Hijet 1.3 EFI LPG does not idle --First post

Hi

This is my first post, although I have been lurking for a while.

I am the proud owner of a 2003 MPV Hijet with dual fuel. The van since to run ok apart from the this idling problem.

Since a couple of weeks the engine will instantly switch off while in neutral and using LPG (which I use 95% of the time when it works) if i don't rev it up. On petrol although the the engine is "hunting" while on idle it does not switch off as with the LPG.

The LPG has broken a couple of times in the past but not in this way (It would just not start ).
The car is being serviced regularly and it only has 26k miles ( I got it when it was at 14k)

I wonder where the problem could be.
Any hints?

Absolutely no idea, but hello anyway

I ll give the LPG mechanic a call and see what he thinks

Hello and welcome

Firstly I have never worked on an LPG hijet so take this with a pinch of salt but I'm not sure you are supposed to start them on LPG, something to do with the vaporizer isn't getting coolant pumped through it so it can freeze up. Plus starting on petrol keeps the petrol system in good condition. Also if you pretty much never use petrol you can suffer from the petrol loosing its zing/going stale, and the injectors getting crudded up on the tips. Maybe try and drain the fuel out if it is old, then refill it and add some injector cleaner.


Hunting is often a sign of either:- idle control valve issues, TPS sensor failure, Map sensor failure, vacuum leak, incorrect ignition timing, cam belt mis-fitted

Good luck with getting it sorted, and if you find a really good LPG garage maybe post them up here as we've had a fair few people turn up here after having LPG problem and not finding anywhere decent to get it sorted.

HighlyJetted wrote:Hello and welcome :)

Firstly I have never worked on an LPG hijet so take this with a pinch of salt but I'm not sure you are supposed to start them on LPG, something to do with the vaporizer isn't getting coolant pumped through it so it can freeze up. Plus starting on petrol keeps the petrol system in good condition. Also if you pretty much never use petrol you can suffer from the petrol loosing its zing/going stale, and the injectors getting crudded up on the tips. Maybe try and drain the fuel out if it is old, then refill it and add some injector cleaner.

The LPG system was broken when I got the van couple of years and after calling prinz uk and being told that the system is obsolete and that there are no spares I was pointed to the closest prinz mechanic who still fixes this obsolete bits of LPG teck :). (this is more or less what they told me)

I have taken it twice alredy at a garage in essex called gastech. Keith, the mechanic there told me that it doesnt matter if I start on gas. He replaced a couple of valves that faulty and since then the machine works well. However finding spares for the LPG was quite a pain.

In any case I think I should be using the petrol more so I keep it in good condition as you say. I had been running mainly on lpg for the past few months.

Hunting is often a sign of either:- idle control valve issues, TPS sensor failure, Map sensor failure, vacuum leak, incorrect ignition timing, cam belt mis-fitted

Good luck with getting it sorted, and if you find a really good LPG garage maybe post them up here as we've had a fair few people turn up here after having LPG problem and not finding anywhere decent to get it sorted.

As I say I have fixed mine there plus got the van certified so I can apply for london congestion charge exception (which I manage to get) at the above garage. I think they are decent.

A

Good on you mate, getting a garage that has seen you right on a system that is obsolete.

Waz

OK I fixed it :)

It seems that the oil filer plug had come off. With the plug back in place no more idling problems with LPG.
Any ideas from the more technically inclined why this would affect the LPG side of things more than the petrol?

Still think that the engine needs some tuning, not running as smooth as I would like too but it seems there is no reason visiting the LPG mech. Will save me the embarrassment anyway ;)

HighlyJetted wrote:

Firstly I have never worked on an LPG hijet so take this with a pinch of salt but I'm not sure you are supposed to start them on LPG, something to do with the vaporizer isn't getting coolant pumped through it so it can freeze up. ..............

Had to get some LPG yesterday and had a chat with the chap dispensing the stuff. Apparently, it will vapourise perfectly in hot weather such as yesterday but will not do so in cold weather. Feeding the gas straight into an engine is what causes the damage. Since it is all too easy to forget to change back to starting on petrol, or even not realise it is cold enough, I prefer to leave it on petrol start permanently. (In any case I don't want to fork out for a damaged engine!)