LPG seems to have run out?

[reggie]

Yesterday I left the petrol station after filling up with £29 worth of LPG & the gauge registered empty, I just thought it was a fault with the gauge as they are known to be tempermental. I got round the corner from my Village & the rangie cut out like it had ran out of gas. After a few attempts it started reluctantly (only runs on gas) & just as I got it on my drive it went again. Checked the gauge on the tank & it read just over the empty, the lights on the dash also read empty, just one light. I then tapped the gauage on the tank & it dropped right down past zero.

Any one got any ideas?

I can't quite work it out as I stood there & put in £29 of gas, the only thing out of the ordinary was that the pump didn't cut off as normal when the tank is full & my Fiancee said she could smell LPG in the rangie while I was at the end of filling up but also heard the gas going into the tank, must have filled up too much & vented out of a valve I guess. So it should have gas in there but its not showing.

[rtbarton]

There's a problem that needs sorting now if you can smell it inside the vehicle.

If you lost that amount you should see signs of icing up around any leak.

With the cold snap today your system could have frozen up, this happened to my landy once, I had to switch to petrol but when the weather warmed up slightly all was OK.

[western]

get back to the fill up location & get them to test their system & tank contents.

[reggie]

get back to the fill up location & get them to test their system & tank contents.

It won't start as its only been running on gas for the last 12 months, I've tried phoning them but no answer.

[reggie]

There's a problem that needs sorting now if you can smell it inside the vehicle.

If you lost that amount you should see signs of icing up around any leak.

With the cold snap today your system could have frozen up, this happened to my landy once, I had to switch to petrol but when the weather warmed up slightly all was OK.

The gas smell was only when towards the end of filling up, must have vented out of a valve on the tank as the auto cut off didn't work. I was driving the vehicle all day yesterday while laning & went the the LPG sation to fill up as it was getting low. Since that the gauge read empty & then it seemed to run out of gas but there must be gas in the tank as I heard it going in

[rtbarton]

The gas smell was only when towards the end of filling up, must have vented out of a valve on the tank

Even so it should vent to the outside of the vehicle. There was a case not so long ago when an LPG powered car went up in flames after filling. The driver noticed a smell of gas, but he was told by the guy who sold it that there was nothing to worry about.

[the_mouse_man]

The gas smell was only when towards the end of filling up, must have vented out of a valve on the tank

Even so it should vent to the outside of the vehicle. There was a case not so long ago when an LPG powered car went up in flames after filling. The driver noticed a smell of gas, but he was told by the guy who sold it that there was nothing to worry about.

And then he lit a cigarette.... kaboom !!! lucky to escape.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/332910...-cigarette.html

[reggie]

And then he lit a cigarette.... kaboom !!! lucky to escape.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/332910...-cigarette.html

I better not show that to the misses, she will never go in the Rangie again!

[paintman]

£29 worth of gas must have gone somewhere.

What's the normal max capacity?

Where are your tanks mounted?

How many tanks do you have?

I would have thought if it was going out at a high rate you would have noticed the cloud or at least the smell - and I don't mean the usual smell you get when filling.

Have you damaged a pipe whilst offroading?

If your tank has vented via a safety valve has the valve frozen open?

Any leaks around the system?

Sure the gauge is OK - they're usually a waste of time, I go on the trip meter.

Is your coolant up to the right level? If its low & not keeping the vapouriser hot then the vap will freeze up & stop the gas flow. More common than you might think!

[reggie]

Well the dispenser pump was pumping the gas until it slowed right down which at that point I realised that it didn't automatically shut off like normal. I personally didn't smell any gas while I was filling up or when I got in the car, it was my passengers that said they could smell gas towards the end of the fill up. Also din't see any leakage or anything out of the ordinary. When I drove off I couldn't smell gas & haven't smelt any myself so had no reason to think there was a leak, the only odd thing was the fact that the lights on the dash was on one light to signify that's it empty, even before I filled up it was on two.

The tank is in the boot, its a 90 litre tank & I just have the one. I don't think I damaged a pipe while laning as it was nothing harsh, just simple tracks etc.

I didn't seem to have a problem till after I filled up. Good point about a safety valve freezing open but I would have smelt it I would imagine.

My coolant was ok, but also an interesting point about the vapouriser freezing as I did go through a ford a couple a mile before it happened on the way home.

