Obvious Question
 

Why do cars not get carb icing? - Obviously conditions have to be right...eg humid summers day, I start my car and leave it idling outside while I run in to get something/or warm it up... ???

MADY

Cars or any engine with carburettors are subject to carb icing, however they normally have a small pipe from a hot spot on the Exhaust Manifold to the Carb/Air Filter, this is controlled by a simple Bi-metallic strip.
In aviation I assume this system is not used because the pilot needs to be able to control the heat / power requirement.
It's not a problem if your car is a little slow on the way to the shops !

actually, some motorbikes have a carb ice problem, particularly older design engines on naked (ie unfaired) bikes, where the carbs tend to be a bit exposed to the wind. One particular bike that stands out is the Suzuki Bandit 600 and 1200, where if you were zooming along the motorway on a coldish, humid day, the carbs could freeze up completely, causing the engine to stop. The solution was to add electric heaters to the bottom of each carb chamber - if you look at a set of bandit carbs, they have a wire hanging off the bottom of each chamber for this.

If you're really, desparately interested, and ask nicely, I'll take a photo of mine for you :)

Cars do suffer from carb icing:
A) if they have a carb - modern ones don't, they are fuel injected
B) If the hot air intake system isn't working.

A few years ago I moved to a temperate climate (UK) and imported a Space Wagon car I previously used in the tropics. It didn't have any arrangements for a hot air intake fitted, out there it was obviously not seen as necessary by the manufacturer. In cold, humid weather it would get carb icing, even on the motorway. In slow traffic in town, if icing conditions prevailed it was a nightmare, it would cut out in the most inconvenient places!

The problem was solved after an articulated lorry hit it on black ice ;) .

I used to own a ZZR 400 and I suspect it suffered carb ice.
You would be happily riding and the engine would lose power untill after 30 seconds it would stop. I would pull over to the side of the road and after a couple of minutes it would go again.
Used to get damn frustrating when it would happen 5 or 6 times in a row on the motorway.
Other times it would not happen at all for months, funny thing is was always when I was under power.
Was no longer a problem when it droped a valve at 130 on a back road and ground it's self to bits!:eek:

Interesting to hear,

I thought Carb icing only really occured when idling (or when the butterfly was nearly close, for max venturi effect)
Sounds like youve had it at high rpms

This is why somebody NEEDS to put and diesel engine into and R22!!!

MADY

It's probably fuel injected!!
E86

Crispy yours sounds more like fuel vapourisation......hot day, hot engine etc

I drove a friends VW Beetle across the USA. New Mexico - Las Vegas the thing didnt go 10miles without flaming out.
In the end I drove at night......worked just fine.

btw is this meant to be in Rotorheads, Jet Blast or Questions?

There is only one forum up to the job!!!

You got to learn about carb ice with the Morris 1100 (1960's for the youngsters). Air filter had a summer/winter position and if you had it wrong you didnt go far.