is there any car maker today. that still use carburetors.
Not in the USA. All countries that have emission standards and emission testing would not have a new car for sale with a carburetor. Fuel injection is needed to meet emission standards. There might be some cars made in and for 3rd world countries that still use a carburetor.
While I believe many and perhaps most of the new motorcycles for sale in the US have fuel injection, 10 years ago FI was not that common expect on a few high end bikes. That is because emission standards were not a requirement to certify a motorcycle for sale in the USA.
Agree; Ford Focus and Escort models are still sold in developing countries equippped with carburetors. A colleague in Asia had one, called a Ford Laser. The driveability was poor and I’m sure the gas mileage sufferred as well. But these cars had no catalytic converters, a simple single barrel carb, no vapor control for the gas tank, no crash resistant bumpers. The only concession to safety were sealbelts.
I wonder what a Ford Laser costs?
I believe Subaru sold the last new car in the US with a carburetor in the early 1990’s. Carbs are not as good for emissions, mileage and performance. They are difficult to keep tuned and don’t interface well with computer engine management systems. Take a look at the rat’s nest of vacuum hoses from late 1980’s carb cars and you will realize why they were a mechanic’s nightmare.
@twotone, you’re reading my mail…That’s a great question for the fun of it or if intent is finding cars you want to avoid.Man I hope not. EFI is such an improvement for the average car it’s like asking, “are there any cars left with wooden spokes ?” . From a consumer point of view, we are stuck with them in small motors. The ONLY time carbs make some sense, might be the ease converting to propane.
Actually converting to propane would likely be a lot easier on a fuel injected car than a carbureted one…
Oh yuck no. Carburetors went out 20 years ago. Actually carburetors can be fun to work on, but now there is a whole generation of mechanics out there who have no idea how the things work. Rebuilding carburetors is a lost art these days. And they’re certainly not cheap to repair.
@oblivion. "a lot easier with a fuel injected car then a omputer one…"
Now I was thinking of EFI…how’s that with a computer vs a carb without ?
You might be able to find a new motorcycle without electronic fuel injection, but not a car. That’s a good thing. Even the motorcycle manufacturers are almost all switched over to EFI.
Personally, I wished my motorcycles had come with EFI. With EFI, there’s no need for a choke. You just start the engine and go.
I’m not sure why anyone would want a carburetor on a car or motorcycle. EFI technology is sound, reliable, and will save you money over the life of the vehicle. If you want to tinker with an old fashioned carb, buy a vintage vehicle.
I prefer a carb on my motorcycle for reasons of mechanical simplicity. In contrast to a car, with all sorts of ancillary complications (the function of many not readily apparent), a motorcycle (well some of them) need not be much more complicated than a scaled-up version of a Briggs and Stratton bolted to a bicycle.
Gravity-feed is elegant in its simplicity (no fuel pump to fail), as are motorcycle features like one or two cylinders, air cooling, and no passenger enclosure. Heck, I’d delete the electrical system entirely if I weren’t afraid of getting squished in a low-visibility situation.
Last outboard I bought, I specifically looked for one with EFI. Only time will tell if it’s as reliable as a car’s but for now, it’s a total no brainer. Running, starting and “mileage” (gph) are all significantly improved. Because the air fuel mixture is always right and is less suseptable to ethanol related problems, I wouldn’t be surprised if some one told me it had more usable output then a slightly more powerful carb motor. I could use a small 2.5 hp Nat Gas outboard but would not be happy dealing with a larger tank on board that you couldn’t top off etc. So my comment stands… Carbs preferred by me for propane conversion. IMO, EFI IS mechanically simpler then a carborator, but agree, the electronics are not. This may be where in high moisture areas like boats it cold be more problem. Mechanical FI in my diesel tractor is simple and fool proof, unlike a carb.
@meanjoe. Are we taliking about a diesel motorcycle ? Like it…
@dagosa: I just did a little research. You’re absolutely right. It is much easier to convert a carbed engine to propane. I suppose if I would have thought it through a little better that it would have made perfect sense–you’re removing the liquid fuel part of the equation completely and running purely on “air”. I’ll eat my share of humble pie.
Although there do seem to be a lot of EFI conversion kits out there for engines that are often used in fleet vehicles, such as for the venerable Crown Vic.
For a gasoline engine, I would not want to return to the days of carburetors though. Although I did have some carbureted cars that gave me very little trouble with the carb and choke system. Probably the best was a 1980 New Yorker I had with a Carter carb. Everything just worked perfectly, regardless of weather or temperature. A few early FI cars I had could have taken a page from that book, especially for cold weather drivability.
The Ford VV was used on the 5.8 L Crown Vic until 1991.
Perhaps meanjoe’s first paragraph suggests why EFI is exclusievly used in developed countries and carbs are still used in developing countries. Modern fuel injected cars require a lot more equipment and expertise to perform repairs. Basic carburated engines without all the emissions just and amenities that wer in the U.S. have come to expect are far more servicable in third world countries and remote areas.
I still wonder why all bikes sold in the U.S. aren’r fuel injected. It’s definitely more reliable and cleaner, and its cleaner burning characteristics would, I suspect, prolong engine life. On the other hand, I read once that Harley considered changing the timing on their large engines to make them isle and run soother and more quietly and it was not well received by Harley enthusiasts. It seem that the uneven idle and shaking handlebars were considered manly.
Are we taliking about a diesel motorcycle ? Like it...
Well, no, I was thinking more along the line of the old “standard” M/C (i.e. Honda CB series and the BSA/Triumph/Nortons that they were clones of), more or less. More recently, something like a dual-sport.
Alothough…I would be quite happy to get my hands on one of the MILSPEC diesel-powered KLR650s the Marines use!
(Actually, with the EPA regs forcing small-engine mfrs to jet their products so lean, I wonder if a simple, non-feedback EFI might be a more workable solution for lawnmowers and such.)
I think the time has come for (gasp) cat converters on all motorcycles. Even small bikes put out more pollutants than an SUV, time to get everybody under the same rules. Now that computers and EFI are commonplace it shouldn’t be too hard.
Of course that’ll mean the HD riders can’t swap out for straight pipes, like many do now.
Somehow I can’t picture Dennis Hopper’s chopper with cat converters…
And EVAP systems…
Does that mean bikers will have the same PITA nusience failure codes that drive the rest of us crazy?
Not right away, anyhow. Give it a few years after the fact and you’ll have them cat’d with straight pipes.
A guy I work with jokes that “HD” doesn’t stand for Harley Davidson, it stands for Hundred Dollars. Because everytime his wife goes in for service or to a Harley shop to buy something HD related(can’t take a road trip without stopping at a Harley shop), it costs about a hundred dollars. He rides a Yamaha and has taken the badges off the bike. He says he gets compliments on his “Harley”. He also knew a guy who owned a similar bike as he does that painted the Harley symbol on his bike, but it says Hardley Davidson and not Harley.
I love it. The man has class.
Every manufacturer I think mimics some Harley models. But hey, why not? It works.