I also had my snorkel connected, which I did just before the ford & forgot to disconnect it. If I don't it the engine cuts out above 40mph due the ram air affect from the forward facing snorkel. I thought that was what first caused it to cut out but disconnected it & it was till the same, then eventually started then cut out again on my drive & can't start it since. Oh & I just checked the gauge & it still says empty.

[woodytz]

Its entirely possible that your level sensor in the tank is jiggered,its like a ball cocock in your loo at home.If the float has fell off [and they do],the gauge wont work and neither will the 80% shut off valve.This will give the symptom of slowing down but not actually shutting off.

You running problem could be caused by a few things, firstly did your vaporiser go under water in the ford, if so depending on what type it is ,there should be a hole on the casing that clamps the diaphragm to the body, this hole should be to atmosphere,if it is full of water or crud it will stop it from moving freely and so mucking up the fuelling.

If this is the case , you need to put a pipe on the hole and run it up the side of your snorkel.

HTH , cheers woody

[Fatboy]

A while back, I filled up and noticed a hissing sound when I got back to the house. A bit of investigating found that the pressure relief valve had lifted and unfortunately it stayed open until the tank was empty

When I removed the valve I found that a piece of swarf had stuck between the valve and its seat. Whether it came from the out//in or vice versa, I don't know.

Just a thought though.If your missus smelt fuel in the car it may have got inside through an open window or door... ? Not necessarily direct from the tank. However, if there is any doubts, it needs checking - just a pain that you need to get it to a garage to pressurise the system.

[reggie]

Its entirely possible that your level sensor in the tank is jiggered,its like a ball cocock in your loo at home.If the float has fell off [and they do],the gauge wont work and neither will the 80% shut off valve.This will give the symptom of slowing down but not actually shutting off.

You running problem could be caused by a few things, firstly did your vaporiser go under water in the ford, if so depending on what type it is ,there should be a hole on the casing that clamps the diaphragm to the body, this hole should be to atmosphere,if it is full of water or crud it will stop it from moving freely and so mucking up the fuelling.

If this is the case , you need to put a pipe on the hole and run it up the side of your snorkel.

HTH , cheers woody

My vaporizer does have a hole in the side & I always wondered about that hole & if it should have a breather or something but when I did the ford it didn't go under water as the ford was only low, only half way up the wheels.

[paintman]

I've never used an LPG fuel pump that cuts out when the vehicle tank is full, the gas flow just slows right down & stops - the pump display digits slow down & stop. The pumps I've used (all over England) have a button which after connecting the hose to the car you must press and keep pressed whilst fuelling. If you take your hand off the button the power to the pump is cut & the pump stops. So it sounds like the pump you used is entirely normal - unless there are different ones which I haven't met.

Appears you are going to have to get the vehicle recovered to an LPG specialist to get it all checked out.

Not got water in the electrics - lpg or ignition - as a result of the ford? Be an idea to clean & dry them.

[rtbarton]

My vaporizer does have a hole in the side & I always wondered about that hole & if it should have a breather or something but when I did the ford it didn't go under water as the ford was only low, only half way up the wheels.

Mine does too, it's to make sure you have atmospheric pressure on one side of the diaphragm.

[mickeyw]

I've never used an LPG fuel pump that cuts out when the vehicle tank is full, the gas flow just slows right down & stops - the pump display digits slow down & stop. The pumps I've used (all over England) have a button which after connecting the hose to the car you must press and keep pressed whilst fuelling. If you take your hand off the button the power to the pump is cut & the pump stops. So it sounds like the pump you used is entirely normal - unless there are different ones which I haven't met.

All LPG tanks have an 80% fill shut-off valve. That is to say it stops further filling beyond 80% volume. I have encountered situations myself where the pump slows but does not shut off properly. This is normally due to the shut-off valve not functioning correctly.

[paintman]

Yes, no more gas is able to enter the tank due to the tank float valve operating correctly so the flow of gas stops. But while the button is held the delivery pump continues to run.

I've just never encountered one where the delivery pump itself actually switches off without the button being released.

[mickeyw]

All but a couple of pumps I have ever used have shut off completely when the tank is full. My local filling station is a Shell place, also used BP no problems. I used to fill up from a small repair shop near me, their pump was a pretty crude arrangement, but when my tank was full the tank valve would shut, the pump could be heard to strain against it but no more fuel would pump.