E30 Zone

Im about to graft an LPG kit into my E39 and im looking at fitting the fill point behind the petrol flap, anybody have or had a car with this setup?
I dont really want to use the Polish 10mm thread fitting though as its just too delicate to be reliable IMO

Ive tested a filling gun and it just about goes into the LH corner, like this but this is the 10mm thread type-



This is the sort of thing I want








Just wanted to get an idea of what type of adaptors are out there before I chop the car up

I totally agree about avoiding the 10mm one, although I bought a bayonet adaptor back in July last year to use on a French style cup filler, that had a 10mm male steel thread on it, rather than brass, which seems to be a great improvement.
Red Clio one is just the standard UK bayonet filler fitted without its normal circular recessed box.
Black Laguna one is a recessed filler that I've used on one car, that takes adaptors with the larger (22mm?) thread. When a bayonet adaptor is screwed in it will be very similar to the Clio one, and will just project outwards a little further. With both of the above you need to make sure you have clearance for the connector on UK pumps, which I would guess are about three inches in diameter.
Can't tell what the Focus one is, since the cap is in place. It could be an ACME screw type, or it could be the 10mm or 22mm female thread again.

Just found this which will come in handy to bring the gun away from the bodywork

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bayonet-fille ... 43b77bbaa6

I like the way the petrol filler neck has been angled away on the Laguna

That should screw into the one on the Clio as well, and will bring things out even further. More bending moment on the bodywork though, and UK fillers and hoses are heavy.

My E39 was LPG'd in Poland approx 5 years ago and i've owned it for the last 6 months and 12,000 miles and as you can see has the filler arrangement you are suggesting. I always ensure I get close enough to the pump to support the hose and press the button at the same time and there hasn't been any issues. Although I don't think a shorter adaptor would work to well as I have caught the bodywork a couple of times with the "big lever" type of filler.

Your kit finally arrived then Dan

Yep landed on 31st Rich, after 2 phone calls to the CC company the 3rd payment went through, they still charged me £9 for the privilege though, coonts!!
Thanks for all your help on that

Having to support the filler hose sounds like a right faff, my local station is non-self serve also so it needs to be quite idiot proof. I dont mind strengthening up the back side of the bayonet fitting.

What model E39 Kevin? Decent sized tank?

The adaptor etc may well be strong enough to support the hose, i've just never been that confident etc.


Its a 523 (99) with a Stag system which seems to work very well. I've had no issues and changeover between petrol and gas is seamless. Its a 55l in the spare wheel well. range of betweeen 200 & 230 mormally, so could be better.

Two minor points: COP11 doesn't allow the use of adaptors for 'normal' filling, so there could be certification problems with the type shown in the last pic., if you require such things, and liquid LPG expands by something like 390 times, IIRC, when exposed to normal atmospheric pressure and temp., so with the stacked adaptors there's several litres of propane released into the air when the filler nozzle is uncoupled.
As for supporting the filler hose by hand, I find that a lot of pumps are in enclosed wire compounds with their tanks, all on skid units, and you can't get anywhere near your car when holding the button in.
LPG filling stations are few and far apart as it is, without limiting your choice even more.

Just don't put the LPG filler behind the number plate like a previous owner of mine did! An absolute faff filling up! Having to unscrew and unclip the number plate every time with the queue of taxi drivers waiting behind

Eff_One wrote:Just don't put the LPG filler behind the number plate like a previous owner of mine did! An absolute faff filling up! Having to unscrew and unclip the number plate every time with the queue of taxi drivers waiting behind

I would have thought that was the ideal place personally - if you could have a quick release system for the number plate!

It is a good idea i suppose in that it does completely hide it, but it's not quick job refilling! (although I am getting faster)
It's just if it's raining or freezing cold and you're trying to unscrew and unclip the plate with frozen fingers...then put it back together again...meh
Plus my tank only holds enough for about 110-120 miles! So I'm doing it all the time!

Eff_One wrote:Just don't put the LPG filler behind the number plate like a previous owner of mine did! An absolute faff filling up! Having to unscrew and unclip the number plate every time with the queue of taxi drivers waiting behind

It's an excellent place to fit a filler, especially if you want to use the channel tunnel. It's where I've just fitted one on my E30 cab (hopefully I'll get more than two days of suitable weather to drive it this year), but you do need to make the plate hinged or easily removable.

Eff_One wrote:It is a good idea i suppose in that it does completely hide it, but it's not quick job refilling! (although I am getting faster)
It's just if it's raining or freezing cold and you're trying to unscrew and unclip the plate with frozen fingers...then put it back together again...meh
Plus my tank only holds enough for about 110-120 miles! So I'm doing it all the time!

How big is your tank??

I been driving cars fited with LPG for nearly 10 years now using 10mm adapter that screws in and never had any problems filling my tank up. My filling point usualy was and still is on current car on bumper because I didn't want to damage rear panels cause they tend to rust (just my expierience).

And about Brianmoors coment that you release several liters of LPG every time you disconnect stacked fillers, I would not worry about that simply cause afectively all you loose is about 50ml at most of liquide gas and thats all that matters.

How big is your tank??[/quote]

Can't remember exactly but it's roughly only 30-35 litres. Fitted in the spare-wheel well. Although if I heard someone correctly the tank only gets filled to 90% before clicking off? Expansion reasons I imagine, I'm sure others are more clued up on them.

So add up those things, and that LPG is used slightly faster, it doesn't take long before I'm back at the pump again.

The usable volume is about 80% although some pumps are conservative and click off before you're really full.

My filler on the E46 is on the plastic below the rear bumper. It's hardly noticeable and easy to access from either side of the car.

pianist wrote:I been driving cars fited with LPG for nearly 10 years now using 10mm adapter that screws in and never had any problems filling my tank up. My filling point usualy was and still is on current car on bumper because I didn't want to damage rear panels cause they tend to rust (just my expierience).

And about Brianmoors coment that you release several liters of LPG every time you disconnect stacked fillers, I would not worry about that simply cause afectively all you loose is about 50ml at most of liquide gas and thats all that matters.

Is this using the British style fill gun? Do you let the gun hang off the filling adaptor without problems?
The filler on my current car is just below the bumper plastic moulding strip, its forever getting mud thrown up it and it means you have to bend down to fill, not to mention the bumper moving round while attaching/disconnecting the gun

I dont want to go at the quarter panel with a hole saw either

Yes with british fill gun My fill up point is right on the lower left side of the bumper (passenger side of the car just to clear it out) somewhere near the midle when it wraps round the car if you get me. It gets a bit dirty but nothing major like you would think and I never hold the pipe while filling cause I never noticed any strain on the part. Must be sturdy bumper haha ;)

Just found this pic of a Taiwan installation!

Defo don't like look of that, all car would smell of gas after filling