DRX: Klang Bad-Hat (Case 2007)

DRX: Klang Bad-Hat Installer & Honda Accord 2.0VTEC

Each year, I view and diagnose tens of NGV vehicle installed beyond Hijau. It is surprising that Malaysian Installers do not comply to any standard, such as United Nation ECE Regulation 110 (or R110) and Malaysian SIRIM MS1096:1997. In fact, the Malaysian MS1096:1997 is mainly based on NZ5422, and it is referred as Code of Practice For Use of CNG Fuel in Internal Combustion Engines (First Revision). For the guideline, I will prepare a comprehensive posting on how to install NGV system in accordance to SIRIM MS1096:1997 on a Mercedes Benz W126 (260E) later on.

In 2007, many problematic NGV vehicle approached us at Hijau for second opinion. Among hundreds of vehicle, there is one car that beat it all in areas of poor installation, unsafe, no sound engineering practices and worst, a complete mess. This is a case of a Honda Accord EX 2.0 VTEC belong to a Medical Doctor.

Originally, this Honda Accord VTEC was installed with a NGV Mixer system. It is a primitive system that turns the car into a carburetor engine while on gas mode. At petrol mode, it will be an electronic fuel injection (EFI). In our case, the Honda Accord VTEC owner complained that the car suffers from engine backfiring (explosions inside the engine) and great loss of power. It is a struggle to keep the car idling well and often stalled. Thus, we conducted a diagnosis on the car via Visual Inspection Method, on whether the car comply to SIRIM MS1096:1997 specifications.

The first thing we did was to check on the most important area of the complaints; the engine compartment and NGV system. Here is what we saw:

The Engine Compartment - NGV System

The NGV Reducer unit was placed on the right side of the engine, just behind the right-side main headlights. The NGV refilling nozzle is located at the same place with a red dust cap in the above picture. All hoses are long and look identical to a python snake in the engine compartment. It is a mess, and likely converted by a lazy, unexperience or untrained installer. In most cases, the installer companies employs school drop-out, SPM-education labourer or 'on-the-job-training' staff. Installation are done without proper supervision or instruction.

The hoses are in length of 5 feet and above.

The installation employed a messy configuration with wiring exposed and hoses being dangerously near to drive belts, especially the power steering pump. The gas hose from reducer to mixer is more than 6 feet long, resulting to great power loss, unstable idling and frequent engine stalling. The experience of backfire is the outcome of carburetor-on-gas at a VTEC engine. In reality, VTEC engine needs to use a Sequential Injection System (SIS), or commonly know as Electronic Gas Fuel Injection (EGFI).

In this case, the Honda Accord VTEC owner was hookwinked into using an unappropriate NGV Mixer system as his original installer did not know how to install SIS. Until today, many installers are able to install a SIS but unable to make it work properly. NGV Mixer system demands 80% mechanical ability and 20% programming. As compared with, SIS requires 20% mechanical ability and 80% programming/calibration. So, this case was a pure situation of wrongfully using incorrect system on Honda Accord VTEC engine.

But again, this is first part of many faults detected. The next area is the CNG cylinder installation. To our horror, his installer was clearly lazy to do a good and safe installation. This is how.

Wrong Screw Mounting Points on the Bracket

The installer drilled the mounting screw on the body floor slopping up or at the spare tire vault. This is 500% incorrect as it will cause tearing on the sheet metal body. This is against the requirement of SIRIM MS1096:1997 clause 4.3.1. This is one issue on the cylinder installation, and below is the next.

Cheap & Thin Screw on Clamping Mount and Numerous Welding Points

Now, it is clear why I recognised this Honda Accord VTEC as a case-study for 2007. It is top the worst installation over 12 months, among hundreds of vehicle I have seen. This is the works of a Klang installer, G**d***ck NGV. But this is not the end of our fault list. Here are more to view.

Single Screw Mounting vs SIRIM MS1097 Double Screw Mount

This is surely a quick-install method by using single screw mounting method. But SIRIM MS1096:1997 provides a 'securely attached to the vehicle to prevent slipping, rotating and jarring loose'. It means a double screw mounting is required on NGV refilling nozzle.

Exposed Wiring to Engine Heat

In many cases, electronic devices are installed inside the engine compartment. It is the area that endure extreme engine heat, which damages electronic diode, resistor, capacity and circuit relays. This is how NGV electronic fails in most situations.

Unsecured High Pressure Pipe Line - A dangerous Scenario

This is simple to expain. Look at how the high pressure pipe dropped down when I remove the rear wheel assembly to access the bottom body floor for cylinder mounting. It is an accident waiting to happen on a Medical Doctor. Hence, I had to remove the entire NGV system installed, from the cylinder to the engine bay. Everything came off the car, and rebuild to meet SIRIM MS1096:1997 standards.

It took 2 days to remove, and another 4 days to install a SIS. Here is the outcome, which subsequently cost the Medical Doctor - G**d**ck at RM4,800 + Hijau Repair & SIS at RM5,000. Total cost of RM9,800. A high price to pay for simply selecting an Installer.

