Finally made the deposit for NGV installation. After one big round of research, phone calls and personal visits to NGV workshops, here is how I came to my decision. My research may prove to be useful for you.
The first workshop I went to was Sugoi NGV Technology. RM3500, 60L, semi-fibre tank.
Why 60L? A 60L tank fits right at the back of my Proton Iswara 1.3's boot space. Any bigger than that, I have to sacrifice my spare tyre space. The next time I get a flat tyre, I can just cry on the road.
Why semi-fibre? There are 3 kinds of tanks. Metal, fibre, and semi-fibre.
Metal tanks are heavy. a 60L tank will be heavier than 60kg.
Fibre tanks are light. But the price of a fibre tank will make you go on a high-fibre diet for the next 3 years.
Semi-fibre tanks allow you to eat proper meals while feeding your car. It's lighter than a metal tank. A 60L tank will be around 50kg. In the long-run that kind of weight will make a difference.
So, the two unchangeable factors are the 60L volume, and the semi-fibre material. Based on those two constants, and RM3.5k as a benchmark, the research starts.
1. Gemari Auto Services, Batu Caves. "Nombor yang anda dail..." Out.
2. Juara NGV, Batu Caves. Same thing. "Nombor yang anda dail..." Out.
3. Suria Profesional Service, Batu Caves. RM4k, 70L, metal tank. Price more expensive, the size won't fit, and it's metal. Out.
4. Nice Network, Batu Caves. RM2998, 55L, metal tank. Price cheaper. But it's not a snug fit compared to a 60L. And it's metal. Out.
5. BMC-IB. RM3.2k, 55L, semi-fibre tank. Price cheaper. But not a snug fit. I won't mind paying a little bit more for a snug fit, and for making less trips to the NGV kiosk. Also, I don't like the name of the shop. It sounds more like a serial number. And the workshop is just a small one. Put on KIV.
6. Gas Emas, Batu Caves. RM3.3k, 60L, metal tank. Price is cheaper. Fit is ok. But it's metal.
The main thing is, I wasn't impressed with the workshop. It's only a small workshop, with enough space to service not more than 4 cars at a time. I can hear a gas leak coming from one of the cars. NGV installation is quite a high-tech procedure. Really unwise to entrust it into a small-time workshop that gives a bad impression of its skills. So, out.
7. Hijau MOG, Jalan Ipoh. RM3.5k, 60L, semi-fibre tank. Exactly what Sugoi is offering me. But...
There were no cars in the workshop. Why? Because they've run out of stock. No more tanks, no more casings, nothing! The workers got nothing to do. It says something about their business management.
Their new shipment of NGV tanks will come in 2-3 weeks time. But even when it comes, they have to service the cars that already made their booking before the petrol price hike! The queue will be really long.
It's not that they don't have customers. They do. But not having a single tank in your workshop? That's a bad case of mismanagement. Major.
Oh, by the way, remember the shop that gives "special price" to malays? Yah, this is the one. Apparently, the RM3.3 tank is the metal one. RM3.5k is the semi-fibre one. He wasn't really being "racist". He was just trying to sell me a better product. My bad. Sorry!
But still, I don't feel comfortable going there. If the offer is exactly the same, point for point, I'd rather go to Sugoi. Where the workshop is as big as a warehouse, and it looks more reliable. You don't want to fix an NGV unit for a slightly cheaper price, only to have it backfire and cost you a bomb to repair it. Reliability ranks high in my order of preference.
So, can put on KIV. But can say, quite "out" la...
So, in the end of the day, after pusing here, pusing there...
The winner is still the first shop I went to. Sugoi NGV Technology!
Paid RM500 for deposit. Installation date: 2nd August. Coinciding with my car's 1st birthday.
Excited. Counting the days. And hoping I am not a victim of marketing gimmicks again...
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3 comments:
You are not alone on the NGV bandwagon.. I also installed with Sugoi and I am a happy customer.
Most of your review is very correct. BTW, there isnt any 60L semi fiber now at Sugoi. Only 70L now.
True. Sugoi rocks!
Yes, they don't have 60L tanks. But they said they "will have it soon". I guess they lied just to get me to commit with a deposit.
Anyway, the 70L tank fits just fine. I'm a happy customer too.
One comment to add (I supply CNG equipment in Singapore). Safety is paramount in installations and test methods of cylinders vary greatly from supplier to supplier. If I was you, I would have checked WHERE the cylinders came from. Semi-Fibre are called Type2 or Type3 cylinders. These mainly come from China. Type1, steel cylinders come from China too, but the more reliable ones come from Argentina, Brazil or Italy - and some of the workshops you mention in your list actually carry those Type1 cylinders. In fact, the Type1 cylinders from Arg/Braz/Ita actually cost more than the Type2 or Type3 from China. The bottom line is the batch testing and certification. Good manufacturers offer the customers (workshops) certificates for the cylinders that were batch tested (meaning the workshop has a certificate which mentioned specifically the serial numbers of cylinders that he purchased). The reputable suppliers will test 5 out of 100 cylinders. Many of the Type2/3 suppliers out of India/China test 1 in 1000.
I know you did your conversion some time ago, but this is for general info for other people who might visit your site.
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