Why the fall of the Carburetor and the reign of Fuel-Injection Systems?

Answer 1

Simply put - it's easier for electronics to cope with the demands of the environment than a pure mechanical system. Easier meaning, while an ignition control system and ECM is way more complicated internally than a carb appears to be, the capability of the electronic system to adjust to all sorts of environmental factors is superior. That translates into less maintenance, more MPG, less emissions, less "quirks", more power. (But not necessarily less $$!) Technically, Carburetors are limited in how much they can adjust to a vehicle's fuel needs. True, they do a decent job of controlling mixtures on a new engine, but what happens as the engine ages? Can a carb compensate for an intake gasket leak? How about poor gas quality? Can a carb provide more power if super unleaded is used (automatically)? Can a carb adjust mixtures dynamically to reduce emissions? Can a carb adjust automatically for different elevations? (surprise, the answer to this one is Yes. Just checking to see if youre paying attention..) Another reason for Fuel injection is the catalyst used to reduce emissions. CARB mandates that the catalyst is monitored for failures, and the government mandates a 7 or 10 year warranty on the catalyst. Using electronic injection means that the car will never attempt to run the engine in a mode that damages the catalyst. (Side note - if you ever see your car flash the check engine light while driving, chances are the system has failed somehow and you are possibly damaging the catalytic convertor!) So, if you have to use O2 sensors to watch the emissions components and for failures, and you don't like the idea of replacing convertors at your expense (as the manufacturer), might as well convert your vehicles to EFI. There are lots of other reasons. It's a topic that is worth researching if you have the time...