MOTORING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11833, 14 January 1933, Page 10

MOTORING.

CARE OF THE STARTER

Sluggish action of the starting motor is not necessarily a sign that tlio expensive battery needs renewal. Those with some knowledge of electrical theory will realise that a sixvolt starting system must 'he free from resistance caused by poor contacts if the necessary starting current of more than 100 amperes is to flow through the motor.

Battery contacts often suffer, owing to the. creeping action of the acid, and it may be necessary <o fit nev> terminals on. the cables, which is quite a cheap job. The terminal posts of the battery should be scraped bright and coated with heavy oil, while the cable terminals are smothered with- vaseline before - replacing. After the ear has had a couple of years of use, the frame terminal should be removed, and both, the terminal and the portion of the frame against which it is bolted should he polished with emery cloth and slightly smeared with vaseline before, replacing. Tighten up all switch and motor terminals. Inspect the commutator of the starting motor, readied by removing the thin metal hand clamped around it. fr oily, clean with petrol. Tf the commutator appears to he burnt or pitted, especially if the burning is patchy, if should he overhauled by an expert.

ENSURING GOOD LIGHTS. Poor lights are caused by poor eontacts, dull reflectors, a run-down battery with inefficient dynamo, or wornout bulbs. Faulty contact can occur if any terminal on the switchboard, battery, or in the lamp sockets, is loose or corroded. With single-con-tact systems it- is equally necessary to have a good connection between battery and frame. Tins is a point Usually overlooked. The spring contacts in the sockets are a common source of trouble. Lamps of good quality always have the reflectors silvered, and imt nickdied, so great care is necessary in cleaning them. Often the silver is coated with a protective lacquer, so first try the effect of . washing them gently with water on a piece of cotton. If ibis is not effective they must be polished with fine jeweller’s rouge.' applied with an old silk handkerchief or very soft rag. The packing between glass and reflector should be in good condition to exclude water and dust, and the silver should never be touched with Die fingers. \\ hen replacing a bulb hold it in a clean handkerchief, so that tbe skin will not touch the silver. When the glass of a bulb is hlar-k----ened it should be replaced. Such bulbs give much loss light, and are liable to sudden failure. Driving with only one lamp is now prohibited. (AP.S FOR 103:1. MANY SAFETY DF.YKT'.W One of the typical features <>i ]OO:'J models is the wealth of equipment which is provided with standard models, and the care which has been given to those fittings which make for safety, say- an overseas journal. it is contended that- manual signalling has been made difficult because of the design of modern ear bodies, and for that reason many models are now equipped with indicators which may be manipulated by the driver tn show his intention of stopping, or turning; but. critics in. England have referred to the fact that unless some standard type oi apparatus is adopted the real usefulness of mechanical signalling devices may he missed.

It has also been appreciated that braking systems must be sell-equal-ising, and virtually "foolproof,” and the hydraulic and “duosorvo” systorns of four-wheel brakes predominate. Another commendable practice is tiro fitting of double screen milters, with the result that not only is the front seat passenger able in bad weather to see the road ahead, but the driver is given a clear view of the near-side of the road. Silence of running lias been secured hv 1 1 to adoption of the special gearings already referred (o, and the more general use of an insulated form of engine suspension. The developments in the motor iudustvy ns revealed at the groat Olympia Mo for Show of 1932 may be summed up as superlative engine efficiency, the provision on even the cheapest models of complete and lavish equipment and accessories, and the building of bodies on the most pleasing lines, which not only enhance the appearance of the cars offered, hut also because of scientific stream-lining, enable higher speeds to be enjoyed milh a minimum of fuel consumption.

