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All About PHILL

255 messages,  Last post on May 13, 2009 at 10:41 PM

You are in the Honda Civic GX (natural gas) Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Alternative Fuels, Hybrid Cars, Hatchback


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#222 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [jetboatjohnny] by bank1avp
Jun 18, 2007 (7:17 pm)
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Replying to: jetboatjohnny (Jun 18, 2007 1:17 pm)

Even better get with the Governators office and tell him to stop being a "girly man" and step up.
#223 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [chileflyer] by grngurl
Jun 23, 2007 (8:25 am)
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Replying to: chileflyer (Jun 16, 2007 9:44 pm)

I purchased a Honda Civic GX last November with the intention of installing a home fueler as well. I live in San Luis Obispo County and am facing the same denials you are.
 
I have been working with our local Air Pollution Control Board representative who is collecting information from American Honda to certify that the 'hot gas' will not damage the vehichle. (This is one of the arguments used by the CARB) He is preparing to submit a request for a waiver of the regulations for San Luis Obispo County.
 
My understanding is that the natural gas for Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey Counties does not comply with the CARB regulations as they stand. We need to get these regulations updated to allow installation of home fueling!
 
Contact your local APCB and find out who can help to pursue this matter. From what I got it sounds like we need someone who knows how to navigate red tape in order to get the request for a waiver to the right people.
 
I have the only CNG Honda in this county right now, and have only met one other person with an CNG passenger vehicle. I would be happy to join up with anyone out there who wants to pursue this more assertively with CARB. I find it obscene that the organization that is supposed to be helping to keep our air clean is creating this barrier to cleaner air!
#224 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [grngurl] by allan_gx
Jun 23, 2007 (7:58 pm)
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Replying to: grngurl (Jun 23, 2007 8:25 am)

My Los Angeles SoCalGas approval was also denied because the gas does not meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards. I was referred to the CARB folks. They explained the gas is "associated" with oil being pumped and has too much BTU content (referred to elsewhere as “hot gas”.) The nice folks at the CARB also said they had issued some waivers to fleet refueling stations for evaluation purposes and they would not give me a waiver.
 
The 2007 Honda Civic GX owner’s manual says on page 6 “The natural gas you use to refuel must meet NFPA-52 and SAE J1616 standards for fuel composition and quality.”
“If you use a fuel that does not meet these standards, you may feel a decrease in engine power and your vehicle’s emissions controls may be damaged.”
 
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standard relates to fuel content and costs $59
http://www.sae.org/technical/standards/J1297_200209
 
The National Fire Protection Association looks like it mostly applies to fire safety and costs $36.50
http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/product.asp?category%5Fname=&pid=5206&target%5Fpid=5206&src%5Fpid=&link%5Ftype=search
 
I’m wondering of SoCalGas is contacting all the folks that they “approved” to let them know the gas they are supplying no longer meets the standards of the CARB.
 
I’m also wondering of the standards of the CARB are the same as NFPA-52 and SAEJ1616.
 
I’m also wondering if SoCalGas is supplying the same natural gas to my house as to the Clean Energy station down the street in Santa Monica.
 
I’ll call FuelMaker tomorrow and see if they can work with Honda to work with CARB, AQMD, Clean Energy, and SoCalGas to let Honda tell CARB that the gas is just fine for our cars as it meets the standards required by Honda.
 
On the other hand, if it does not meet the standards, then perhaps Honda can ask SoCalGas to let us all know what stations do meet the standards and close the stations that do not meet the standards so the world is once again safe for the cleanest internal combustion engine automobile on the planet.
 
It might help us get more assistance if the other folks that have been “denied” could also call FuelMaker so they understand there may be some impact to their sales in multiple counties in California. So far we’ve got denials in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties.
#225 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [grngurl] by lakewood90712
Jun 24, 2007 (6:55 am)
Reply

Replying to: grngurl (Jun 23, 2007 8:25 am)

Kind of strange that the So Cal Gas base in Santa Barbara , the Clean Energy station in S L O , and Fleet's can get a waiver to dispense the "Hot Gas" as motor fuel.
 
 Something smells bad here and the smell is not coming from a home refuel appliance.
 
 Time to call the C.A R.B and then call The "Governator". Maybe the Sacramento Bee and LA Times would like to know about this crap.
#226 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [lakewood90712] by allan_gx
Jun 24, 2007 (11:44 am)
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Replying to: lakewood90712 (Jun 24, 2007 6:55 am)

The chap at CARB said SoCalGas can "mix" their products so the big guys get a gas that meets the CARB standard so it may be that the only exemption was for a fleet user that was willing to have their vehicles examined after some period of use (no idea what it took to get the exemption.)
 
On the other hand, maybe every CNG station is pumping gas that does not meet the CARB standard. I wonder how to find out the real story.
#227 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [allan_gx] by grngurl
Jun 24, 2007 (8:03 pm)
Reply

Replying to: allan_gx (Jun 23, 2007 7:58 pm)

I am actively working with my APCB representative here in San Luis Obispo County. He has already contacted American Honda which has confirmed that the 'hot' gas will NOT damage the Honda engines. This is one of the pieces we need to provide CARB to underscore the importance of revising their requirements.
 
I cannot speak to the contents of the gas being supplied in SoCal. My understanding that it is actually a different composition than that of ours up in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.
 
I do think it would be helpful to have several of us pursuing the same goal here - that of getting the CARB to revise its requirements. This way, new NGV owners would not have to go through all of this red tape.
#228 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [grngurl] by lakewood90712
Jun 29, 2007 (6:49 am)
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Replying to: grngurl (Jun 23, 2007 8:25 am)

The chairman of the CARB was fired this week by the gov. Maybe it is a good time to call the gov's office to get the rule changed on an expedited basis.
#229 of 255
Re: Gas Company Approval Denied for PHILL [lakewood90712] by allan_gx
Jun 29, 2007 (1:33 pm)
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Replying to: lakewood90712 (Jun 29, 2007 6:49 am)

I spoke with FuelMaker this morning and it sounds like Honda has provided CARB with documentation that the "hot gas" is ok for the Civic GX. Not sure if anything will happen but at least they are communicating.
#230 of 255
Question about moving an existing Phill install to another location by 99civiccng
Jul 10, 2007 (2:22 pm)
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Anyone know if an existing install of a Phill system can be moved to another location? My dad has a Phill system and doesn't need/want it anymore. And I'm game. Especially since I can't get anyone at Fuelmaker to return my call about getting a new one installed!
 
I'm trying to figure out if I can bypass Fuelmaker and just go to an authorized installer (no idea how to get this info, either) and have it installed at my house.
 
I'm in the same city as my dad so I'm 99% sure my gas meets with CARB regulations
#231 of 255
Re: Question about moving an existing Phill install to another location [99civiccng] by lakewood90712
Jul 10, 2007 (4:56 pm)
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Replying to: 99civiccng (Jul 10, 2007 2:22 pm)

Should be no problem at all. An authorized installer will charge you about $1200 to hang it on the wall and connect to existing gas and electrical outlets , and much more if any additional work is needed.
 
 Any plumbing or Heating contractor can can pull a permit and do the job for a fraction of that cost. Shouldn't take more than 3 hours at $80 - $95 per hour. The permit will not be much, unless you have to deal with the Orange County Fire Authority. Go for it!

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