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Friday, June 29, 2007

Late starter..

Friday

As usual early in the morning, the car is not easy to start.

Now, I try pressing half way the accelerator, switch on and cranking. It’s works to start the engine, I have to ramp it for about 5 to 10 minutes before leave it idling.

The car has less jerking as yesterday. However, the engine still cut off when I’m reversing from my house though not as many as yesterday.

When I’m arrived at my office, only one green light still on, so I guess I need to refuel it later today.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Gentlemen, start your engine..ooops NO I can't start mine

Thursday,

This morning as everyday since using NGV, starting the engine is the most annoying thing.

First of all, you cannot start straightaway without ramp it.

I just read from Internet that I have to press the accelerator half way down, switch on ignition (light come out) then switch it on completely.

I tried it this morning and it works. However, the engine still cut off when idling. The engine jerking as if the timing is set at low. So when reversing, when I’m not pressing the accelerator, it cut off.

Fortunately, once on the main roads, the problem disappear.

Yesterday morning, I try different method. First, I switch to petrol, run it for few minutes, switch to O and let the petrol runs out.

Switch to 2, start engine. I found that when on NGV no jerking or engine cut off during idling.

Honestly, I prefer start up using NGV, after all that the option that I made. May be, there another way to start easily using NGV.

On my way back to work, no problem at all.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Bifuel, hybrid car....I'm using one.

My car having converted to use natural gas is now can be called a bifuel car or maybe hybrid car.

My Proton Wira Aeroback can use either gas or petrol but not both in the same time.

Since it emits less carbon dioxide,so it also a bit of green car .

Now I know

LATEST NEWS:

Info that I got from Wikipedia after looking in the internet to satisfy my curious mind;

“The reason this is not becoming widely available is because CNG takes a lot more space to store than gasoline.

Even though it is a compressed gas, rather than a liquid like gasoline, it takes up more space for each GGE (Gallon of Gas Equivalent).”

More at Wikipedia

My conclusion:

At high pressure of 200 psi. for my 66 L tank, only about 22.8 % of CNG can be put in the tank.

Another thing is 66 litres tank correspond to water equivalent.

Where the rest gone...

Tuesday

I went to Serdang through highway back and forth.

Normally I spent about RM50 for petrol, now I just use RM 10 (i.e full NGV tank). I’m actually really pelik, since my NGV tank suppose to be full at 66 L. 66 L X RM 0.68 = RM 44.88

When I first fuel it (from empty, since I cannot start using NGV so it safe to presume it’s really empty), I only managed RM 10.13 which means that for RM 0.68 sen per litre equates to about 14.9 litres only woo.

So where is that 51.1 litre goes to….

Monday, June 25, 2007

Red light alert

Mon.

This is my third day of using NGV. This is also my first day of me driving my newly converted car to work. Well, as early as 6:30 am,

I had difficulty in starting my engine. I have to ramp it to make it stay idle. So the engine stop several times when I’m trying to reversing my car.

Well, it’s so frustrating since I’m used to start my engine and directly reversing and go go go….

On my way to work, however, all working smoothly, even during accelerating in the PLUS Highway. Just now, when I arrived at my work place, only 3 lights still on, So 1 light per one way journey to work, Therefore, I think 2 lights per day. I need to refuel once every 2 day if my journey only commuting from work to home.

However today, I went to Serdang then back to my office. After work, on my way back to my house in Rawang, I noticed red LCD light comes on (after last green light). It's an indicator that the gas is about to finish.


Still with red LCD on, I’m desperately trying to find the nearest NGV station and if I can't I have to switch to using petrol.


Sunday, June 24, 2007

My first time refueling gas.

Sunday.

My wife drove my car to Giant for monthly shopping. About 500 meters to my house, the car cut its engine. No gas left. So, I asked her to switch to no1. which was petrol.

On the way to the fuel station, using petrol, the car's pick up was so fantastic considering I’m driving using gas since saturday.

You felt good about it when on petrol compared to NGV. You were like in a mercy of others, hopeless since pick up using NGV was slow or rather pathetic. I floored the accelerator to the ground, nothing happened until few seconds later.

I went to a petrol station in Selayang for refueling . So, this is my first time refueling my car with NGV.

It’s really weird since I’m the only non-taxi car in the queue. At 8 o’clock at night, not many taxis waiting in line in fact only one taxi infront of me. So, it took me about 5 mins waiting.

When it came to my turn, I opened my hood or bonnet and waited for the lady refueller. She expected me to put the gas valve myself, So, I just said to her that I’m a newbie and she did everthing for me.

RM 10.13 for full tank i.e 66L. So I had to pay RM 10.20 (round up price)


New addition to the car

The gas head. You fit a gas nozzle or connector when you refuel the gas in the NGV refueling station.


This is my 66-litre CNG gas tank on the back of my car. Obviously it take up almost half of boot capacity.




Saturday, June 23, 2007

My first driving experience on NGV

I'm really pretty excited about having my car converted to use compressed natural gas (CNG).

When I'm first driving it home from the workshop,I'm quickly realized that the car is sort of underpower. Pickup is so much reduced compared to driving on petrol.

Reaching home, proudly I'm showing off to my wife, in-law, and others the newly converted car.

I opened the bonnet and boot. Obviously, the gas tank was the main attraction. There it was, right in the centre of the boot.

My sister-in-law's husband mentioned that the engine's sound is much more quiet than running on petrol.

I just cannot wait to drive it to my office on Monday.

My Wira goes green...

I recently installed an NGV converstion kit to my old Proton Wira Aeroback. Let me tell you how it is doing...

A start of an adventure...

I received a call from my NGV installer at around 11 am saying that my car is ready to be pick up.

I’m pretty excited to go and try it myself the driving experience of NGV. Unfortunately, I’m still have to wait for my brother-in-law with his wife and child to be ready. They are going shopping.

RM3,100 for the whole package. I opted for 66L tank. I was briefed on how to operate NGV vehicle.

Switching from NGV to petrol is easy simply switching from 2 to 1 . However from petrol to NGV is a different story. You have to switch to 0 first than ramp it as to burn out existing petrol than wait for the engine cut off or you hear the petrol about to finish, switch to 2. Press your accelerator to continue using it.

Now the adventure begins...

Friday, June 22, 2007

I made my decision..

I made my decision.....Convert my car to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

About 4 o’clock, I sent my car to the workshop to be fitted with NGV conversion kit. I was also informed that I need to change my timing belt plus my radiator since it really need replacing. So I agreed to all that.

Now waiting time begins...


Thursday, June 21, 2007

First step - Get a quotation and think about it

I went to see an NGV-installing workshop in Batu Caves to ask for a quotation for my Wira curburateor 1996 model.

My relatives driving a taxi using NGV recommending this place and said that it is among the best qualified installer as far as he known of.

The workshop manager gives me a quotation to think about. It even can arranged for a loan from Bank Rakyat. My Wira considering it is an old model turn out to be the cheapest one to convert.