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The “tickler” in a carburetor serves as a starting aid, especially useful during cold starts. When the engine is cold, the fuel may not vaporize effectively, making it challenging to start. Here’s how the tickler works:
- Depressing the Tickler: The tickler is a small button or lever located on the carburetor. When depressed, it manually lifts the float inside the float chamber, temporarily flooding the carburetor with extra fuel.
- Supplying Extra Fuel: By lifting the float, the tickler allows more fuel to enter the carburetor bowl than usual. This ensures that a richer mixture of fuel and air is available for starting, compensating for the cold engine’s reduced ability to vaporize fuel effectively.
- Enhanced Starting: With the enriched fuel mixture provided by the tickler, the engine has an easier time starting, particularly in cold weather conditions. The additional fuel helps facilitate combustion, allowing the engine to start more smoothly and quickly.
- Temporary Adjustment: The tickler action is temporary and is only used during the starting process. Once the engine is running smoothly, the tickler is released, allowing the float to return to its normal position and the carburetor to resume its standard fuel delivery.
The tickler serves as a simple yet effective means of providing extra fuel during cold starts, ensuring smoother engine starting and improved performance, especially in colder climates.
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