Removal of Rear Wheel System for Proper Cylinder Bracket Installation

NGV Refilling Nozzle & 'Pigh-Tail' for Collapsing Pipe during Accidents

A Sequential Injection System on a Honda Accord VTEC-i

Every 3-4 months, Medical Doctor will come visit us at our office for a regular engine service. Our private satisfaction is when customers are happy driving their reliable and fuel saving vehicle. After all, it is 'Hijau Always Safe, Hijau Always $ave' that bring us conversion quality.

Be Safe, Drive Safe.DRX

email: drxander@ngv.com.my

DRX: Batu Cave Bad-Hat (Case 2006)

DRX : Batu Cave Bad-Hat Installer & Mercedes Benz W126 (Case 2006)

In 2006, I have encountered many bad-hats installers who operate their installation companies solely on profit-greed and minus vehicle safety. During this timeframe, there are only 14 licensed NGV workshop around malaysia and 60+ NGV stations. Some bad-hat installers were converting vehicle beyond their technical knowledge. Many choose to 'MacGuyver' method on their customers' vehicles. Here is one case worth mentioning out of many cases seen and assisted back then.

Around June 2006, I have received a telephone called from a Mercedes Benz W126 owner, Mr Steven Wong, whom explained that his vehicle is experiencing massive power-loss. Here was he problem then:

Vehicle: Mercedes Benz 280SEL

Engine: W126 (6 cylinder inline, or popularly known as black engine)

Fuel System: Bosch K-Jetronics (Semi-Injection or Fuel Divider)

Size: 2,800 cc

Age: 20+ years

Ownership: 3rd owner under his name

His Complains were: His 280SEL has unstable engine performance in the morning, where he needs to operate his car at least 10 minutes on petrol mode. After that, he need to switch back to petrol on hill-climbs, during traffic jams and carrying more than 3 persons on board. In addition, his 280SEL would stall when he reverses his vehicle or conduct a full-steering turn. His top speed on flat road (or highway) at 60kmph and MRR2 highway uphill ramps at 10kmph. Often, his idling is very unstable and difficult to drive. He has endured this problem for 3-4 months, and has visited his installer for 10-20 times in 3 months. The common answer 'Your W126 engine has problems, not NGV system' given by his Batu Cave Installer.

Here is what we have found during our routine diagnostic of his problem.

Picture 1: A Pipe in replacement of a K-Jetronic NGV Mixer
Bad-Hat Installer called it as 'Universal Pipe'. Elegant as it sounded

This particular 280SEL is installed with a Landi Renzo TN-1SIC reducer (oversize) which needs a proper NGV mixer to function properly. However so, his bad-hat installer installed a rubber pipe, and named it elegantly as 'Universal Pipe' or less gracious, 'Multipurpose Pipe'. Plainly, a mixer device create vacuum by itself (based on Venturi effect), and pulling in the correct amount of gas to the K-Jetronic airflow. In layman's term, the mixer is needed to determine the right amount of gas on the Landi Renzo reducer that should be supplied to the K-Jetronic (or gas-on-demand). No rubber pipe would function with Venturi Effect. It is just a pipe!

The solution is to remove the 'Universal Pipe' and have it replaced with an imported K-Jetronic NGV Mixer. It was specially flown in for the 280SEL in August 2006.

Picture 2: Power Valve & K-Jetronic Mixer (right)

The cost of importing this special mixer was at Euro100.00, inclusive of the power valve. The order took about 2 months to arrive.

Picture 3: The NGV Mixer sits on the mouth of the K-Jetronic

The NGV Mixer is designed to sit on the K-Jetronic mouth. The airfilter casing will be installed around it and fitting nicely in between the airfilter and the K-Jetronics.

Picture 4: NGV Mixer is sealed with quick-dry casket silicon

No air should be allowed to leak into the NGV Mixer at the gap between the NGV Mixer bottom and the K-Jetronic mouth piece. If there is a leak, the venturi effect would be reduced and the engine response will be delayed.

Picture 5: NGV Mixer and Airfliter casing

Due to original hole made for the 'Universal Pipe', we were limited to reuse the hole for our mixer connection. It took me about 5 years to get the hole resize and corrected for our mixer unit attachment. We were not able to introduce a new hole as it is dictated that we reused the original hole, although it is highly inefficient. Thus, it is very costly and time-consuming if a NGV vehicle is installed improperly.

Picture 6: Mercedes Benz W126 completed with K-Jetronic Mixer

Immediately, the engine idling was stable and the power output was good. Later we added a Timing Advance Processor to advance the 280SEL ignition timing. This lead to more power improves, drivability and stable idling. The vehicle still feel heavy as it is a heavy and old vehicle. It no longer suffer problems like low speed, poor uphill climb and engine stalling.

