SHE SAYS ...

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33478, 8 March 1974, Page 5

SHE SAYS ...

To a surprising number of women, how a car works remains a complete mystery, and many of them would be much better informed if, as youngsters, they’d been given- a children’s book I was sent recently. Called “Garages”, and intended for children aged seven and upwards, it explains simply and clearly the workings of a service station, and the services cars need. Published in London by Methuen and Company, the book is one of a series on general subjects, and basic though it is, there are some good tips in it for mechanically ignorant adults too — such as, “If the engine is hot, care must be taken when the radiator cap is taken off, otherwise hot

water will spray out.” It’s just a pity the book

doesn’t go a bit further and explain more of a car’s workings, but it does make a good job of what it set out to do. The woman who knows nothing about cars and service stations but wants to find a book that explains it to her in simple terms is likely to have a hard job finding a suitable publication — but I’d suggest that any woman driver could make a good start by reading the car handbook. That’s something that not nearly enough people do. It’s not just a matter of wanting to know in case your car breaks down. If you’ve got some idea of how things work, you’ll be able to cope much better with your garage, and maybe even know what they’re talking about when they say such-and-such a Marina hopes Last year 10,000 Morris Marinas were sold in Canada and the United States, and British Leyland expects sales to double this year. The company now makes a special “North American” version of the car complete with special bumpers and extra anti-pol-lution equipment. .

thing needs immediate repair. Ac today’s garage rates, I think you need to know what’s being done, or needs to be done. Lots of women have contact with their garage only when they pop in to have the petrol tank filled and the oil checked, but that doesn’t mean to say they’ll never' need to know w’ at goes on under that funny hatch at the front. Quite apart from anythin;; else, it can be helpful to give your rescuers some idea of what’s wrong if you ever break down and have to telephone for help. And it’s as well, to know when the least expensive course is •going to be to switch off a faltering engine before it does itself grave damage.