Topic: Propane Legality in CA-Anyone with experience??

[CTENG in KS]

There have been a few threads on the board about propane setups, has anyone been running one of these and registered the vehicle in California?  Is it possible, what is the process/ what smog junk needs to be on the truck etc...Over on the pirate board there doesn't seem to be much of a consensus about the issue.   

[robinhood4x4]

Check out Roger Browns site.  He converted his VW into propane and they wouldn't let it pass.  He had to sell it.

[BLUCRUZ]

kind of vague but?

Regulations and Standards: Compressed or Liquefied Gas and Liquified Petroleum Gas

2402.6.   (a) The commissioner may adopt and enforce regulations and standards with respect to fuel containers and fuel systems on vehicles using compressed or liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas used in conjunction with a propulsion system certified by the State Air Resources Board as producing as few or fewer emissions as a State Air Resources Board approved system using compressed or liquefied natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas and with respect to the operation of vehicles using any of those fuels to ensure the safety of the equipment and vehicles and of persons and property using the highways.

(b) The commissioner may also adopt and enforce regulations and standards with respect to fuel containers and fuel systems on vehicles using compressed or liquefied hydrogen gas or liquid fuels that generate hydrogen gas.

(c) All motor vehicles with compressed natural gas fuel systems used for propulsion shall comply either with the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) or with National Fire Protection Administration Standard NFPA 52, "Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicular Fuel Systems" in effect at the time of manufacture, until standards for those fuel systems have been incorporated into the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards by the United States Department of Transportation. Whenever those Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards include requirements for gaseous fuel systems, all motor vehicles with gaseous fuel systems which are manufactured after the effective date of those requirements shall comply with those requirements.

(d) It is an infraction for any person to operate any motor vehicle in violation of any provision of a regulation adopted pursuant to this section.

(e) The operator of every facility for filling portable liquefied natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas containers having a capacity of four pounds or more but not more than 200 pounds of gas shall post in a conspicuous place the regulations applicable to that filling procedure.

Amended Ch. 1243, Stats. 1992. Effective September 30, 1992.
Amended Sec. 2, Ch. 610, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003.

[BLUCRUZ]

Ok now were getting somewhere.

http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afv/propane.html

propane / LPG vehicles
More than half a million vehicles are traveling the nation's highways using propane. Also known as LPG (or liquefied petroleum gas), propane has been used around the world in both light- and medium-duty since the 1920s.

In its natural state, propane is a gas. It turns to liquid under moderate pressure. When used in vehicles it is stored in special fuel tanks and pressurized at about 200 pounds per square inch. When liquid propane is drawn from the tank, it changes back to a gas before it is burned in the engine.

In California, most propane is produced during the petroleum refining process. In most of the country, however, propane is a by-product of natural gas production along with being a by-product of petroleum refining.

Propane is a clean fuel that offers a range closer to gasoline than other alternatives. One gallon of propane contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline (82,485 British thermal units [Btu] for propane, versus 115,400 Btu for gasoline.

Propane-powered vehicles emit about one-third less reactive organic gases than gasoline vehicles. Nitrogen oxides are reduced by about 20 percent. Carbon monoxide is reduced as much as 60 percent in an LPG-powered vehicle as compared to a gasoline model.

In California, there are thousands of locations (mostly at service stations) that sell propane. It is widely available in urban areas, and refueling facilities can be installed on-site for fleet use. It can also be found in rural areas, where propane is used for heating and cooking and where natural gas is not available.

Converting an automobile or light-duty truck from gasoline to propane costs about $1,000 to $2,000 and can usually be done in one day and must comply with safety standards set by the National Fire Protection Association. The conversion kits must be certified by the California Air Resources Board. (Contact CARB for its latest list of certified equipment and installers. (Please note that ARB only has a PDF file for 1994 through 1996 model years for certified equipment, and it's unknown if they will publish a newer list.)

Modifications for LPG typically include:

A heavy steel or high-strength fuel tank that is added to the trunk or truck bed


Fuel lock filter/shut-off valve


Vaporizer/regulator


Air/fuel mixer


Conversion kit parts are sometimes reusable. Dual-fuel gasoline/propane systems are also currently available.

[83yota]

to much stuff to read what dose that say to a guy that has hit his head ok the rocks to many times

[BLUCRUZ]

to much stuff to read what dose that say to a guy that has hit his head ok the rocks to many times

It can be done, If you want to spend the $$

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

I just spent the last hour pouring through Calis motor vehicle code and code of regulations...it seems the conversion will only be approved if done by aforementioned CARB certified installer.  Furthermore, said installer will only be allowed to register 85% of their vehicle conversions in any given year...blah blah blah, I'm tired of reading!

[fuglytruck]

nice thread cteng        i  have headed u can smog it but yes it'll cost u bucks    which is why i dont care cuz im going to be just green stickering it anyways     which is what i think i said in ur pm i sent u    but good question

[RUGER]

that sucks. i wanted to install it myself...having someone esle do it will cost bucks.
i guess it isn't worth the trouble anymore.

smog laws are the governments way of taxing air.

happy trails
rich *ruger*