How Does a Carburetor Work?

Fuel Regulation

A carburetor is basically a pump responsible for injecting the correct amounts of gasoline and air into a car's engine. As gasoline leaves a car's fuel tank, it gets pressurized by the fuel pump and sent directly into the carburetor, where a series of valves and springs measure and then inject the gasoline into the car's engine. The amount of gasoline that the carburetor allows to flow into the engine is based on engine speed and load.

Air Regulation

Along with metering the proper amounts of gasoline into a car's engine, a carburetor sucks air from the outside atmosphere and mixes it with the gasoline. This air/fuel ratio, which has to be precise for optimum engine combustion to occur, is achieved by the metering effects of the carburetor; as more gas enters the carburetor, a larger dose of air is injected to compensate.

Vacuum Driven

The ability of the carburetor to carry out it's main duties of air/fuel regulation is made possible by engine vacuum. A series of rubberized hoses are attached to various spots on a carburetor; these hoses are also attached to, and fueled by, the vacuum created inside the engine. This vacuum, or suction, is what powers the inner workings of the carburetor and enables the carburetor to make adjustments based on engine speed.