MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 74, 20 December 1929, Page 21

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By

“SPARE WHEEL.”)

A WONDERFUL JACK OPERATED FROM DRIVER’S SEAT An invention that is sure to rank as one of the most popular laboursaving. devices known in the motoring world is an auto electric hydraulic ear jack, Which was demonstrated to many Wellington motorists yesterday. There is not a single motor driver who has not had'cause at some time or other to complain at having to get out of his car and go through the tedious process of jacking it up to remove a wheel. The new auto electric hydraulic jack makes such tedium a thing of the past, for by means of ingenious mechanism the car is jacked up without the aid of human energy. All one has to do to raise any wheel is to turn a dial on the dashboard and press a switch, and the starter-motor does the rest. The jack is thus operated from the driver’s seat. Suppose one has a puncture in the left front wheel, one turns the dial to the number corresponding to the wheel’s position, and then presses a switch. The car immediately starts to rise until the wheel in question is clear of the ground, this being done by means of a piston-like rod that is lowered from special fittings. All four wheels act independently. For ladies, this invention ought to be invaluable. The device can be fitted to any make or style of car, and is not clumsy or conspicuous. In fact, unless one knew, one would scarcely be aware of its presence. WASHING THE CAR WHERE CARE IS NECESSARY. Doing the right thing at the right time ; will preserve the body and ■ its finish, but doing the wrong thing any old time will ruin it very quickly. Even though'it is possible to wipe off .the lacquer while dry, it is much better to wash the finish with clear water and a sponge, especially if there is grit in the mud or dirt.. When it is necessary to touch up a lacquer finish, it is not advisable to use varnish for the .purpose. Lacquer should be used. When varnish is used , the varnish will never match the finish; the spots that have been touched up will stand out very distinctly. The main thing is to avoid the minute scratches which are the first steps in the destruction of the finish. These are due to rubbing abrasives across the finish, these abrasives being contained in . the sand and dirt picked up off the road. If .the'dirt is softened first with water, the abrasives are not so apt to be hard enough to cut, but nevertheless, they cannot be abused. Never use the same sponge for the body used for the running gear and the under side-of-the-fenders. These parts should be flooded with water and after most of the mud is soaked off warm soapsuds 1 made with good body soap will take off the remainder. . After this the parts should be flushed off with clear, water. When washing the top, be sure that all the lacquer and bright work on the car is fairly wet first. This will prevent the dirt and grime that is washed off the top from staining the other parts of the car. PLACING THE PASSENGERS In the case of the small light car, especially the four or five-seater, there is a matter in connection with loading which is worth attention and is too often overlooked. When there ata three passengers in a car the disposition of the third, supposing the first two are side by side, is important. The driver occupies the right side of the front seat. The other passengers should be so disposed that the greater -weight is on the right side of the car. Thus, a third passenger, if in the back, should sit on the right side. Similarly, with four passengers, endeavour always to get the heaviest on the right side. The camber of the road already draws the car down unduly on the rear springs. This propensity is emphasised and increased if the heavy passenger is seated on the left side. The car is difficult to steer out of the left side of the road and on corners one may find difficulty in getting round without much reduction in speed. Sometimes the heavier load on the left side makes for actual danger. It increases the chance of skidding when the surface is greasy and it prevents recovery. Equal loading is the thing to obtain if possible, and to ensure equal loading on cambered roads, it is desirable to have the, greater weight on the off side of the vehicle, since so much of the driving is on the unlevel left side of the road. BE PREPARED CARRY A FIRST-AID BOX. In these days when there are so many motor accidents drivers would do well to carry in their cars a small first-aid box which might be of great use should anyone be injured at any time. . One does not require an elaborate outfit to be able to render first aid in road accidents, but the following few articles, .which should be kept in a tightly fitting box, may be suggested:— A small bottle of iodine, which is a great cleansing and disinfecting agent, and may be safely applied to cuts and open wounds. Incidentally, it is not generally known that petrol is an excellent antiseptic when poured over a wound. Two or three bandages of different widths, a piece of antiseptic lint, some small safety pins for fastening bandages, a - roll of adhesive plaster, a pot of vaseline, a bottle of smelling salts and a small pair of scissors: a small quantity of brandy for use in c,->e of faintness or collapse. CAMPING TIPS A piece of stick (clean) placed in a billy of tea will collect any grease ami take away any smoky taste. Do not raise the lid of anything which holds water and which is on the fire. To see when the water boils, lay a twig lightly on the lid, and one can tell by the vibration. Olive oil applied to any part of the skin and rubbed well in will avoid all painful sunburn, at the same time giving a deep brown colour.

