crash and fire tests have proved that the strength and integrity of tanks fitted to LPGA safety guidelines (CoP11) make the LPG fuel system safer than petrol.

Most modern LPG systems use what is known as a toroidal (or doughnut) tank. This replaces the spare wheel and instead we can provide you with a 'get you home' canister of tyre sealant called Tyreweld from just £14.99. You can of course keep the spare tyre in the boot but this does take up luggage space.

At Capital Autogas, our systems are provided with a full 2-year parts and labour warranty.

Our state-of-the-art sequential conversions suffer no noticeable loss of performance. Engines will run smoother and are slightly quieter.

The conversion adds a second independent fuel system, making the car 'dual fuel' - in other words, capable of running on either petrol or LPG. This requires a second tank, usually installed in the spare wheel well.

If your car runs out of LPG it will automatically switch to petrol. This is hardly noticeable and causes no damage to your engine. The car will normally cold start on petrol and then quickly switch over when the engine is warm. It is therefore important to always have a bit of petrol.

Yes! The conversion adds a second fuel system, leaving the original petrol system in place. Therefore the car drives as before on petrol and will cold start on petrol. However, when you start filling up with LPG, you'll be loathed to buy more petrol than you absolutely have to.

Most conversions put the LPG tank in the spare wheel well of the car so as not to reduce boot space. Whilst you can of course still keep your spare tyre in your boot, BMW claims that punctures occur only every 93,000 miles. We can supply fully approved tyre weld kit from just £14.99. This re-inflates the tyre and seals the puncture.

The industry has invested over £100 million in LPG infrastructure and there are now over 1,400 LPG refuelling stations in the UK. Remember, if you do happen to run out of LPG your car will automatically switch over to petrol.

Although some companies are developing systems that use LPG and diesel at the same time, they are very different fuels. Introducing them together may cause great increases in power output and consequently mechanical problems. We do not recommend this.

Running LPG will reduce engine wear as it burns cleaner than petrol. This means fewer emissions also means less carbon deposits in the engine. These deposits are very abrasive and can contribute to engine wear. The oil and spark plugs will also last longer. LPG is a 'dry' fuel compared to petrol, so some cars will require additional valve protection to avoid valve and valve seat recession. We can install Flashlube from just £79.99.

The LPG system should be inspected annually by a specialist LPGA technician. This normally takes about half an hour and is consequently not expensive.

You will have to notify your insurance company. The 'top 20' insurance companies will not increase your premium provided that the work has been properly carried out by a certified LPGA approved technician. Please check with your own insurance company for further details.

This depends entirely on the quality of the system fitted. A good quality, reliable system is the same as having a 'half price' fuel button on the dashboard and will be a good selling point. Unreliable, cheap equipment without proper certification will lower the value of the car.

Your LPG system can be removed from your vehicle should you wish. This is a much simpler exercise than the installation however it must be carried out by a properly qualified technician. This is so that all systems are properly isolated and the vehicle returned to its original specification. Systems can be transferred from one vehicle to another, however, it is not generally simple. Some systems will be totally compatible while others will require new wiring looms and reprogramming of the ECU by the equipment manufacturer. If you are thinking about transferring your system you should obtain further advice from us.

Absolutely! The royal family are one of the biggest advocates of LPG. The Queen has two Rolls-Royce cars, a Daimler and a Rover running on LPG, and a refuelling facility in the Royal Mews! The Duke of Edinburgh's Metrocab also ran on LPG. The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the President of the USA all use LPG cars.

The 155,000th car in the UK has just been converted to LPG, which represents an investment of over £150 million. The oil industry has invested over £100 million to provide the still expanding fuelling infrastructure. Globally there are now more than eight million vehicles powered by LPG. So we think that's a big yes!

Maybe! There is a list of approved cars already qualified to be exempt of the congestion charge. To qualify, each model has to meet Band 4 (40% improvement on Euro IV) emissions targets.

4 working days from start, sometimes less.