In our country, car enthusiasts are not happy at all. And owners of commercial vehicles would be at a loss if they filled their GAZelles with gasoline. But today gas can be used as fuel. This will significantly save the budget and reduce the costs of the enterprise. Installing gas equipment on GAZelle today is very profitable, because their daily mileage can reach more than 500 km.
Is it profitable?
But it is necessary to install HBO after carefully considering everything. GAZelle is a commercial vehicle, which means you need to know exactly when your investment will pay off. There are special calculators for calculations. But you can do everything manually.
So, installed on the GAZelle manufactured by Digitronic, for example, is intended for methane.
Installation work on an injection engine will cost 50,000 rubles. The car's mileage per day is at least 400 km. Fuel consumption is 18 liters of fuel. The cost of 1 liter of gasoline in our country is about 35 rubles. 1 m 3 of methane costs only 9 rubles. So, if the car runs on gasoline, then the cost of fuel alone will be 2,160 rubles per day. And the cost of filling with gas will be a ridiculous 648 rubles. You can save about 1,500 rubles per day. Thus, the installed gas equipment on a GAZelle will pay for itself in a little more than a month or 13,000 km. Further savings will go to the budget.
Equipment for propane
Methane is beneficial. Propane too, but there are some nuances here. This installation is much cheaper than the methane one, but the gas itself costs about 15 rubles. Its consumption is about 10% more than liquid fuel. The price for this GAZelle gas equipment is lower, which means it will pay for itself much faster. However, if the purchase is made for the future, then methane is much more profitable.
Methane or propane
Many car enthusiasts often don’t know what to choose before converting their car.
Both the first and second options have advantages and disadvantages. For commercial vehicles, this point should be considered more carefully.
If the car is regularly used over long distances, and there are no gas filling stations along the route, then methane is not the case. The equipment installed on the GAZelle for methane has one feature - not much of this fuel fits into the cylinder. For example, in a cylinder with a volume of 60 liters, only 15 cubic meters will fit. m of gas under pressure.
Low mileage from one refueling, as well as the low prevalence of such CNG filling stations, makes it not the best option for small commercial vehicles for long-distance transportation. In this case, it is better to purchase a propane system. Gas stations are more common, and fuel can be found even in small towns.
Myths about HBO
Not many people install gas equipment on GAZelle. Why? Because of fear. There are certain myths about this fuel. We will destroy these myths using the example of propane, but for methane everything is the same.
Gas may explode
This is the most common myth, it urgently requires refutation. Without going into details, gasoline vapors in a car tank should explode even faster than the gas in the cylinder. The cylinder is designed and manufactured for pressures of 16 atm. The thickness of its metal is much greater than the walls of the gas tank, and the metal is much stronger. In the event of an accident, the risk of cylinder destruction is extremely low.
A special safety valve is installed on it against leaks, which will block unauthorized gas outlet. If a fire occurs or the cylinder simply overheats, it has a valve to relieve excess pressure. He will prevent an explosion.
Even if there is a small leak, it takes a long time for an explosive mixture to form.
HBO allows you to reduce costs by half
This might be true if the gasoline system allowed overflow. In any other cases there will be no such savings. The price of propane is two times cheaper than gasoline, but its consumption is higher. The level depends on the type of equipment and its settings.
Setup is a complex and slow process. Therefore, in order for the installed gas equipment on a GAZelle to be profitable, you should immediately find a quality service. It will be much easier here for those whose car was already supplied from the factory with LPG. A good option is installation and configuration of equipment at dealership centers. There it will be carried out by specialists.
Gas is for the poor
In fact, it is not the poor who drive gas, but those people who feel sorry for paying extra money. The larger the car and the higher its consumption, the more justified this is. Modern equipment can work not only on GAZelles, but also on large and serious engines of expensive cars.
The service is expensive
There is no need to be afraid. If the installation of gas equipment on a GAZelle was carried out by professionals, then the system will not require serious repairs for many years. As for maintenance, service is needed no more often than for standard fuel units.
