[ultimaate]

Hi Frank,
Pardon me if this is an off topic post. I dont know why I cannot post on your CNG conversion thread so thought of asking you here.

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on your Civic Automatic and more so on the CNG conversion. Your posts and reviews have been really helpful and informative.

I recently bought an OHC Vtech 2003 from a dealer in Matunga, done 62K kms . It has a loveto CNG kit installed in late 2008 by the previous owner. I dont know which type of kit it is. Is there a way to find out just by looking which it is?

Also I want to get it tuned by a good CNG fitter, so thought of asking you if Suraj Auto would be a good place to get it done. My car seem to turn off frequently on CNG now and there is a significant power loss compared to petrol.

Thanks,
Vinay

[kedarwalke]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Guys, I need a good set of DRLS to fit the empty fog lamp slot.
Or I need a good, reliable set of Fog lights that I can actually use.
Any pointers??
The Taiwanese ones in the market baffle me. Are the original fog lights any worth it? Or DRLS?

Frank the OEM fogs on my honda civic are a joke.Please stay away!!!

[frankmehta]

Thanks Kedar. I thought only, that OE Fogs will be a waste.
My Fiesta had the BEST OE lighting!! The Fogs actually helped during fog and it had a piercing low beam. High beam was lacklustre, but didn't use it that much in the city.

As for the car, she's doing well. Have been playing around with air pressures lately. Happy with 28-29 psi. I am going to buy that damn air pump which has a digital gauge soon. Lost the link somewhere on the forum. If someone can point me to it.

I totally ran out of CNG for the first time, while driving today, and I took a video of what happens to the indicator switch when the tank is totally out of gas. Have a look. IT's quite an irritating sound but I don't feel any drop in power or the engine going out (vis a vis conventional kits where the car just stops in it's paces and your car stops accelerating when the gas runs out). I guess it's best to switch to petrol as soon as this happens, and this indicator reminds you to do that continuously, till you switch over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fEIY...ature=youtu.be

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by jatinpatel

Have learnt through My own experience well you can say a bad one, that even a minute un-noticable leak in the PS system can lead to damage to the rack which is 52k new and 10-13k to repair(if done in proper way it will last or else money down the drain).
My advice if theres indeed a smallest of small leak in the PS system get it sorted in time before it runs big enough to burn a BIG hole in your pocket.

While at it get the lower arm bushes checked, for any cracks or splits.

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I hope these nos stir you to take steps in the right direction.Avoid HASS for the repairs.Make sure the PS fluid levels are maintained.

Guys, thanks for the warnings. I actually read through your experience Sumeet which made me extra cautious about PS issues. Anyway, over the last few weeks, I was checking the PS fluid levels and did not see any drop in level at all. Also, the PS itself was working fine with no stiffness or noises etc which is why I doubted the HASS.
I showed the car to my mechanic and he came back with a report of 2 leaking hoses which were fixed - 1 was replaced. I need to check back with him after a couple of days driving.
Anyway, I wont hijack Frank's thread with my civic experiences, will start a new ownership thread as I get time.

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Thanks a lot mate. This paint job was done at my painter. His workshop is opposite my house at Nana chowk.

Howdy neighbour! Till Jan 2013 i'm sort of next door to you at Talmaki wadi, opp Gamadia colony

[Anghammarad]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Thanks Kedar. I thought only, that OE Fogs will be a waste.
My Fiesta had the BEST OE lighting!! The Fogs actually helped during fog and it had a piercing low beam. High beam was lacklustre, but didn't use it that much in the city.

Apologies in advance for the quote, am in the process of writing up my ownership report for my Civic AT, had gotten delayed over the last few weeks. I spoke to the guys from Suraj Auto Ltd today, and am going there tomorrow to figure out cng-ing my car.
I was wondering if I could bother you with some queries via Pm or cell, but am not sure of how to go about sending one.
Thanks in advance.
-Ang

[frankmehta]

Sure, sir. You can always PM me or even ask here. More information on this page is always welcome.

[Anghammarad]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Sure, sir. You can always PM me or even ask here. More information on this page is always welcome.

