EMERGENCY STARTER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3428, 4 October 1932, Page 2

EMERGENCY STARTER.

An analysis of motoring accidents would probably show that a surprisingly large number are caused by the accidental stalling of the motor through faulty driving in difficult circumstances, states an exchange. Anyone who has watched a driver of limited experience knows how easily he will stall the engine by attempting to move out of a dangerous position in top gear while the car is running very slowly, and thus throw the whole responsibility of avoiding an accident on the driver of the other vehicle concerned. If the other vehicle happens to be a tram or train an accident in these circumstances is often inevitable. Probably improvement in the running of modern engines has contributed to this danger. The engine normally runs so quickly that it may often stop without the knowledge of the driver. A new device being fitted to many

American cars promises materially to reduce the dangers of a “dead” engine in emergencies. This is an automatic switch for the starting of the engine. It is so constructed that as soon as the ignition switch, which is of the usual lock type, is turned on, an electro-magnet is brought into operation to work the starter switch. As soon as the engine fires and begins to run under its own power, this magnet is disconnected, and the starting mechanism is released, but should the engine stop while the ignition switch is still turned on the starter is operated again immediately and the the engine starts as soon as it is switched on. Moreover, the possibility of the ignition switch being left on accidentally, and thus discharging the battery or burning out the coil, is eliminated, because the driver’s attenion would be directed to the fact that the switch was on by the fact that the engine was running.