Engine power decreases
This is true. The characteristics of gas and gasoline are different. But according to measurements at stands, this difference is small - only 8-15%. In practice, a commercial truck driver will not notice this. Power and torque are affected by tuning.
With a strong desire, professionals will be able to make the decrease in performance almost unnoticeable.
Gas harms the engine
For some engines this is true. Since the gas combustion time is longer, the exhaust valves experience higher loads. To prevent them from burning, the gaps should be controlled. Another small nuance is the non-cooling valves.
For this purpose, the equipment includes a lubricant supply system to the manifold. Although this is not relevant for GAZelle.
Despite all the nuances, there are more advantages. The gas does not wash away the oil; it contains no impurities that can reduce the service life of engine components.
Iron
Among the most common models today, there are the fourth and second generations of LPG systems. The third generation is a transitional model and is used extremely rarely. The second generation has a simple device.
The gas equipment of the fourth generation GAZelle car is high-quality and efficient. All functionality and operation are controlled electronically. Here the operation of the distributed injection system is completely repeated.
The gas is in a cylinder. In liquid form, it enters the evaporator reducer through a special line.
The element heats up, evaporates the gas and withstands its pressure in all operating modes.
The evaporated fuel enters the fine filter. Then it flows through the highway to the injectors, which will open upon a signal from the ECU. Next, the fuel is supplied to the atomizers.
Gas equipment repair (for GAZelle 3302), maintenance
Timely maintenance will ensure maximum reliability and durability. With proper maintenance, repairs of gas equipment (including GAZelle Business) may never be necessary. The main problem that leads to breakdowns is the very low quality of fuel.
If the system does break down, you should not repair it yourself - it is better to trust the professionals.
Maintenance includes diagnosing the control unit, replacing filters, checking valves, purging lines, and checking the system for leaks. LPG for GAZelle is a profitable solution that allows businesses to earn money. For long runs this is the right decision.
More than half of GAZelle owners are switching them to gas. At the car plant they began installing such equipment on the entire line of cars. The author checked the quality of the factory design.
The long-wheelbase vehicle has a 120-liter cylinder, providing a range of more than 450 km.
The price of gasoline in the country, in my opinion, is disproportionate to the income of our motorists. Have you ever heard of it - 30 rubles per liter! Driving a car, you may not go broke, but driving a truck... Gas, namely a liquefied propane-butane mixture (LPG, Liquefied Petroleum Gas), costs 16 rubles, that is, almost half the price of gasoline. There is a direct benefit to looking for a place for the cylinder.
There are more than enough proposals for installing gas equipment (LPG). But all cars with gas equipment, which is installed outside the factory, are full of shortcomings. Constructive - like, say, fuel supply calibration. Technological - the hose was installed crookedly, the reducer was installed poorly, the cylinder was not secured properly. Take a closer look at any gas gazelle and you will probably see: the cylinder or multi-valve protrudes beyond the dimensions. And this does not comply with the rules of passive safety, and is simply dangerous.
The cylinders on vans and buses are located under the rear overhang. The total volume of two cylinders is 87 liters, enough for 350 km. The spare wheel was moved to the body.
In short, the moment came when cars with red factory cylinders under their bellies went to dealers. In the summer of 2010 - flatbed, and now the whole range: with an extended wheelbase and double cab, van, bus.
GASIFICATION
Nizhny Novgorod residents carefully studied the experience of installing such systems on their cars. We looked at how on-board factory vehicles with LPG behave. Once again we were convinced that the choice of gas partner OMVL was optimal. 
The engine control unit. In a single body there are “brains” for gas and gasoline. The engine is diagnosed using the usual scanner for ordinary GAZelles.
Almost all the equipment comes from Italy to the conveyor: multi-valve, reducer, nozzles, filling device, tubes, hoses and even clamps. The only Russian ones were cylinders, and we had to look for them. Among hundreds of offers, only Bryansk “Balcity” makes containers certified according to all rules.
