SERVICING YOUR NATURAL GAS VEHICLE
Service to the CNG fuel system should be conducted at a
qualified dealership by a trained NGV technician only. Failure to
do so may cause damage to components or cause bodily harm.
FUELING
Do not fuel your vehicle with the ignition on the ON position. Failure to
do so may cause component damage.
Fueling a NGV, with a few exceptions, is very similar to fueling a gasoline
vehicle. The same care and cautions used when fueling a gasoline vehicle
should be exercised when fueling a NGV. In particular, for safety reasons,
an enginemustalways be turned off when refueling is occurring. Always
use the recommended fill nozzle to refuel your vehicle.
The fueling point, or fuel receptacle is located near the driver’s side.
When refueling, the enginemustbe shut off.
Two methods for filling the fuel tanks are available to NGV owners. The
fast-fill method, described below, is available at many of the commercial
and privately owned filling stations. The slow-fill method, also described
below, is available for purchase or lease from a number of commercial or
natural gas utility companies.
Fast fill procedure
“Fast-filling”a NGV involves rapidly (typical fill time: 3–5 minutes)
raising the pressure in the vehicle’s tanks by“fast-fill”refueling station.
“Fast-filling”a vehicle provides the greatest convenience to the driver in
terms of time spent refueling. However, present“fast-fill”refueling
technology does not presently allow a NGV to be completely refueled to
its maximum rated capacity. Therefore,“fast-filling”results in a reduced
driving range and an initial fuel gauge reading of Full. However, within
approximately 10 minutes, the fuel gauge of a NGV that has been
“fast-filled”will drop about
1⁄8th of a tank lower to reflect the reduced
amount of fuel that was actually added.
Slow fill procedure
“Slow-filling” a NGV involves slowly raising the pressure in the vehicle’s
fuel tank(s) by a slow fill station (typical fill rate: 6-8 hours).
“Slow-filling” usually is done overnight and allows the greatest amount of
fuel to be added to a NGV. A properly functioning “slow-fill” refueling
station will fill the NGV’s fuel tank(s) to a fuel gauge reading of “full” at
a temperature of 21°C (70°F).
Servicing your vehicle
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