A Fun Automobile for Your Teenager

Posted on: 3 August 2016

Almost all cars manufactured through the late 1980s used carburetors as their primary method of fuel delivery. In other words, many people still own automobiles with carburetors--carburetors that often begin to experience age-related problems. If your car contains a carburetor and you would like to learn more about identifying potential problems, read on. This article will discuss two signs that your carburetor may be experiencing problems.

The engine experiences hard starting when cold.

If your car has a difficult time turning over and getting going after its been sitting long enough for the engine to cool, there's a good chance the problem is related to your carburetor. Specifically, this is a sign that your carburetor's choke may not be working properly. The choke is a type of valve responsible for letting the proper amount of air into the carburetor, where it is then mixed with fuel before entering the cylinders.

The choke opens and closes according to the response of a heat-sensitive spring. When cold, the spring keeps the choke closed further. As the spring heats up, the choke gradually opens farther and farther. Hard cold starts are usually cased by a choke that is not as far closed as it should be. Thus the choke is permitting too much air to enter the carburetor.

A fuel mixture that contains more air than it should is often referred to as a lean fuel. Lean fuel makes it difficult for your engine to generate the energy necessary to turn over and start moving. Fortunately, the problem can usually be fixed by having a mechanic make some basic adjustments to the choke spring. If rust is preventing the choke from enjoying its full range of motion, cleaning and lubricating efforts can generally get it working again.

Your car seems to be using gasoline much more quickly than usual.

Although this issue may be caused by a host of problems, one of the most common is a carburetor with a maladjusted float. The float's job is to regulate the amount of fuel entering the so-called float-feed chamber. A float whose setting is too high will allow too much fuel into the chamber. The result is rich fuel, which in turn results in a higher rate of gasoline consumption.

This problem can often be verified by the presence of thick black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe--especially during periods of acceleration. Likewise, you may notice a stronger than usual odor of fuel inside of your car. Take your car to a mechanic as soon as possible if you notice such symptoms. Having the float's level adjusted may be all it takes to reduce your gas consumption and get your car performing the way it should once more.

For more information, contact George's Eastside Shell or a similar company.