Hints for the Motorist

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13770, 13 October 1942, Page 3

Hints for the Motorist

ALBERT L CLOUGH J^^S

ROAD UNDER WATER! GETTING THROUGH WITH SAFETY A friend recently found himself up againsl it in having must unexpectedly to negotiate a flooded road, and. unfortunately, in the upshot, was stranded. Flooding, of course, is more prone to take place at some seasons than others and warnings of one kind and another ar> usually given. On the general principle that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, here are a few hints to keep in mind when such a contretemps occurs. When any doubt exists as to the possibility of getting through, discretion is undoubtedly the better part of valour—or should it be foolhardiness? Don't risk it but see if there is a detour available. On the other hand, there is no need to be baulked by something less than a foot, of water. This can be driven through with safety if one or two simple precautions are observed. Beware Bow Wave In the first place you must have the engine turning over fairly fast but the car moving slowly. In consequence, bottom gear must be engaged and the speed of the car restricted to 5-8 miles per hour. Driving any faster than this will create a bow wave which will pile up against—and flow through—the radiator, and once water is moving about under the bonnet it is practically certain that it is going to be picked up and thrown about by the fan. No engine can function in conditions such as these. Don't Speed Don't declutch or vary the throttle opening until you are out of the water. Then comes an important point—-one which is often neglected. Don't accelerate violently away. Any water which may remain will be flung about and cause trouble if you indulge in speed. You should drive at an easy pace for half-a-mile, say, until it is reasonably certain that, all water has been steamed off by the heat of the engine. Steer the car, as near as you can judge in the circumstances, in the centre of the road, as the depth of water is likely to increase towards the sides. Desperate Remedies "What is one to do if one has the misfortune to stall the engine in the middle of a watersplash? There is the method of removing shoes and socks, extracting sparking plugs, and, with top gear engaged, "winding" the car out on the starting handle. There is an alternative when the worst happens. Engage first gear, declutch, press the starter button, and then let the clutch in, keeping the starter in action. This method of progress can move a car quite a long distance, but naturally is not one to be recommended except as a most desperate remedy. The battery and starter will almost certainly be ruined after two or three minutes and your last state of disablement be worse than your first. Looking After It The difficulty of getting spare parts renders the question of car maintenance all-important at the present time. On the principle that "a stitch in time saves nine" all drivers are urged to spend a little time each week in checking oil and water levels, greasing where necessary and topping up batteries. Go over the vehicle generally to ensure that all nuts, bolts and connections are tight. A considerable percentage of breakdowns on the road are caused through sheer neglect. Coasting in Neutral It is an awkward and even potentially dangerous point that when coasting in neutral with the engine switched off (as so many people frequently do these days) the horn, traffic signals and screen wipers are inoperative. On the majority of modern cars fitted with proprietary electrical equipment, however, it is quite a simple matter to modify the wiring so as to allow these auxiliaries to be used with the ignition off. Most of the electrical accessories are connected to the terminal marked A. 4. inside the cut-out and regulator box which will generally be found under the bonnet. It should be easy enough to discover which are the leads concerned with the items in question. These should be disconnected from the A. 4. terminal and be coupled direct via the ammeter and not through the ignition switch as is the case with the connections to terminal'A.4. The object of this arrangement in the first place obviously is to prevent interference and also current wastage should any of the auxiliaries be left in operation (through their individual switches) when the engine is switched off. After making the alteration it may be found necessary for a time to make sure that none of the auxiliaries possibly affected has been overlooked.