MOTORDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1934, Page 3

MOTORDOM

NEWS OF THE ROAD

(By

“Gearbox”)

ALCOHOL FUEL.

TROUBLES IN FRANCE

Several countries, in order to assist local industries, have made it compulsory for sellers of petrol to blend some proportion of denatured alcohol with the petrol which they market. In Queensland, too, a similar enactment was recently passed obliging suppliers of petrol to purchaise ,a proportionate amount of fuel alcohol in the ratio of about 2 per cent. There has been much argument as to the merits of alcohol when blended with petrol, and apart from political and local economic considerations it might be said that its really valuable property is that of increasing the knock-resisting qualities of petrol, while the most objectionable charac- j teristic is that it absorbs water readily. * It should not be forgotten that, although engine compression pressures have been raised during recent years

and compression ratios in standard types of cars are now often more than

6 to 1, the petrol companies have kept

pace with such changes by improving the anti-knock or octane rating of their fuels, ei ybrethfl. .L.. their fuels, either by improved processes or refining or the addition of a small quantity of tetra-ethyl lead, so that, despite the widespread use of high compression engines, “knocking” or “pinking” due to the detonation of tii part of the charge is no more prevalent than Was formerly the case. Where a special fuel is demanded excellent results have been secured from the mixing of, say. 20 per cent, benzol with the petrol, and it might be said that from the motorists’ standpoint the evidence in favour of alcohol is not very convincing. But it is reported that many drivers of sports cars in England favour its use, and an English company sells an “alcoholised” brand of fuel which is obtainable from kerbside pumps. In France, where the admixture of alcohol with the petrol is compulsory, many complaints have been heard, and in order to find out the facts of the matter the "Light Car” caused an expert to make careful investigations and inquiries in that country. It had been stated that because of the presence of alcohol in the petrol, cylinder wear had been hastened and other complications met with. This investigator; expressed the view that such accusations were well-found-ed, and that the essence of the trouble was that frequently the alcohol used for blending purposes in France was

not a pure product, and contained a harmful percentage of water, a circumstance which would account for such shortcomings. “I heard,” he adds, •‘the most amusing stories of the slapdash methods of blending. It seems that so great is the variation in the alcohol and the general characteris"of motor spirit in -various parts of France that carburettors adjusted to run in one part of the country will be hopeless in certain other parts. Similarly, in some districts considerable oiling troubles are-being experienced through sump dilution with condensed water from the cylinder heads?’ But it is said that such a state of affairs in France is not an indication of the real worth of alcohol, which is very serviceable for blending, providing it is absolutely pure free from water, and that the English product which is absolute alcohol denatured with pyridine so as to make it undrinkable, is giving good results, and has not called forth the complains which have been heard on all sides in France, It is also stated that where a high proportion of alcohol is mixed with the petrol, carburettors must be adjusted to a much richer setting. It is obvious, therefore, that unless the greatest care is taken to procure a pure brand quite free from any water content, alcohol cannbt be recommended for mixing with petrol despite its admitted anti-knock merits.

WHY DO WE DO IT? Why is it that you and I — . Allow the clutch to engage suddenly. Fail to hear the squeak that calls for oil? , Overlook keeping the tyres properly inflated? x . Fail to release the clutch before shifting gears? Advalnce the spark when starting the engine? , . Shift reverse gear when the car is moving ahead? . Try to start the engine with the switch turned off? Push in the starting button when, the engine is running? Release the clutch when the throttle is open very wide? Apply the brakes suddenly when it isn’t at all necessary? . Attempt to start without being sure the brakes are released? Fail to examine the car occasionally for loose nuts and bolts? Let our engine labour up a steep hill without dropping to low gear? Take our car out without noticing whether it is properly lubricated ? Turn corners too fast, liking to be spectacular, even at cost of tyres? Sometimes drive fast and attempt to stop suddenly on a wet patvement? Race our engine under any and all circumstances when we feel like it? Neglect to investigate any unusual sound which may develop in the car ? Accelerate too quickly, and so enjoy the car jumping and the motor pounding? Fill the lubricator in the engine, and 'peglect to lubricate other parts of the citr?

Open the throttle quickly, without giving; the motor a chance to pick up gradually?

Shift from third to second or first gear when the car is running at a high rate of speed? Make adjustments on our cars before knowing whether we’re right—just trusting to luck?

Overlook the fact that pan, engine, and other mechanical parts of al car should be kept clean?