Together with OMVL specialists, Gas workers adapted the design to accommodate the placement of gas equipment on all models. But the most important thing is that together with the Russian company ITELMA, Nizhny Novgorod residents have developed a single engine control unit for gasoline and gas. Previously, gas cars had two blocks. Difficulties arose both in the engine operation algorithm and in diagnostics. We worked on a few small things. Let's say we moved the fuel switch, now it is in a conspicuous place. And the gas and gasoline level sensors were combined into one standard indicator in the instrument panel.
The car is switched from petrol to gas by pressing a button on the dashboard.
GAZelle LPG has already been certified according to Euro-4 standards. In the PTS they immediately wrote: “dual fuel car.” The owner of any gas GAZelle will not have to run around the traffic police - looking for his guys to make changes to the registration certificate, register or undergo technical inspection.
Naturally, the factory gas car comes with a two-year or 100,000 km warranty. If something happens to the engine, respond to GAZ.
FULL GAS
If it weren’t for the warning lamp indicating that gas was entering the engine, by God, I would not have noticed the difference between traction on gasoline and propane-butane. The GAZelle drags just as well on gas. You'll probably notice the difference if you load it properly.
UMZ injection engine, configured to operate on two types of fuel - gasoline and gas. 2.89 l, 220 Nm, 99.8 hp. The tax rate for power up to 100 “horses” is minimal.
Although I paid more attention to the quality of the settings. I know that an engine with an LPG installed on the side sometimes “fails” or jerks during active throttling, and when switching from gasoline to gas and back, interruptions certainly occur. In the case of factory execution, nothing like this happens. All transitions from one fuel to another were imperceptible, no dips in traction during acceleration, no pops during reset.
Consumption (relative to gasoline) increased by 12%, but this is a good result. After all, the appetite of an engine running on less calorie fuel can increase by 30% if the system is not adjusted (in ordinary workshops, as a rule, they do not bother with adjustments). However, even with such an expense, transportation is profitable.
One example of a factory modification of the motor: a fitting for heating the gas reducer has been removed from the head.
Cars with gas equipment, of course, are more expensive than their gasoline counterparts: a flatbed truck is 26 thousand rubles, a two-row truck is 29 thousand, and a van is 30 thousand. But the costs of this “option” will pay off in less than a year of measured operation. And then - only savings.
Source of the article: "Publishing house "Za Rulem"
Business switches to gas
Now installation gas equipment modifications designed to run on gas are carried out directly on the conveyor
text: Mikhail Bibichev / 02/25/2011
© Sergey Moissev
- GAZ-33025-288 "Gazelle Business"
- FULL MASS: 3,500 kg
- START OF SALES: 2010
- PRICE: about 471,000 rubles.
The popular Russian-made one and a half ton truck "Gazelle", which at the beginning of 2010 underwent a deep modernization with the addition of the "Business" prefix, received another innovation. Now installation gas equipment modifications designed to run on gas are carried out directly on the assembly line, and all manufacturer warranties apply to both the machine itself, the engine, and additional equipment.
© Sergey Moissev
In recent years, Russia has seen a rapid increase in the number of gas-powered vehicles, not only passenger cars, but also commercial ones. The reason for this is the endless increase in gasoline prices, while gas fuel remains almost two times cheaper. If previously vehicle owners had to install gas equipment on their “iron horses” exclusively in a makeshift manner, today the situation is radically changing. The fact is that currently some automakers, in particular commercial vehicles, offer the market cars with dual-fuel engines and gas-cylinder equipment, which is installed directly on the factory assembly line. It should be noted that all warranty obligations for the car itself, the engine and the gas equipment remain in the same hands, which cannot be said about the handicraft conversion of cars. An example of this state of affairs is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter NGT, which we tested relatively recently, with a bi-fuel engine and LPG running on both gas and traditional gasoline.
The leading Russian manufacturer of commercial vehicles, the Gorky Automobile Plant, also did not remain aloof from these processes and offered customers a similar vehicle. To be more precise, a modernized one and a half ton truck " Gazelle Business» with a dual-fuel engine UMZ-42167 and gas-cylinder equipment. As a result of this work, the car can now be operated on both gasoline and liquefied gas (propane-butane). It should be noted that this is not the first time in the history of the domestic automobile industry when LPG is installed on a plant assembly line, while maintaining all warranty obligations; just remember Soviet times and the same GAZ.
