1. Engine Performance Reduction
As mentioned above, combustion starts and keeps your engine running. The air and gas mixture must be just so in order for you to get maximum performance out of your car, truck or SUV. Signs you have trouble brewing within your carburetor include sluggish acceleration and reduced engine power. You may also notice your vehicle isn’t getting the gas mileage it used to.
2. Black Exhaust Smoke
You shouldn’t see black smoke coming out of your exhaust pipe even if you drive a diesel. Black smoke, whether steady or just when you accelerate indicates a rich fuel mixture. This means the carburetor is using too much fuel in the fuel/air mixture. As you can imagine, this rich mixture burns excess fuel which is why you get fewer miles to the gallon. It also emits excessive emissions.
3. Engine Backfires or Overheats
The opposite of a rich fuel mixture is a lean one and this can cause your engine to backfire or overheat. Performance suffers when the vehicle’s engine is starved of fuel and it must work harder to maintain speed. An overworking engine will overheat and an engine filled with too much air will backfire. It should be noted, however, than a rich mixture can also cause backfires.
4. Starting Difficulty
If you have trouble starting your car, truck or SUV, your fuel/air mixture could be off. Of course, difficulty starting an automobile can also be a sign of a dying battery or starter. In most cases, the vehicle will be impossible to start when cold but might start easier when warm because the battery has charged during operation. If you can’t start your car in either situation, it could be your carburetor.