“Whatever meal you are preparing, put the water on to boil first, and remember to put washing-up water on tfae SjeaJe' '

RECKLESS DRIVERS SPEEDERS NOT THE WORST According to an American paper speed of Itself, as those who are well versed in traffic matters know, is not the cardinal sin. It Is relatively unimportant The dangerous offender is the reckless driver. And his recklessness is not confined to excessive speed. He may be reckless at only 15 miles an hour. When he fails to stop at a sign that calls on him to <0 so, his recklessness is obvious even though he is going at a speed of 10 miles. He cuts out of a traffic lane, swings around a slower vehicle, and forces a line of cars coming from the opposite direction to slow up so he can gain one or two car lengths. He goes through his dangerous manoeuvres without signalling. He ignores intersections, children about to cross the street, and in many other ways disclose his contempt for the lives of others. The suppression of that type of driver, it is advocated, should be of great importance, for reekless drivers, not the man who keeps to his own side of the road at a good, though fast .pace, should be the quarry of the highway patrols. DO YOU KNOW THIS? When washing out a filter, such as an oil filter, care should be taken to -pass the gasoline or other washing fluid through the wii;e gauze in the direction opposite to the normal flow of oil through the device. The reason for this is that if gasoline is passed through In the same direction as oil it will probably leave particles of fluff Or other substances that might have been caught sticking just where they were, while washing in’ the opposite direction- would dislodge them. While- the pressure gauge on the instrument board will indicate the action in the pump in the force system of lubrication, it will not tell the proper amount of oil in the crank case. For the proper level it is necessary to look at the oil level Indicator, and this .should be done at least every time ■the gas tank is .filled. Many an engine has been badly damaged simply because the amount of oil in the crank case has been misjudged. After 2000 miles of operation the points of the plugs become badly burned, resulting in a wider gap than is conducive to efficient performance. Careful resetting may result in an astonishing improvement in motor operation. . Oil consumption Increases proportionately with the rate of engine speed. At high speeds it disappears at a rate alfnost amazing. It is worth bearing in mind at this season when so much driving is at higher speeds. Moisture or grease on the surface of the distributor housing is one cause of “missing.” The high tension, current skips across the surface of this coating instead of going through its regular channels.

Acid should never be added to a storage battery except to replace that which has been spilled or leaked out, and then only by an expert. Adding acid will Improve the output of the battery for a short while, but it will cause the plates to become badly sulphated, and will shorten the life of the battery considerably. The air passages of the radiator, which surround the water passages, should be kept clean of all dust and mud, so that the heat can be properly radiated in the cooling system. Should any mud harden in the air passages of the radiator core, never attempt to remove it by means of a wire or tool of any kind, as the thin walls of the cells are very easily punctured, and small leaks are sure to occur. If the water will not soften the mud, try using a brush.

Some light bulbs burn out from old age; and some burn out through the uneven flow of current caused by a loose connection at the battery poles. It pays to check over the terminals occasionally. Noise is the most effective clue to wear in concealed parts of the engine. Application of linseed oil is good for loose wooden wheels followed by a coat of paint. The use of a small brush with stiff bristles is an excellent means of removing corrosion from battery terminals. High curbs play havoc with hub caps, fenders and bumpers. Try to avoid driving the car too close to these obstructions.

A bucking engine is sometimes due to improper adjustment of spark plugs or breaker point gaps. Because of vibration and constant road shocks, wheel' alignment should be tested at least every six months. It is not advisable to wash out the sump with paraffin oil when it is drained of lubricant in order to refill with new or a different grade. The trouble is that some paraffin may be left in the sump which will deleteriously affect the fresh oil. It is much better to drain the sump when the engine is hot, just after a long run, for instance, when the oil is very fluid, and practically all can be drained out for certain. This will bring with it any odd particles of metal or grit which may have been deposited there. It is a good plan to cletin out the carburettor and petrol filters once in, say, every four or five months, especially if the car is used daily for big mileages. A little attention in the garage can easily save a hold-up on the road due to a choked jet or filter, owing to a deposit of dirt, either left in the tank when made or passed into the tank accidentally when refuelling. It is essential that there should be some form of ventilator to the crankcase to provide an outlet, as it were, for any pressure that piles up due to the expansion of air as the temperature rises. Moreover, it forms an outlet for excessive dilution due to petrol and water, as both vaporise at'certain temperatures and are driven off.