PETROL MILEAGE. INFLUENCE OF SPEED t Most motorists view petrol consumption as something fairly definite, ac--11 cording to the attributes of any par--11 ticular vehicle. As a matter of fact tjso many things have a bearing on 11 fuel mileage thalt it is well nigh inis’possible to fix a definite rate of conJl sumption that will apply under all fworking conditions. I Some particularly interesting facts 5. were recently made available as the 11 result of road tests conducted in Eng--1 land. Special fuel measuring equip■.ment was installed on a 20-h.p. six*l cylinder car weighing 32cwt., by means Oof which accurate details were ob- , tained of the petrol used when the | car was driven at touring speeds on the level, up gradients, and under congested traffic conditions. Travelling in top gear at a steady speed of 25 miles per hour on a level main highway, the average result from two runs in opposite directions was 22% miles per gallon. At 45 miles per hour the average was 191 miles per gallon. On a slight down grade at 45 miles per hour the figure rose to 23 miles per gallon. Tn suburban light traffic, with speeds ranging (on top gear) from 20 to 30 miles per hour, the consumption dropped to 181 miles per gallon. Travelling through heavy city traffic on top and third geafr, al speeds ranging from 15 to 25 miles per hour, brought the consumption down to 13 miles per gallon. On a long ascent (1 in 15 to 1 in 10 gradients) in top gear, at 35 to 45 miles per hour, the figure dropped to 101 miles per gallon, while climbing the same hill in third gear at 40 to 45 miles per hour gave a result of 91 miles per gallon, so that about double the fuel was used travelling up hill as against the same speed on the level. Throughout these tests a normal carburettor setting was used, and no deliberate effort was made to reduce the quantity of fuel used. The figures show clearly how petrol consumption increases as the speed rises! The effect of wind resistance was revealed in a striking manner during one of the tests. There was a fairly strong wind during the runs on the main roads, which made a pronounced difference to the figures obtained. For example,- at 45 miles per hour with the wind the consumption was 21 miles per gallon, but against the wind only 18 miles per gallon. The influence on fuel consumption of temporary checks, followed by acceleration in thick traffic is also remarkable. It is of interest to mention that the average monthly petrol consumption of the car used in the tests, based on mileage travelled and quantity of fuel used during that period, was 15.2 miles per gallon.

PARKING A CAR. USE OF REVERSE GEAR Many motorists who are in other respects very skilled drivers find themselves in trouble when it is necessary to manoeuvre the cur in a confined parking space or guide it through a narrow entrance set at an unfavourable angle (says the “Sydney Morning Herald”). The reason for such embarrassment is generally that the driver has not studied the art of reversing, aind has not a clear idea of the respective movements of the front and back wheels when the steering is turned. When the car is travelling forward and the front wheels are turned, the back wheels do not follow immediately in their track. For example, if a car is steered very close to the kerb at a corner, although the front wheels might have safe clearance, the back ones will often foul the kerb. When attempting to juggle a car into a small parking space, and parallel to the kerb, it is mostly futile to attempt to place it accurately without reversing, and unless there is a considerable margin of space the back of the vehicle will project into the roadway even when a front wheel is hard up against the kerb. The best procedure is to over-run the parking space, taking care to keep a reasonable distance from the line of stationary cars, and then to reverse into position. By that means, the process will be simplified, but care and judgment are still called for. The angle at which the car is driven astern should be such that when the steering is locked hard over and the vehicle, as it were, pivots on its back wheels, the back wheel nearest the kerb will not jam against it before the corresponding front wheel is in place. As soon als possible, the steering should be turned abruptly so as to swing the front of the car towards the roadside, and, although it is, of course, necessary to glance behind, attention should not be concentrated- upon the back wheels, but rather upon the swiftly swinging front of the car, which, if good judgment is not exercised, might strike the vehicle next ahead. As far as possible, the steering should not be forced when the vehicle is stationary, but the wheels should be turned quickly, as otherwise valuable distance will be lost. Where the practice, is to park at a right angle or diagonally to the kerb it is equally inadvisable to attempt to drive into a narrow vacant place unless the roadway is so wide and traffic so light that a very broad sweep can be taken. In other circumstances, the proper method is to drive a little beyond the area, and then reverse in a similar manner to that adopted when parking parallel to the roadside. In all cases, should the motorist realise that he has made miscalculation, and that it is impossible to complete the movement without “hacking and filling,” the best course is to drive forward again and begin the manoeuvre anew.

Narrow gateways with difficult approaches often mislead the unwary driver, who attempts to swing his car sharply. He may succeed in clearing the entrance with the front wheels, but will find that one or other of the ba’ck wheels will hit upon the side of the entrance, and, so to speak, leave him “hung up” in an awkward predicament.

It is better to make “two bites”; the first movement being a fairly wide turn, which results in one front wheel being placed a foot or two to the side of the gateway, but leaves the back wheels in the correct position, AU.

that need then be done is to reverse for a short distance on the opposite lock, and then drive forward again, when it will be found that there is ample clearance on both sides. OLIVE OIL AS LUBRICANT Interesting experiments have been made at Algiers with olive oil as a lubricant for internal-combustion engines, in the hope of giving a new fillup to the olive oil industry in the present bad times. The trials aire said to have given good results, and a report is to be presented to the central government so that everything possible may be done to ensure the use of French olive oil in the motor equipment of navy and flying service.

PRIZE FOR SAFETY INVENTION

On the occasion of the world-famed Paris Fair, which will take place in May this year, a prize of approximately £2OO will be offered to the inventor, to whatever nationality he may belong, of the best system of individual or collective signalling so as to ensure the safety of motor car drivers at the junctions of streets. All latitude is allowed to inventors, who may submit either an apparatus to be fixed on the car itself, and indicating to the driver that the street is safe for crossing, or a signal placed on the road to warn approaching drivers that they run the risk of meeting another vehicle. Whatever the system submitted, it should be so constructed as to function by night as well as by day, and in aill weather conditions.