GENERAL NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3443, 15 March 1932, Page 2

GENERAL NOTES.

Don't be impatient when the car is slow in starting on a cold morning. Perhaps this is due to your failure to house the vehicle properly.

Always exercise care when approaching a cross-street. More accidents occur at street intersections than at any other points.

Regardless of how dirty the top is, only a mild soap should be used to clean the fabric.

A brake-drum will become warped, or possibly ruined, if water is poured on it when hot. The best plan is to allow it to cool gradually.

When the finish of the radiator core has become streaked with mud, it can be restored by polishing with a solution of ordinary lampblack'and turpentine. The mixtue should consist of one pint of turpentine to two ounces of lampjack.

An engine with its cylinders loaded with carbon will keep running for some time, even when the power is shut off. This condition is due to carbon becoming white hot, which keeps firing the gas even when the ignition is turned off.

Before attempting to do any retouching of rust spots on the car make certain that all rust has been removed. Otherwise the paint will soon crack and chip-off.

According to a census taken recently among the manufacturers and service departments of electrical accessories it was discovered that more than half the trouble with these units is due to over-lubrication. Excess of oil gets on to the commutator and other working parts, and by setting up sparking creates much more heat than the parts are designed to stand Up to. Make it a rule to go strictly by the instruction book given with your car, and if this is not available inspect the generator, etc., occasionally for traces of over-boiling. If excess oil is indicated clean the parts, and for the future cut down on their oil supply.

Many motorists forget that the shock absorbers need occasional attention and that they should be adjusted from time to time. Car bounce on rough roads, providing the tyre pressures are correct, can nearly always be traced to slack absorber adjustments. A little attention to these parts can provide a lot of comfort.

If the engine does not seem to be pulling its best, try the effect of closing the gaps between the central electrode and the frame of the sparking plugs. It is not until such an alteration has been made and tested that the difference- in obtained by dividing the plug points set to the right gap can be realised. The gaps between the points should be between 15 and 18 one-thousandths of an inch if magneto ignition is used, and between 25 and 30 one-thousandths if coil ignition is employed. Regular attention to the plug setting will produce a much smoother ride.