Feb 07, 2012 01:45 PM
11095 Views
As many others out there; after driving my car for about 60000 KM in three years, I thought of getting CNG kit installed on my Santro Zing.
Research: It was task to get my wife convinced that CNG is safe and worth the spend. I did some research and got to learn that CNG as a fuel is indeed safer than petrol as it is lighter than air & easily a high ignition temperature. in normal conditions, it is very rare to reach a flash point.
Furthermore, Hyundai cars are relatively more CNG efficient than other cars. That’s what the engineers told me. And after reading lot of reviews and my own experience I have to agree.
The cost: Anyway, I did lot of research on which kit to install and finalized on a LandiRenzo kit as it seems to be best bet for Santro. I got it installed for 32000/- with RTO approval. Kit also included the lambda controller.
Installation: I got it installed at a RTO approved( I dint really check his approvals credentials) garage. they took one entire day to fit it. I dint want to rush them. I wanted them to take enough time to do the job well. I collected my car next day & thankfully they had filled the tank with 2 KG of CNG to start off with. Just to mention, after CNG fitted, the car would run equally well with petrol as well.
My Experience: After I got the car, I was excited. The mechanic gave me a quick overview about the system and how to use it. The cylinder has a on/off valve that can be used for any emergency. The fuelling is done by opening the bonnet. there is an inlet for CNG with pressure gauge attached to it. You can see the pressure. the pressure would max to 200 psi. there is another valve near the fuel inlet & it can be switched off as well. All the fittings looked seamless. Nothing looked clumsy & out of place. I started the car and took it for a drive.
Power: Indeed the pickup is lesser, but if you have been driving a small car in Mumbai most times, it doesn't feel bad at all. After some time you get used to the lack of power due to CNG and can drive well with the slightly lesser power(10%-15% less maybe). For overtaking, normally if I would have just pressed the peddle, now I have to switch the gear one up instead as well. I have gone up to 120 kmph on freeways. Now it takes about 10-15 sec more to reach top speed. But its smooth & does not appear to be struggling at the high speeds.
Mileage: Immediately after installation, I started to evaluate the mileage. After driving it almost 1500 KM, I can say on average it gives me 19-20 KM / KG. On highway, it gives me more than 23 KM / KG. the worst mileage(17 KM/KG) I got when I was stuck on Eastern Express highway for around 10 KM of traffic Jam. The car could just roll few feet & then a halt again. Thats how bad the jam was. I have always run the car with AC so I can’t comment on mileage without AC.
Start-up: One thing I noticed that car gives out clouds of smoke if I immediately switch to CNG using the auto options on the switch. The switch is designed to start your car on petrol & then switch to CNG in 4-5 seconds.
This happens because CNG needs higher temperature to burn. The engine needs to warm up enough to burn CNG properly and without proper combustion, it gives out smoke. The fix is simple; run your car for about a minute on Petrol & then switch to CNG.
The Gas Tank: The tank capacity is 14 Ltr. However, I can get a maximum of 9.5 KG filled in one go. Hence it give me about 180+ KM per filling. and as in Mumbai, there are enough pumps, its fine. The Indicator with the kit is a switch has four LED's showing the CNG left in the tank. when it goes Red, its time to refill. I noted that after it goes Red, it runs 30-35 KM. it would vary based on cars mileage. The Tank occupies the entire 230L boot space in the Santro. if you have installed speakers on the back panel, you may need to let them go. I had to do the same.
The economy: Earlier where with mileage of 12 KMPL on petrol it used to cost me around 6 Rs per KM. Now on CNG, its gone down to 1.6 Rs per KM. its a steal for me as I can save more that Rs 8000/- per month wherein I run average 2000 KM per month. Above all, the feeling that I am paying for fuel lesser than common bikes these days, is overwhelming.
I hope this is helpful.
Kaushlesh
