Carburetor myths busted

By Ferman Lao — 01 Oct 2010

Hi, Ferman!

I am a medical student planning to buy a secondhand car. I need something to use during my internship. It’s a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer GLX, equipped with a carburetor engine. Some of my friends were discouraging me from buying the car, saying carburetors are prone to plenty of problems. My younger brother and I are avid fans of your magazine (but he was the first one to buy a copy in 2007), and we saw that you had featured the same kind of car that I was looking to buy (in the September 2008 issue’s Show-Off section). I want to ask the owner how he takes care of his engine. Thanks, Top Gear! Keep up the good work!

Junboy

Hi, Junboy!

Thanks for reading. Purchasing a car can be difficult if you aren’t armed with the right information. Luckily, we are here to handle all of your queries. There is no need to get in touch with Alec Corpuz, although I am sure that he is glad you know about his pride and joy.

Now, on to the carburetor question: If the previous owner properly maintained the car, then there should be no cause for concern when it comes to functionality or reliability. However, if you have plans of upgrading performance down the road, it does leave you on a path that’s slightly different from the guys with electronic fuel injection engines. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

There are a lot of options. Learn more by hanging out with some old-schoolers. They know their stuff and can be considered as certified experts.

To my knowledge, older carburetor-fed engines (from the late ‘70s and earlier, are a bit harder to tune and need plenty of attention when it comes to proper air-fuel mixtures. Modern carburetors (like the one you’re looking at) aren’t temperamental at all. If you do decide to get the car, be sure to have it serviced at a place that’s familiar with the system. Don’t let an inexperienced mechanic fool around with it. There are many other carburetor-specialist shops, particularly in the Cubao and Kamuning areas.

Ferman Lao
Technical editor

Source: Top Gear Philippines, August 2009

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Tags: secondhand cars

hopeless Oct 01 2010 @ 10:46am

Hindi ko talaga maintindihan itong column na ito. Ang mga reply ay parang tama sa tanong at para ring hindi. Siguro may mga kulang lang. Mahal siguro talent fee. Peace! =)

Road King Oct 01 2010 @ 03:00pm

Yo bro/sis, hindi pa nga masyado technical sagot ni Sir Ferman. If a grease monkey like me answer this med stud, baka mas malala pa ko sumagot. Cheers!

engr_kristian Oct 01 2010 @ 03:41pm

fernan's answer here is actually just right. the concern is not about the carburetor itself but the reliability of cars utilizing carburetor-fed engines as compared to EFIs. as he said, the car being a 2002 model & thereby using a modern carburetor, there shouldn't be much of a worry as long as it is maintained properly & serviced by the right specialists. there's nothing much he can say about this as the question is purely academic.

ieatworld Oct 02 2010 @ 11:56pm

the title is kinda misleading though.

6thgear-nitro Oct 03 2010 @ 01:58am

@ieatworld i agree, the title could be rephrased..

Feeter Silverster Oct 04 2010 @ 12:39am

Because it becomes a notion that carburetor engine nowadays were deemed obsolete and problematic, but the truth is it wasn't. Just the proper care and maintenance could survive you and your car of awful woes.

Danny Ricohermoso Nov 30 2010 @ 04:46pm

Junboy, alaga lang solusyon jan. On the other hand, why dont you try seeing my '95 honda esi a/t, baka matipuhan mo?

abiadvento Dec 02 2010 @ 11:56am

anu ba maganda SUV im planning 2 buy kya lang ang budget ko is around 8hundred or 9 hundred taw....any suggestion/s?

mfj921 Dec 15 2010 @ 08:06pm

SUV? for a budget of 8 to 9 hundred, go for a good slightly used 2008/9 Ford Everest 4x2 or even a 4x4. You'll love it, believe me. For brand new, the budget fits with higher end Adventures, or lower end Crosswinds I suppose.