MODERN MOTORING NOTES AND COMMENTS LOCAL AND GENERAL

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 86, 12 April 1927, Page 12

MODERN MOTORING NOTES AND COMMENTS LOCAL AND GENERAL

e* SPARKWeLi.

LIGHTING-UP TIME. To-day 6.2 p.m. Wednesday 6.0 p.m. Thursday 5.59 p.m. Friday 5.53 p.m. Saturday 5.56 p.m. Sunday 5.55 p.m. Monday 5.54 p.m. THE EASTER TOUR. Tin , weather gives promise of being line uvit the Ea-tivr holidays, and with tlic moon ai the full, motori-ts who wish in makci a tour (lining tlie holidays should experience no misgivings on that score. Wit-ii a few days of line, warm weather the bad section of the south road and t'io Auckland-Whangarci road should dry sufficiently to allow cars to get through without very much trouble. Kxcept for the bad bit on the smith road where the deviation is necessary, the rest of the road to Hamilton ami beyond i< in good order. A party who made the trip through from Whangarei on Sunday experienced only two bad spots. They were advised to come into the city ■via Hclensville, and the advice was pood, the extra mileage notwithstanding. Good progress is being made with

the work of raising the road level 3ft 6iu at the back of the Mercer railway station, and iloods in the Waikato river will not' trouble- motorists who use this portion of road after this is finished. A number of motorists who made the recent trip to the Urewera Country intend going again at Easter, together with others who preferred to wait for the holidays. The trip has been so much before the public by way of photographs taken en route, that quite a large party is expected to make the journey. During the visit the service officer of the A.A.A. took the opportunity of erecting eleven signposts which will be welcome on the return visit. Shortly after Easter the president of tho Auckland Automobile Association, Dr. H. Lawry, and the service officer, Mr. lioy Chainptaloup, will visit the agencies of tiie association in the Bay of Plenty district when meetings of motorists will be held to further the campaign for membership, 5000 being the number aimed at. Meetings will be held at Tauranga on Tuesday, April 19, Whakatane on 20th, Opotiki 21st, GisTjorne on 22nd, and Einitorea on 23rd.

EMERGENCY REPAIRS. The city motorist has been so accustomed to the friendly aid of the nearest garage in case of trouble that little thought is ever given to emergency repairs. This may not be the case at Easter if on a long tour, and a fewhints may enable the tourist to carry on with what might appear to be a serious defect. Probably the most frequent mishap when on tour is that of a broken front spring, which, if it be a severe break, will in most cases throw the axle out of alignment and so make steering almost impossible. A temporary and quite serviceable repair may be made as follows: — Place the jack under the front dumbiron and raise the chassis high enough to relieve the broken spring of all weight. Slack off the U-bolts and securely lash a stout tyre-lever along the top leaf, either wire or straps. Now replace the U-bolts over the tyre-lever and draw up tight again. As a further security make some fencing wire fast around the axle, and in turn to the front and rear spring shackles. This will prevent too great a fore and aft strain upon the''repair. Should the magneto fail, it is not always a hopeless case. Should, for instance, the spring actuating the rocker:uin of the contact-breaker "fracture the magneto will, of course, cease to function but a quick and serviceable repair can be made by forcing a rubber pad. made from a portion of gas tubing or niier tube, in behind the rockeArm and the casing, 80 that, as the cam opens the points, the compressed rubber pad wi.l lorce them hack again. A collec tor brush failure can often be rectified bv the substitution of an ordinary Wd pencil, cut to the proper shape, tile lead which is really carbon, forming an excel' lent conductor, while the wood serves a* an insulator. THE VALUE OF COMMON SENSE. Common sense is one of the most important elements in the safe operation of an automobile. A driver operates his car in a reckless manner when he fails to u=e common sense in the way of keeping within the bounds of safety. Common sense tells a driver to keep his car under control in passing a blind crossing. It tells him to proceed in a cautious manner around a turn where the highway is obscured for any considerable distance ahead. It advises him to be on the alert for forecasts of danger in traffic or out on the open Tlie good driver senses the approach of danger. He drives with the idea of having his .car under such control that in the event of unexpected hazard he may bring the vehicle to a halt or avoid accident by the medium of the safeguards provided, by steering, the proper use of brakeSj, or compression.