Ah after looking around unsuccessfully for the Pm section, it seems that perhaps this is the best way of going about it.

I just got the smart card from the RTO today, and spoke to Mr. Jain of Suraj AutoGas, have an appointment with him tommorow evening. He said the light weight high capacity cylinder is not available right now, but that I should consider using the heavier cylinder for the time being, till they can get the high capacity cylinder - and then they would replace it. I was wondering if you felt that made sense to do?

Also, I know the question has been asked before, but this was regarding the mileage you got to the Kg - and how you measured it. The mileage meter in the Civic is for petrol right? So when they install the CNG system, is that incorporated into the same mileage calculation system? Or is that something one checks oneself? (by gauging a full CNG tank and then the miles covered after it empties out)

Thirdly would you recommend going for a complete tune up or servicing after installation of the CNG in the vehicle? To be on the safe side as per calibration and possible complications I mean.

I apologize for all the seemingly amateurish questions, but I do not know that much about cars, and this site being the resource I used for my decision process in my purchase and research, it made sense to do so.

Mr Jain himself said I should direct my queries to you, because of the comprehensive research you put into the decision to CNG fit your vehicle. Hence the Pm/call/post request.
Much obliged in advance
-Ang

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by kedarwalke

Frank the OEM fogs on my honda civic are a joke.Please stay away!!!

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Thanks Kedar. I thought only, that OE Fogs will be a waste.

But they are really useful when you turn into lanes. The positioning is such that the right side and left side of the car radius is also illuminated, so that even before turning the vehicle into a lane, we can actually see that area lighten up by the Fogs. Down south, I find it useful in this scenario more than the foggy conditions

[Anghammarad]

In addition to the previous queries, I had a few more after meeting Mr. Jain
So right now on the dashboard, I can check the fuel level as the tank gets empty. He said that once I install the CNG sequential kit, the fuel level will still show petrol being consumed even though the fuel being consumed is CNG- How does this affect the calibration for fuel economy?
He mentioned that there is a separate gauge/indicator for CNG, but how does that stack up against/conflict with the CNG addition or work concurrently with it?
Once again thanks in advance and apologies for the barrage of questions.
-Ang-

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by Anghammarad

Ah after looking around unsuccessfully for the Pm section, it seems that perhaps this is the best way of going about it.

I just got the smart card from the RTO today, and spoke to Mr. Jain of Suraj AutoGas, have an appointment with him tommorow evening. He said the light weight high capacity cylinder is not available right now, but that I should consider using the heavier cylinder for the time being, till they can get the high capacity cylinder - and then they would replace it. I was wondering if you felt that made sense to do?

Also, I know the question has been asked before, but this was regarding the mileage you got to the Kg - and how you measured it. The mileage meter in the Civic is for petrol right? So when they install the CNG system, is that incorporated into the same mileage calculation system? Or is that something one checks oneself? (by gauging a full CNG tank and then the miles covered after it empties out)

Thirdly would you recommend going for a complete tune up or servicing after installation of the CNG in the vehicle? To be on the safe side as per calibration and possible complications I mean.

I apologize for all the seemingly amateurish questions, but I do not know that much about cars, and this site being the resource I used for my decision process in my purchase and research, it made sense to do so.

Mr Jain himself said I should direct my queries to you, because of the comprehensive research you put into the decision to CNG fit your vehicle. Hence the Pm/call/post request.
Much obliged in advance
-Ang

Originally Posted by Anghammarad

In addition to the previous queries, I had a few more after meeting Mr. Jain
So right now on the dashboard, I can check the fuel level as the tank gets empty. He said that once I install the CNG sequential kit, the fuel level will still show petrol being consumed even though the fuel being consumed is CNG- How does this affect the calibration for fuel economy?
He mentioned that there is a separate gauge/indicator for CNG, but how does that stack up against/conflict with the CNG addition or work concurrently with it?
Once again thanks in advance and apologies for the barrage of questions.
-Ang-

You can go in for a full weight tank as of now and exchange it for a lighter one once it arrives. As for the tune-up, EVERY possible way that can restor the car to it's factory condition is welcome. This way, when the tuning for CNG is done in the CNG ECU, you have optimum performance and hence optimum tuning. It's a complicated procedure, but you must get the tuning and fluid changes done before you give the car.
The mileage with petrol and CNG is totally different. The odo and trip meter will show you the Petrol mileage. For CNG you need to rely on the tripmeter and reset it every time you tank up.. The CNG switch has a 4 level LED meter. The last light means you have to fuel up. When the light turns red, it means the last few ounces of gas are left.


