A friend is currently experiencing problems with his K reg 1.6L Cavalier carburettor. The car starts fine every time in the cold on the auto choke. Then at about 1 mile in to the journey, just as the engine temp needle is beginning to rise, the car begins to lose revs and power, and starts stalling. If allowed to stand for a minute or two, the car then starts fine and continues to rev OK and runs trouble free.
That is, until the next time it is started from cold.
Any ideas on what it might be and how to cure it?
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Sounds like carburettor icing. It's the right time of year for it. On most cars, there is a large bore flexible pipe taking hot air from a shroud around the exhaust manifold and feeding it into the air filter housing. This pipe is generally made of cardboard covered in tinfoil, and disintegrates over time, or gets left off after an air filter change. That would be the first thing I would check.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
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Spot on Richard. Check that the flap mechanism is lifting to the hot position, usually driven by a vacuum. Common problem on the Cav is that the thermacvalve in the air filter arrangement fails (check by by-passing it) followed by the vacuum motor on the intake. If all else fails, open the flap to the hot position and hold it in place with a self tapping screw through the side of the intake until the warmer weather arrives.
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