© Sergey Moissev
For the first time, the Gazelle Business prototype with gas equipment was presented at the Comtrans-2010 exhibition. The start of mass production was also announced there. By the way, we have already talked more than once about the modernized Gazelle Business, its diesel version with a Cummins engine, and now it’s the turn of the model equipped with LPG.
To get acquainted, we were provided with a GAZ-3302 “Gazelle Business” with gas equipment, a standard wheelbase and a regular cargo platform. We did not find any obvious external differences between the gas version and the base model, with the exception of a 100-liter gas cylinder for blue fuel installed on the right side, immediately behind the cabin under the cargo platform. The cabin has also not undergone any changes - the usual full three-seater cabin with a new front panel. Changing the “diet” of engine operation from gasoline to gas is carried out from the cabin. To do this, there is an additional button on the instrument panel with an indicator of the gas level in the cylinder. That, in fact, is all the differences.
© Sergey Moissev
© Sergey Moissev
As we have already noted, under the hood of the GAZ-3302 “Gazelle Business” with gas equipment, a modernized Ulyanovsk power unit UMZ-42167 is used. Its power when running on gasoline is 107 hp. With. at 4000 min-1, torque 220.5 Nm at 2500 min-1. When running on gas fuel, the power drops to 99 hp. With. at 4000 min-1, the torque is 200 Nm at 2500 min-1.
UMZ-42167, unlike previous versions, in addition to the usual power system designed to run on gasoline, is equipped with a 4th generation distributed gas supply system. Gas equipment is manufactured by the Italian company OMVL, which is a supplier to most leading international automakers. The company not only developed gas cylinder equipment for Gazelle Business, but also took part in organizing its installation together with GAZ engineers. In addition, the OMVL company conducted training for GAZ dealers on after-sales service for these vehicles. OMVL's many years of experience in the development of gas equipment gives reason to believe that the reliability and safety of the equipment used on the modernized Gazelle Business will be at the level of the best foreign models.
© Sergey Moissev
In passing, it should be noted that the entire laying of the gas lines of the system was combined with gasoline lines, in fact, made in the form of unified communications. According to experts, this is the main advantage that positively distinguishes a car with a gas conveyor assembly system from a car converted in artisanal conditions.
After a short car ride, we did not notice any special nuances in its operation. In principle, the driving experience remained the same as on the regular gasoline version, which we tested in Nizhny at the beginning of 2010.
© Sergey Moissev
Good visibility, light steering, vibration and noise, of course, are there, but not significant. The gearshift lever travel is a bit large, but the gears are engaged clearly and effortlessly. The brakes are quite predictable. The only thing I didn’t like was the weak acceleration dynamics, and given that when running on gas, engine power drops, acceleration becomes even more sluggish. However, this factor is far from the most important for a commercial vehicle, since it is not designed for street racing, but for daily work. The engine switches from gasoline to gas automatically. Those. After starting the engine, when the car warms up (especially in winter), it switches to gas on its own. The button, located in the cockpit on the front panel, is used for forced switching to gas.
© Sergey Moissev
Thus, according to manufacturers’ calculations, the cost of owning a Gazelle Business with gas equipment will be reduced by 20% compared to the gasoline version. And fuel costs when operating on liquefied gas will decrease by 35-40%, since gas is almost half the price of gasoline. In addition, the use of gas eliminates the appearance of carbon deposits and washing off the oil film from the walls of the cylinder-piston group and thereby extends the service life of the engine. Don’t forget about the warranty, which for the car itself is 2 years or 80 thousand km, and for the engine and gas equipment - 100 thousand km.
It remains to add that the cost of the gas version of the Gazelle Business is 471,000 rubles, while the gasoline version is 445,000. The difference is small - only 26,000 rubles, but taking into account all of the above, it is worth taking a closer look at the first option. Especially for those who will use the car as a workhorse with high mileage: fuel costs can be significantly reduced. By the way, the power reserve on gas is more than sufficient.
note
Reliable. Electronic unit responsible for the supply of gasoline and gas, manufactured by OMVL
COMFORTABLE. Switching engine operating modes from gasoline to gas is carried out from the cabin.
