Petrol Tank Cleaning And Lpg

[brendangeorge]

I have just had my 13 year old 230K miles LPG 430 MOT'ed and it passed with no probs (as usual).

I keep expecting to be in the market for another car but the beast keeps rolling :)

I had some reservations this year because the engine warning light was on (Cat at low efficiency) which usually means apin hole in my exhaust (had some welded up) or a Lambda sensor failing - so I asked the guys to check and fix before they tested the car. No probs found and despite the light because they tested on LPG the emissions test was passed and I have an MoT - no advisories.

For a couple of days I could not fill up with LPG so I put in 1/2 a tank of Shell Nitro V and after a few miles thewarning light went out. Back on LPG and no probs yet - the light has not come back on.

This got me thinking - I don't keep much petrol in the tank 1/4 ish usually and it often dips lower, so have I been sucking crud from the bottom of my tank and this has caused my CAT problem? I'd like to think the filters would take care of any junk.

I am thinking about giving my tank an 'enema' so has anyone had to or has done so and was it worth while?

Does anybody know where to get hold of reasonably priced break ware sensor cables?

Regards

Bren

[messi]

You should never keep a car on reserve for a long time because it does cause issues that you have mentioned, and when filling the car you should always use good fuel ie shell v power, it's good for the engine and keeps it clean

[ls400lpg]

Seafoam. Works excellent

[runsgrateasanut]

Seafoam. Works excellent

Is this really the case. Anyone on here tried it. I have yet to install my LPG parts and with petrol going down in price have put it on hold, but I was keen if only to burn clean the engine. Seafoam ??? read a few negs about it.

[Malc]

methinks the trouble of cleaning out the petrol tank isn't worth the extra cost of a few more litres of juice in the old lady ............. maybe a simple solution to any potential problem, which, tbh, I've never heard of on an Ls

Malc

[LexusCT200H]

Hi if your engine light comes on and says cata is below threshold effeciency then its probally blocked up. As you said it comes and goes means that it will only be 1-2% below the threshold and you will need to clean it. Theres a bottle which can be brought from Halfords called 'Cataclean' or something simular, pour it into half a tank fuel and then give the car a blast for a couple of miles. It will clear out all the crap and hopefully you shouldent see that engine light again. If it comes up again its likely to be a lamda sensor.

[Chris Skelton]

Reminds me of touring Spain in '84, in a Citroen Traction Avant Commerciale.

After 7 weeks, up in the Picos de Europa, I was checking under he car. Saw a drip under the petrol tank; rubbed it with finger; it became a flow! Tank was rusty!

Quickly bought some chewing gum to seal hole!

Local garage blew out the tank with compressed air (and blew out the petrol pump diaphragm, I discovered later!), put some fibreglass filler on hole. Cost? £10. Got us home.

All in bad Spanish from me!

[alien1974]

I use cata clean as a preventative measure I add it once a year

[brendangeorge]

Hi if your engine light comes on and says cata is below threshold effeciency then its probally blocked up. As you said it comes and goes means that it will only be 1-2% below the threshold and you will need to clean it. Theres a bottle which can be brought from Halfords called 'Cataclean' or something simular, pour it into half a tank fuel and then give the car a blast for a couple of miles. It will clear out all the crap and hopefully you shouldent see that engine light again. If it comes up again its likely to be a lamda sensor.

Hi LexusCT200H - thanks for the cleaning product recommendation - I have changed Lambda sensors in the past - also a blowing exhausrt will put the Cat fault up.. I usually put Shell Nitro V in (as recommended) because that is next to the LPG pump at my local station. Burning 1/2 a tank of high spec petrol seems to have done the trick. I am a big fan of Honest John, in the Telegraph, and he always bangs on about using high spec fuel.

I am going to have the tank cleaned when I carry out some planned suspension work - a couple of pals have had it done to good effect.

Cheers

Bren

[LexusCT200H]

Glad to see that horrid engine light it is gone, enjoy.