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CNG station in JB field report

Genie47

By Genie47,
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Genie47

Genie47

1st Gear

OK last night went into JB for petrol fill up. Then decided to run around the place to look for CNG stations. Tampoi Utama is already known. It is a single CNG filling pump island in a Petronas station. Nothing special. This one is easy to get to.

 

However, from the Malaysian NGV community, there is one off Jln Datin Halimah near Larkin. Users of the station reported great gas pressures with it. So much so the JBers call it NGV Sentral.

 

For the uninitiated, CNG fill up is all about pressure. There are two kinds of systems in place. There is the direct from gas main, pass through filter, then dryer then into compressor and into storage tanks and finally into the dispenser. Then there is the mother-daughter station. This is when the CNG tanker rolls up, fills up the storage tanks with gas via a compressor.

 

Logic will tell you the type from gas main has the best pressure. Well, the mother-daughter type can have good pressures too depending on the compressor but if the tanks are empty, there is low pressure.

 

So actually, the more you pay for the fillup = more pressure = more gas = stuffed your tank like Christmas turkey = good = more driving range before next fillup. Very different from petrol. The Malaysian NGV community did complain that when mother-daughter stations are empty, you can fill only RM1.00 of gas which only see you a couple of km to your dismay.

 

The one off Jln Halimah is the type that is from the gas main. Same type as the one building on Toh Tuck. The Mandai and Serangoon ones I heard are mother-daughter setup. So unlike petrol station, fill up when you see a tanker just pull out of the station for a mother-daughter station.

 

So here I went galivanting into JB looking for this station. It is called the NGV Station. (duh!) according to the Petronas directory. So I traveled along the highway (Abdul Razak?) that goes towards Larkin. Exited the highway and went into Jln Datin Halimah. I traveled as far as I could but could not find it. It was listed as being on Jln Petaling. So I turned in there and went as far as I can and ended up in a bus depot! Mind you, it is damn dark. So I came out. Asked some locals and they said it is at the BP station at the end of Jln Halimah.

 

OK so I came out and found the BP or rather BHP station. To the uninformed, BP in Malaysia has given up retailing petrol and transfered their stations to Boustead who now markets the petrol as BHPetrol. BH as in Boustead Holdings.

 

I still can't find the NGV Station! OK I gave up so I pumped petrol at the BHP station. Ah! sweet RON92 from BHP. This is my first time using it. Hmmmm..... EM of Malaysia colors their RON92 red. BHP colors it green.

 

Then I noticed red JB taxis pulling in and pumping up their tires only! They didn't even stop for petrol. I went towards a cab driver to ask him where the famed NGV Station is. Immediately as I approached, I "heard" the near silence of his engine. CNG converted confirmed! thumbsup.gif

 

He told me it is behind the BHP station. I was perplexed because I don't see anything behind the station. So got into my car wondering what he meant by behind. Then I saw a taxi turn into the BHP station but not actually turning in. There is a small road beside the BHP station entrance. So I followed it in and was rewarded by the NGV station. The taxis were lining up but the fill up looks fast because the pressures are higher. I stopped and went in for a look. There are 3 filling islands and fills 6 taxis in a go. A taxi driver asked what he can help me with, I told him I was visiting and acquainting myself with CNG in Malaysia. Asked how is payment. He replied it is cash only. Don't even need to walk to the counter, the attendant collects it on the spot. For RM8-9, I will like them pay on the spot.

 

The dispenser is just like a petrol dispenser except you don't see litres being pumped in. You only see a gas pressure gauge. Got white and then there is this 1/4 that is red. sweatdrop.gif I guess you don't go too much into the red zone when filling up. There is a currency display as well so you know how much you pumped.

 

After that, I went home. BTW, it was 1am this morning. So the NGV station opens 24/7.

 

So this ends my NGV Station FR.

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Genie47

Genie47

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They check petrol only but so far encountered twice this year only.

 

They don't check your gas pressure in your cylinder. So empty gas cylinder, can still go in.

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Genie47

Genie47

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You need the SGI kit. Have to drill holes on the intake manifold to install the "injectors". Once installed. It's stuck to the car. If want to remove, might as well replace the intake manifold. Don't do it unless you really want CNG on your TC car.

 

SGI kit coming to Melchers in Mar next year.

 

The current fumigation system they have with the feedback control will lose around 5% of the torque and power. With the SGI kit, its around 3% on a normal grocery getter. Dunno about TC car.

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Dwoon

Dwoon

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OK, thanks for the feedback.

 

But I always thought that one could switch between petrol and CNG. So for normal driving, just use CNG until the extra oomph is required, then switch to petrol.

 

A used intake manifold costs about $300 and there's plenty around. Just worried about the tuning aspect of it.

 

Does the CNG conversion come with some form of a switchable fueling map run by some auxilary ECU?

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Genie47

Genie47

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Can switch. Actually for SGI kits, switching is automatic. Start up, will use petrol. Few seconds later use CNG. Then when you floor it, it switch to petrol. Ease up, go back to CNG. Very intelligent system but like I said, once you install, it is stuck because you have to drill those holes to the intake manifold. The fumigation system basically has an "injector" just before the throttle body.

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Genie47

Genie47

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Depends on your FC. If your car is 12km/L, in the end it will be around 12km/kg of CNG. One 60L tank is around 21kg but effectively you will use around 18kg only. The system won't let you go into zero pressure. At 10-15psi, there is not enough pressure to feed the engine.

 

So effectively depending on your FC with petrol. Give or take 160-200km.

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