SPARKS

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 3 January 1931, Page 12

SPARKS

The minute you save may be your last one.

Fifteen miles an hour may be a chill, bitt 50 is a fever. * * * * *

In 1902 there were 245 different car manufacturers in the United States of America. At ' present there aie on 1 \ 45. * ~ * v

Customer: ‘ ‘And how _ much do I owe you for the extra oil?’' “What oil?” , . , . . “The oil You left on the upholstery. *****

Husband: You’re going for a drive with me, aren’t you? Wife: I’m not the person to back ° U Husband: No, it would be better for the garage ii I did. # *

When the first motor car salesman sold the first motor car to the first daring motorist he probably warned him, “Don’t ride your clutch! And that warning has been issued about 50 000,000 times since. It still holds good. It’s a rule which should be obeyed always.

It is claimed that brake squeak can be prevented without loss of braking efficiency by painting the surface of the shoes with a mixture made ol a little powdered graphite in petrol. At the first or second application of the brakes after this treatment they may not be fully effective, but thereafter it is said that their power will, if anything, be increased, while squeaking will completely disappear.

The man who doubles up with mirth when a woman has difficulty in driving through a 10ft garage door usually sobers up when he tries to thread a needle.

An article gives particulars of cars which whistle for attention. ’ Hundreds of cars have to do that. Ask any mechanic. , *****

To keep an engine operating efficiently valve tappets should he adjusted so that the valves will seat properly when the engine is hot. Heated valve stems lengthen slightly and if there is not sufficient clearance the extreme heat in the combustion chamber will burn and warp the valves, resulting in a loss of compression and power. ■* - * * * *

Selection of the proper grade of oil will make a noticeable difference in the performance of an engine. An oil with a heavy body has a greater cushioning effect than a light oil or medium body oil, and when used in a badly worn engine will reduce noise to a certain extent. However, lubricating systems are designed to operate efficiently with a certain grade of oil, and if the oil used is too heavy to circulate properly the engine may be damaged. It is best to follow the recommendations of the factory in the grade of oil to be used.

“There goes one of the - most remarkable men on earth.” “How is he so remarkable?” “I told him a week ago that I intended buying a new car and he did not, even offer a suggestion as to which car L should buy.”

Motorists are tempted to speed up their cars on fine, straight stretches of highway, but they do not realise that speed generates* heat, and heat is the most destructive element to which tyres can be subjected. Any time a driver increases his car speed five miles an hour he is increasing the heat generated in the tyre from road contact, and in hot weather it is costing him in tyre wear out of all proportion to anything he ordinarily gains from that speed. Heat tends to soften a rubber tread, and when rubber is softer it will shear off and wear more quickly under road friction than will the same rubber unheated. * * * * *

When a light burns out it is usually owing to excessive battery voltage caused by corroded battery leads, broken wiring, or dirty or loose connections in the charging circuit. These conditions can be avoided by taking the car to the service station periodically for checking of the electrical system. * * * " '

Trouble often thought to be in the carburettor can sometimes be elemmated by removing the pipeline and cleaning it. Usually there is a strainer at the base of the carburettor or at some point in the fuel line. Tins strainer often becomes so clogged that the carburettor does not obtain sufficient petrol. Before changing the adjustment of the carburettor be sure that there are no obstacles in the line. * * * * *

Motorists sometimes find that when their car has been in use for a >eai or two the battery, while still functioning properly, is inclined to froth, so that the surrounding parts become affected by acid. This can be remedied bv inserting in each cell a shaving of ordinary household soap about as big as a sixpence. This has no harmful effect on the cells. It is equally applicable to wireless accumulators.