THE CARE OF THE CAR.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3192, 19 August 1930, Page 2

THE CARE OF THE CAR.

A car will ride easier if some graphite is placed between the leaves of the springs.

When a cylinder is missing fire, to eliminate any doubt about the plug, exchange it with a plug that is all right.

Don’t cause any unnecessary inconvenience in night driving by failing to keep your windshield clean. Two minutes with a chamois and cloth will insure a much greater freedom from glare of approaching headlights.

Driving an automobile not in good repair is little short of criminal. For your own protection as well as that of others, make sure that all the parts are in a satisfacory working condition.

When forced to drive a weak front tyre, it is wise to place it on the left wheel instead of the right. A blowout that turns the car to the left is preferable to one that directs it into oncoming traffic.

When it is considered that rust is the principal destructive evil to car finishes, and that rust is the result of road dirt, grime and grit, the importance of washing the car regularly becomes evident.

A satirist dealing with “speed intoxication” says it will soon be time to reanimate the pineal gland, which scientists say was once a third eye at the top of the head. And if yet another gland could be reanimated a fourth eye at the back of the head would be useful in modern traffic. A CAUSE OF STEERING PULL. The tendency of a car to pull always to one side of the road, even where there is no appreciable camber, and sometimes actually against a slight camber, is not infrequently due to unequal inflation pressure in the front tyres. A difference of no more than 101 b. pressure may give rise to quite an appreciable pull, and, if the rear tyres are unequally inflated as well, with the comparatively “soft” one on the same side as that at the front, the pull will be intensified. An extreme case of this kind exists when a puncture occurs; the illeffect on the steering, it need hardly be pointed out, is often the first intimation the driver receives that anything is amiss. A PUNCTURE KINK.

When punctured it is always a wise plan to examine the outside of the cover for nails, etc. before removing the tube. If anything can be detected the leak can be found immediately and a quick repair effected. This is one >f the very obvious things of motoring that often gets forgotten. LOCATING A KNOCK. If a knock is due to a dirty engine it will become pronounced when under load or when hill climbing. Running light with little throttle opening and the ignition lever correctly set, no knock would be apparent. A loose or worn bearing would make itself known under almost any conditions of running. An experienced ear would detect immediately the difference between the two troubles, as the sound of a carbon knock is distinctive and sharp, while a mechanical knock is usually dull and more of a thud.

RAIN ON THE WINDSCREEN. With so much rain about, many drivers find difficulty in keeping the windscreen clear enough to drive in safety. A little glycerine, mixed with some kerosene, is a good preparation to keep the water from congealing on the windscreen. An ordinary newspaper is a serviceable makeshift. There seems to be something in the printing ink which helps in any emergency.