Ok guys, long time that I updated here. The car is driving like a dream. All the initial caveats have been addressed (there were very few to begin with, though) and all I've been doing since the last 2 months is fueling up and driving.
The car hasn't been driven over long distances and delivers about 12-15 km per kg depending on the condition of traffic in the city and also, on the no. of ICE auditions I do (that's a factor here )


Today I stretched her legs and drove her from home (South Mumbai) to Virar (It's FAR away. I got a ROAMING message from Vodafone.) and back. The entire trip to and fro was 165 km. I fueled up in the morning before I left and just thought I'll fuel up on returning, so I know how much the whole trip cost. On returning, there were still two lights remaining on the indicator. I couldn't believe it till I actually drove into the CNG bunk and re filled the tank. IT WAS MADNESS today. 167 km and ONLY 217 rupees of CNG. This car continues to amaze me, still.
THAT WORKS OUT TO RS. 1.3 RUPEES A KILOMETER. This is the best average I have got. I agree, I was pussy footing her and sticking to anywhere between 1500 and 3500 RPM but hell, that means this car can actually be cheaper to drive than a damn MARUTI ALTO !!!!

I am amazed. I still post here in disbelief.

[neofromcapone]

@frank. you are an inspiration to many. And as per this TOI article I reckon you are single-handedly responsible for the rise in cng cars

In 9 months, 26k Mumbai cars go CNG

[frankmehta]

Hahahhaha Neo. Thanks.
Trust me, the no. will exponentially increase over the next few years and more manufacturers will start providing CNG cars from the factory itself this year.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

THAT WORKS OUT TO RS. 1.3 RUPEES A KILOMETER. This is the best average I have got. that means this car can actually be cheaper to drive than a damn MARUTI ALTO

Hello Frank,

Cheaper than Maruti Alto? How much do you think Maruti Alto cost per KM of running? Sir, it will be atleast Rs. 3.75 / 4 per KM, assuming best mileage figures of 20 KMPL & petrol price of Rs. 75 per liter (the petrol price which you need not even remember now )

The correct statement will be your Honda Civic's per KM running cost is cheaper then most of the two wheelers! I drive a Pulsar 180 & the best mileage figures I get is 48 KMPL which means atleast Rs. 1.6 per KM. Now looking at your Honda Civic's highway mileage of Rs. 1.3 I have no words to express my shock.

By the way even I feel that you are indeed the motivation for people like us to switch to CNG as soon as possible & get rid of bike (because jokes apart CNG is indeed cheaper to drive then two wheelers).

Thanks,

[frankmehta]

It's astounding how frugal this engine can be, when one is in the mood for some real hypermiling. It's addictive. And satisfying too!

[vishaldalvi]

Hi,
Let me first start off by thanking you big time for ur post here...

Due to the traffic conditions I decided I would like to go in for a automatic car to ease of my driving woes and convert it to cng to ease my fuel woes!
I shortlisted this 2008 Honda Civic from a dealer. It was company owned and maintained and in immaculate condition. I even took it to an authorised Honda workshop to get it checked and they confirmed that the car was very well taken care of.
However, the sales rep there, starting yapping to my wife abt how Honda engines haven't responded well to CNG fittings and tht I should reconsider my plans or wait for their Amaze to be launched! (And voila I understand the main reason for all that s**t!)
Well, needless to say the Mrs. starting having doubts. So I quickly googled to find a good writing about a cng converted Honda Civic automatic. I found ur post, read it and made my wife read the entire thread.

So, thats why the thank you!

Well although I haven't yet closed on the deal (negotiations on), I'm hoping it happens soon. And if it does, I can say it would be mainly due to this post!