The total bill was RM900.00 on equipment, excluding labour cost. It took me and another installer, Thierry Le Marrec, about 6 hours to complete the entire repair process. And it was really hard as the original installer ignored all safe installaton methods.

We hope that potential NGV users consider properly on their choice of NGV installers. Please do NOT expect cheap conversion price is the best; in fact, it is the worst package. It is likely that you are getting a Universal Pipe than a K-Jetronic Mixer! It is not the first case, and it has NOT been the last too. There are about 50+ Mercedes Benz W124/126 are still experiencing problem with their cars.

Be Safe, Drive Safe. DRX

email: drxander@ngv.com.my

DRX: NGV Growth Inefficiencies (Malaysia)

DRX: NGV Growth Inefficiencies (A Malaysian Story)

'If we have made obvious mistakes, we should not try, as we generally do, to gloss them over, or to find something to excuse them; we should admit to ourselves that we have committed faults, and open our eyes wide to their enormity, in order that we firmly resolve to avoid them in time to come'. Arthur Schnopenhauer (1788-1860)

Being 4 years in Malaysia NGV industry, it have been observed that many growth inefficiencies are plaquing the Malaysian NGV industry. These inefficiencies are hampering steady growth in terms of consumer safety and confidence, good conversion practices, excellence aftersales services and stable proftable for installation companies.

The top elements that stop NGV growth dead in its tracks are Ignorance, Unethical and Negligence (or we termed them as NGV Evils). The combination of the three evils are lethal and fatal when it comes into as a single package. This deadly package is Accidents at NGV Stations.

In most cases, the accidents are not related to NGV system. It is the fault of human ignorance, unethical installations and downright negligence by either vehicle owner, installer or both. Here are the cases in point:

29 November 2008: 1st Accident involving NGV vehicle

It has been reported and found that the vehicle owner has been carried an Oxy-Acetylene cylinder in his boot. Firstly, the vehicle owner was ignorant that oxy-acetylene cylinder must be transported with open-ventilation. He took a convenient way, and put into the boot of his Mercedes Benz W124. Coupled with the hot boot temperature and the heating up of the NGV cylinder (during refilling), the oxy-acetylene cylinder exploded. Unfortunately, it happened at a NGV Station in Kuala Lumpur, and giving a perception that NGV can exploded. This is a called of pure human ignorance about transporting flamable items.

10 August 2008: 2nd Accident involving NGV Vehicle

A welder had his vehicle installed with a NGV system properly, but he decided to increase the gas storage capacity by using home cooking or LPG cylinder. Based on his complete ignorance of NGV system, he thought that LPG cylinder is similar to CNG cylinders. Immediately, the LPG cylinder exploded in seconds of refilling. Since he was in front of the vehicle (at frontal refilling), he escaped injury. This welder helped seal the faith for the NGV growth to doom. After this accident, consumers are worried by NGV system being a time-bomb and conversion sales dropped. This 2nd accident is a strong case of ignorance and negligence. A welder should have known better than to play with high pressure gas with low pressure LPG cylinders.

DRX: Safety Ads on NGV Community.com Magazine

The only action that I can take was to write up a Safety Reminder on the 2nd last page in NGV Community.com magazine (written by myself), reminding people the differences between low pressure tank and NGV cylinders. But again, human ignorance and negligence happened for the 3rd time.

7 November 2008: 3rd Accident involving NGV Vehicle

In fact, this accident did not happened on a NGV vehicle. It caused a young life of Mohd Hailmi Ishak - 25, whose his wife was just 2 months pregnant. Firstly, it started with the negligence of a Malaccan Licensed Installer that sold a NGV conversion system indiscriminately. The installer wanted to profit RM80 for trading the NGV system, directly to Allahyaham Mohd Hailmi (untrained NGV installer or appropriately - a consumer). As for Allahyaham Mohd Hailmi, he did not know that LPG cylinder can not be used as CNG cylinders. This led to a massive explosion, killing Mohd Hailmi several hours later with severe injury. Again, it is a classic case of human ignorance and the negligence by the greedy installer.

Personally, I am trying to resolve this human ignorance. The only solution available for me was to provide formal training to interested party. Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia France Institute (UniKL-MFI) helped me accomplish this goal by having a joint certification programme for NGV Course. Perhaps, this is the 1st step toward reducing or eliminating Human Ignorance in NGV industry.

DRX: Education is the 1st Step to Ignorance Elimination.

With human ignorance and negligence, the NGV growth rate is commonly reversed. Accidents with LPG cylinder (or air compressor tank) stop the NGV growing. Unfortunately, greedy is the root cause of NGV growth inefficiencies.

In this posting, it is clear that human ignorance and negligence constitute 2/3 of the NGV growth inefficiencies. The final elements is unethical installations, which lead to routine vehicle breakdown, road accidents due to sudden engine stalling and others. Unethical installation is the hardest to eradicate.

Be Safe, Drive Safe. DRX

email: drxander@ngv.com.my