The road construction programme in Iceland Is resulting in.the rapid substitution of the motor-car for the pony as a means of transportation. During 1928 the number of motor-cars in operation in Iceland was Increased by nearly 100 per cent., the total number of cars in operation at the close of 1928 being 310 passenger cars and 492 trucks. During the first half of 1929, it is estimated that roughly 325 automobiles, of which a very large proportion were trucks, were imported into Iceland and, as the unsold stock of motor-cars is small it may be taken for granted that approximately the same number has been put Into operation during the first six months of the

NEW ZEALAND’S MOTORS VERY FEW OPEN CARS SOLD New Zealand has over 120,000 motorcars, or one car for eleven persons, the same ratio as in Canada. Taranaki approximates America’s density of automobiles with one to every 5.53 people, and Hawke’s Bay has one to every 6.12 people. It is estimated that car sales should approach 20,000 a year within the next five years if the present rate of increase, continues, and there is every reason to believe that it will. Eighty-live per cent, of the cars now sold are closed models and 60 or 70 per cent, of sales are on hire purchase agreements. WHEEL IRREGULARITIES STRANGE EFFECTS ON TIRES. Wheel irregularities of motor vehicles, such as a wheel out of balance, loose bearings, wheel loose on studs, uneven brake action, or excessive "splay” of the front wheels, sometimes" develops a peculiar tread wear on the tires, known as “spotty” wear. The explanation is that rubber being an elastic substance, each individual stud forming the tread pattern is displaced or "piled up” immediately in front, similar to a bow wave in front of a ship. When the front part of the stud is released from load, it will spring back to its normal position, owing to its natural elasticity, dragging with it the rear part which, being still in contact with the road, is thus scraped over the road surface and subjected to additional abrasion. Wheel irregularities exaggerate this "piling up” and, when under-inflation is present, the lack of air support results in very much greater tread wear. It is therefore advisable to test’wheels and steering frequently. LIMITATION OF SPEED GOVERNORS ON VEHICLES. A resolution submitted by Swindon branch to the conference of the Bristol (England) group of Trades Councils, which met on September 28, was that the Government be asked to introduce a Bill compelling all manufacturers of motors used on public highways to construct them with governors, so that the speed of 35 miles per hour cannot be eX Mr. d L - R. Habgood (Swindon), the president, said that to-day there were engaged in road transport a very large number of vehicles that were in keen competition with each other in the matter of speed. The reason for the resolution was that there were transport drivers who were members of the trades unions, and whose conditions were such that they were not allowed to drive for excessive hours, nor at excessive speeds. It was unfair to these drivers and against the safety of the public that there were drivers of other motor vehicles running on long daily services who would not be engaged by their employers if they were trade unionists, and who had to travel at forty or fifty miles an hour at times to keep to scheduled times, and so were forced to break the law in order to retain their jobs. Thirty-five miles an hour was quite fast enough for vehicles of that kind carrying passengers. The resolution, with the following addendum, suggested by a Bristol delegate, was carried: “This conference further requests the Ministry of Transport to pay attention to the question of the maximum tonnage carried, and also the conditions of labour of the drivers of these vehicles.” BE FAIR TO THE DOORS Doors should never be opened with a jerk and swung back fiercely to the limit of their hinges, for this puts too much stress on the anchorage, and is liable to loosen some part If fabric, or some similar material, for the bonnet to rest on is laced to the scuttle and radiator, it should be greased slightly, otherwise a squeak which may be difficult to locate is liable to start Body bolts should never be tightened casually, as a thoughtless overtightening may result, for instance, in badly fitting doors.

When the first taxicabs were introduced in Alexandria in 1022 there was considerable scepticism as to their ultimate success, but since that time taxis have entirely replaced the old two: horse Victorias even in the smaller cities and numerous makeshift buses are in service in country districts and are very popular with the fellahs or native peasants. This method of transport has developed to such a degree that the railway administration, feeling the competition, is taking steps to establish a motor service of its own.