HOW TO TELL WHERE THE CARS COME FROM. Motorists who like to be able »o toil from what part oi" the Dominion the cars they meet on the road hail should (.-lip out this key to the registration numbers and paste it in their road guides. The car and one-ton truck numbers of the various districts me u> follow:— Car and Postal District 1-ton Truck Nos. Auckland 1 to 20-300 Thames 20-301 to 24-000 Hamilton 24-001 to 32-000 Gisborne :S2-001 to 33,000 Napier Xi-001to 43-000 New Plymouth ... 43-001 to 50-300 Wangamii r>o3ol to r>i;.2oo Palnierston North . r>o-2.01 to (34-400 Wellington (14-401 to 77-000 Blenheim ... 77-001 to 7H-530 Nelson 7!>--V>l to Hl-'.tOO Westport SI -001 to S2-250 Greymouth , S2-2.1l to 83-300 Chmtehureh S3-501 to 101-500 Timaru 101-501 to 100-500 Oamaru 106-501 to 10S-500 Dunedin 108-501 to 117-700 Inveroargill 117-701 to 124-700

TWO PRESENTATIONS. Messrs. F. B. Cadman and J. Murray who have been connected with Gillctt Motors ever since its inception 23 years ago, have severed their connection with the old firm. Mr. Cadman is leaving shortly on a visit to America and Mr. Murray will also have a 12 months' holiday. Opportunity was taken before they left to show the appreciation of the staff of the old firm which is now merged in Dominion Motors Ltd. Mr. J. C. Laing, the Auckland manager of the firm referred to their long connection with the motor trade which they had seen grow from a very small beginning. The present standing of the firm, was largely due to the sterling worth and popularity of Messrs. Cadman and Murray, said Mr. Laing in making a presentation of a gold watch, suitably engraved, to these gentlemen, also expressing the hope that each would enjoy a well-earned holiday. Messrs. Cadman and Murray suitably acknowledged the gifts.

HORSES SHOULD BE BANNED. Wise recommendations have been made by Dr. Miller McCTintock. Lraflic expert, to the Chicago Chamber of v'orimercc that the hor.-e be banned from the streets of that metropolis as a means of speeding up traffic. It is only a matter of time, probably not long until his recommendation will be adopted by every city in tin , fniied State- •.» > ' traffic is a problem. '"One team of hor.-os in a i-ity make.100 motors slow down to the pace of the animal; at a walk." says Dr. M- , - Clintock. ""In narrow streets tlsicauses congestion that sacrifices the interests of the majority to tho-e of tl.e minority. nnir-t be pri'hibi:i->i by law." HOW TO USE THE BRAKES. On a long decline, fast driving with the brakes engaged will quickly burn up and wear out the ber-t brakes. Drhe in second gear on long grades and add thousands of miles to the life of brakes, and have the car under better control. When stopping, instead of slamming the brakes on with the ear under full speed, disengage the clutch and let the car slow up perceptibly before applying the brakes. This will save brake.-, tyres and rear axle assembly from the strain of abrupt brake application. When driving through heavy rainstorm". or spla-hing puddles, test foot brakes frequently to see that they stay dry. When wet, they may fail in any emergency. On the grade, alternate between foot and emergency brakes, rather than leaving the foot brakes on long enough to overheat. I'se brakes only when necessary and do not permit overheat-

DEAFNESS AND ACCIDENTS. Insurance analysts of motor accidents and students of city trutlic conditions may lind food for thought in estimates jn.-t completed, based on surveys made by the New York League for the Hard of Hearing, that there are oOO.UOO person> going about their business daily in New York City who are deaf. Between the percentage <>f these persons who arc automobile drivers ami the remaining largo majority who walk in front of motor vehicle* may be the answer, it is believed, to many accidents normally set down to circle** walking and reckless driving.

BAD FOR THE CLUTCH. The practice of keeping the car in gonr and using the rnjjinu to keep the ear from coasting backward when halted in trutlic i>ll an i-) particularly trying on tlie clutch, which, in slipping, has to act as brake for the time beinjr. Wi&o drivers avoid the annoyance oi a lon<; wait on a hill with brake atul clutch depressed by climbing it a little .•-lowor when all indications point t<> the fact that traffic is s<-li.*«lulo«l f.<r a haltjust a matter of looking ahead, literally. One thing to rcrueinhor while <lri\ini: an auto i> that γ-imiio other driver may lie as erazv as votl are.