An automotive carburettor is a mechanical part that allows air and fuel to be mixed in many gasoline engines. It was the founder of Mercedes-Benz who developed the first carburettor in 1886.
Newer cars mostly have an electronic fuel injection system, but older cars still have a carburettor.
The number of carburettors on your car will depend on the number of cylinders: if your engine has 2 cylinders, then there will be 2 carburettors.
ℹ️ Carburettor operation
The carburettor is supplied with air by an air pipe. The air is filtered by a filter in order to remove all impurities. At the same time, a nozzle sends fuel to the carburettor. The carburettor jet looks like a small screw with a hole allowing the fuel to pass, thus regulating its flow.
Once in the carburettor, the fuel and air will mix: then the air-fuel mix is sent to the combustion chamber through the opening of a valve.
⚙️ Symptoms of a faulty auto carburettor
Below are the signs that may indicate that your car's carburettor is faulty or dirty:
- Your car has trouble starting
- Reduced engine performance
- Your car stalls often
- Black smoke comes out of the exhaust
💧 How to clean a car carburettor?
It may be necessary to clean a car's carburettor if a lot of impurities have accumulated in the carburettor chamber. If nothing is done, these impurities will eventually clog the nozzle and prevent fuel from being sent to the chamber. This is bad for the combustion, preventing your engine from running properly.
Here's how to clean your car's carburettor:
- Remove the air filter.
- Remove the throttle return spring.
- Remove the control, as well as the gasoline pipe.
- Unscrew the carburettor so that it can be removed.
- First, clean the outside of the carburettor using a brush and suitable cleaning products.
- Remove the filter from the carburettor chamber. Clean the filter, as well as the other parts of the carburettor (carburettor needle, jet, chamber, accelerator pump, etc.). If a brush is not sufficient to clean the chamber, try with a stiff bristle brush.
- To clean the accelerator pump, which is an important part of the carburettor, it will need to be dismantled first. In general, it is in the form of a diaphragm. Disassemble the membrane, clean it, and put it back.
- Once all the components have been cleaned, reassemble your carburettor.
❔ How to adjust a carburettor?
If your car's carburettor is not properly tuned, then the air and fuel mixture will not be optimal which will impact the performance of your engine. It is possible to adjust the carburettor to remedy this.
Before trying to tune the carburettor yourself, know that it is safer to consult a professional mechanic to be sure that your carburettor will work properly.
The adjustment must be carried out with an engine at operating temperature: this means you must warm up the engine first. Also, check your carburettor adjustment value in advance in your maintenance booklet.
Steps in adjusting an automotive carburettor:
- Loosen the idle screw, then the mixture screw, until the engine reaches its maximum speed.
- Once the maximum speed is reached, tighten the idle screw until the engine returns to normal speed.
- Tighten or unscrew the mixture screw again until it returns to maximum engine speed.
- Repeat the operation to fine-tune the carburettor until you get the correct engine speed.
This adjustment is not easy to do, which is why it is best to let a mechanic do it for you.
Make an appointment on Autobutler to have your car's carburettor adjusted.
💸 Price of cleaning the car carburettor
Is your car's carburettor dirty and needs cleaning? Depending on the model of your car, as well as the hourly rate of the garage, you will have to pay between £85 and £250 to clean the carburettor.
Even if you are on a budget, it is important to remember to have your car's carburettor cleaned before it damages other parts of your engine!
To get the best price on cleaning your car's carburettor, compare offers on Autobutler and book an appointment online with a few clicks!