FRONT AVTTEEL DRTYE

DEVELOPMENTS IN BRITAIN

That I be difficulties inherent iu the manufacture of a car driven from the front instead of the rear wheels are being surmounted is ovi dent from the fact that front-wheel drive is being slowly extended to ears quite low in the price range. In Groat Britain there has just been introduced at nine horse-power light car driven on the front wheels, and offered for :Cl6O. The ear is steered as well as driven on the front wheels, and possesses interesting mechanical features. Naturally the clutch, gearbox and differential are placed in front of the. engine, immediately behind the, radiator. Tho gearbox provides three forward speeds, of which the In termed into D silent. The front axle is carried in a. double transverse spring. Because of the elimination of the tail shaft the car can be made very low set without unduly sacrificing ground clearance. The drive on the front wheels gives the driver unusual oevn-

trol of the car, and enables corners to be taken ;much more quickly than would be safe in the ordinary way. Advice from England is to the effect that transmission improvements, espepial'ry f-iiripl'ified gc/ir, will be* featured on this year’s models. Easy gear-changing and automatic clutch control will he on many new models. A 10 h.p. four cylinder ear which was recently introduced in England, is declared to be tfro world’s easiest baby car to drive with its fluid flywheel and automatic gear. Its acceleration is splendid and its maximum speed Hfi miles an hour.

FROM THE BACK SEAT

CERE FOR TENSION

AN INTER EFT INC THEORY

That good drivers {lislike being driven by others has become almost proverbial (writes “M.l’.’’ in fhe Motor”). The keen road sense which distinguishes the expert- at tbe wheel from lesser men is always active, so tiini; when, a good driver is being driven by someone who is less alert, or whose reactions a re 1 not so rapid, conditions are apt to he uncomfortable for both the parties concerned. The expert, when a passenger, usually gazes fixedly ahead and may see, for example, a child about to leave the kerb and run across; hi> feet at once seek imaginary pedals on the footboards, the scat creaks jis he exerts his muscles, and an instant later —although it seems to him to be a much longer interval—the driver applies the brakes. The passenger sighs with relict which is only momentary, because a few seconds later he will he gripping the door in terrified apprehension of another catastrophe. 1 rider such conditions a journey can become a prolonged torture to the nerve- .„.trom which the sufferer -merges exhausted.

Let it not lie thought tflai this state of affairs can exist only when a poor or careless driver is at the wheel. On the contrary, the man in control may be n thoroughly competent individual, but if his methods differ a little from ilio-o of the expert passenger —and can one find two drivers exactly alike? —the np prehensions of the latter can become ouite unreasonable unless he takes certain simple rules to heart. W About, question, nervousness when being driven by others is a condition which can be cured by an effort of will if tackled on the right lines. The nervous passenger is very like the patient in a dentist’s chair; he is continually apprehensive of being hurt, and hv a naturrd reaction, accentuated in a car by instinctive font-pressure upon non-existent pedals. tautens his muscles hv stiffen iug the legs, clench i no; the hands ■and so for th. This roust condition aggravate 5 the nervous state to a marked degree. Conversely, by forcing oneself ro relax ail the muscles, nervousness can be allayed. The passenger must make bim-eli loii carelessly in the sear, with his arms and feet in comfortable, unrestrained positions, and his torso as slack as .a sack of flour. Having attain od this care-free posture, lie will find that the soothing effect on the nerves is immediate and is a-ionish-ingly marked.

The next rule is f.i avoid gazing intent Iv toward ihe road ahead. Let. the eyes roam around, picking up objects of interest at the -ides c.f the road or in the distant landscape. Forget about traffic, curves, and cross-roads just as one does when pitting in a Inis or train. Ii there are other passengers in the car talk to them blithely on general topics.

The third rule—and one which is scarcely necessary if the ottiers have been observed-—is never to warn the driver of any emergomw whirl, may be impending. Remarks such as "look out A’ ‘‘you'll hover get through,” “mind tins crossing, etc., are only irritating to anyone who knows what be is about and often make an otherwise goo-] driver behave foolishly. To those who doubt ’the efficacy of these bints, the writer can only say Try them! He has cure himself in these ways of apprehensions when being driven by an "average-speed" fanatic. Only a really careless or incompetent (Eider can now worry him, and in such circumstances there is only one course to take: request that the car shall be stopped and then, with polite excuses, get out and walk!