Car provided
official representative of GAZ -
car dealership "AvtoMASH".
LANDIRENZO – for the entire service life of the equipment.
DIGITRONIC, AEB, LOVATO, BRC, KME, OMVL, STAG, ROMANO, SAVER - 5 years without mileage limitation.
To maintain warranty obligations, the Client (hereinafter referred to as the customer) must:
1.1. After completing the installation, the Customer is obliged to fill the gas cylinder with fuel in a volume of at least ten liters, and immediately return to the station where the installation was carried out to test the system and fine-tune the electronic control unit. Only after completing this procedure will he be issued a service book with a note about the current mileage of the car.
1.2. After 1,000 (one thousand) kilometers have passed since the installation of the LPG system, the Customer is obliged to come to the service station to undergo maintenance 0 (check of the LPG system), which is marked accordingly in the service book.
1.3. Every 10,000 (ten thousand) kilometers the Customer is required to appear for scheduled maintenance, with the replacement of consumable spare parts, and making appropriate entries in the service book.
1.4. Failure to comply with any of the conditions specified in clauses 1.1-1.3 entails termination of warranty obligations.
1.5. In exceptional cases (if the Customer’s car is on a long trip), an inter-service mileage of no more than 1,000 (thousand) kilometers is allowed for maintenance every 10,000 kilometers. The customer is obliged to do maintenance in advance, before going on a trip, if the mileage upon return exceeds 1000 kilometers.
1.6. All maintenance operations on the LPG system must be carried out at the Garant-Gaz LLC service station. A list of all branches can be found on our website.
1.7. Any third-party intervention in any of the components of the LPG system entails termination of the warranty. The fact of such interference is established by the Contractor based on the presence of damage to the seals on the connections.
1.8. Also, the Contractor disclaims any responsibility for the consequences caused by the incorrect operation of the HBO system in the event of third-party intervention in the system, or failure to comply with one of the conditions of clauses 1.1-1.3 of this article
We diagnose, configure and repair dual-fuel Gazelle vehicles with factory OMVL gas equipment.
We offer MAP sensors 5wk96841 for factory Gazelle gas equipment from 1500 to 4000 rubles with a warranty from 1 to 12 months.
Factory gas equipment differs from the usual one in that gasoline and gas injectors are controlled by one MIKAS 12 control unit.
To work with the factory Gazelle gas system, a special diagnostic program is required. Not everyone has such a program. Not only from gas diagnosticians, but also from official GAZ dealers.
Many owners of Gazelles with factory HBO have encountered diagnostic problems. Often the only way out of the situation was to replace the factory gas equipment with a regular one.
Now in the city of Kazan these problems have been solved.
We now have at our disposal the Autoas-scan program with a module for diagnosing Gazelle with a Mikas 12 dual-fuel control unit.
Some prices for bi-fuel Mikas 12 in Kazan:
- Connecting diagnostics. Reading and resetting errors for gasoline and gas - 500 rubles.
- Identification of the cause of a malfunction if it appears after resetting errors - from 1000 rubles.
- Setting the coefficients of gas injectors - 1000 rubles.
- Setting the pressure of the reducer - 500 rubles.
Before replacing the factory LPG with a regular one, contact us. We may be able to repair your car.
If repairs are impossible or impractical, we will replace the factory LPG with a conventional one on favorable terms for you, taking into account the previously carried out work on diagnosing the factory LPG.
The cost of replacing a factory gas equipment with an ordinary 4th generation Digitronic gas equipment (Stag-300) will be 9,000 rubles.
The cost of the work includes an under-hood GBO kit excluding the reducer and injectors, installation and connection of the Stag gas block, system setup and a 6-month warranty on the supplied components (gas ECU, MAP sensor, gas switch button, reducer temperature sensor, gas block wiring).
