NICETY OF CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 231, 30 September 1930, Page 16

NICETY OF CONTROL.

THE NOVICE AND THE EXPERT

CARE IN DRIVING,

In many ways is the "expert" more kind to his car than the most tenderhearted novice, although this may not at first bo apparent to the latter. Take, for instance, that early and well-timed change down to second or third —as the case may be—when the engine revs up almost to its maximum. How many novices realise that it is often far happier then than if it were slogging uphill on top, almost thumping out its willing heart? There is also no small feeling of satisfaction to the.driver as he executes his neat double-clutch changu down. Again, the same applies to cornering methods. Most drivers come up to a corner at their usual speed, then brake when they are either on top of it, or clso halfway round, whereas it is far better first to brake when some little distance away, then to change down and to go round with the engine pulling, ready—on a lower ratio—to accelerate away out of a possible danger zone, rather than to be ready to brake and stop right in the middle of .the road, as so many people do when confronted with a situation requiring rapid thought and action. A considerable improvement in acceleration when executing these manoeuvres will be noticed if intelligent use is made of the ignition control, retarding it as the engine loses speed on top, and slowly advancing it again as it accelerates away in the lower gear. As on the road do the methods of the expert differ from those of the novice, so in the motor house. In these days of detachable starting handles, not many motorists bother to crank their engines by hand before using the starting motor, although in cold weather it is a 'procedure often well worth adopting. But perhaps more important still, yet few people arc aware of it, is to release the strangler as soon as the engine will run at all. For if the choke is used to help the engine in warming up, the almost neat petrol sucked into the cylinders rapidly washes away what little oil there may be on their Avails, and in a few moments as much wear takes place in them and on pistons as in nuiny miles of normal running. With little thought, and a study of the methods of good drivers, niceties of the expert soon become apparent to the less experienced, and, when mastered, please the driver as much as they benefit his car.