THE MOTORIST

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1925, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE MOTORIST

BATTERY CABE. MAKING ITS WORK EASIER. Why ia it that the battery engineer is allowed to turn loose blobs iand globs of words on an unsuspecting public? He evidently means all right, but when we come to figure out why our battery is batting his technical discourse only tends to further bawl U3 up writes Irwin Greer, president Greer College of Automotive Engineering. You wash yourself to keep clean. You take a drink because you are thirsty. All right, then. Give your battery a cleaning ever so often, and more often a drink of distilled water and your troubles will be over. That's all there is to it.

SENSITIVE TO DIRT.

A storage battery is exceedingly sensitive to dirt. It requires only a minute quantity of dust or impuirity in the water used to replenish the cells to produce a sort of "foot and mouth disease "known as local action, which will eat away at the plates and greatly shorten the life. Bits of metals are especially injurious, but it is never safe to let an impurity of any kind get in. Keep the tops of the cells clean and dry. Before removing the screw plugs for inspection see that all dirt is wiped away. If any acid has spluttered out, sponge it away with a neutralising solution of baking soda in water. Unless great care is used, attempting to wipe away the unneutralised acid usually results in spreading it over the connecting wires where it will cause corrosion troubles. Lay the screw plugs upside down on the top of the cell, or, better still, place them on clean paped or board. v

KEEP CELLS FILLED,

Keep the cells filled to the correct level. The top edges of the plates should be covered one half-inch deep or half way between the top of the plates and the underside of the cover. If too full, some liquid : is apt "Ho be pushed out by bubbles of gas. If 4;he plates are allowed to stand uncovered they will soon go to pieces. A glass tube let dow'n till it touches the plates, closed by a finger and then withdrawn, furnishes an easy means of measuring the depth above the plates. Only pure distilled water should be used. Store it in clean glass or earthenware; never in metal containers.

If a battery gets low or "empty" it is often necessary- to! "have it charged" at a battery service station. If the car is 'used, but the battery is given a rest for a few days, the generator, if working properly, will charge it. This means* lit.tle battery use, no continued "battery i cranking. If/ affcpr a ihundred miles' l , of' charging and little or no use of the battery,' it is still low and no grounds or "shorts" are found on any of the wires, then it. is fiine to visit the battery service station, not before.

ALWAYS USE CARE.

The greater number of starts and stops, the greater the care required to see that before .cranking begins, everything is 'made ready to enable n prompt start of the engine. Only those whose money is more abundant

than their grey matter should hold the starter button down while trying to find out why the engiine won't etart. After such a workout the battery is as much "all in" as a sprinter after a closely contested quarter-mite race. In winter the battery has the odds heavily against it. Its work is much harder because of stiff oil and cold gasoline, and, in addition, the low temperature reduces its own ability to recover and build up charge. Hence extra care is needed to use the battery as little as possible. Its work may be lightened by housing and blanketing the "tin horse" and by slowly pouring a quart of boiling water over the carburettor and intake manifold before attempting to start the engine on a cold morning.

A "SURPRISE EVENT."

A "surprise event" recently held oy the Knock M.C.C. (Ireland) took the form of an apparently innocent social run,' in which several observers had been detailed to hide themselves along the route. These observers noted whether the competitors blew their hornß when approaching dangerous bends, whether they, kept reasonably on their proper side of the road, whether machines ] were unduly noisy, whether excessive I speed was indulged in, and countless | other items. Then, at the finish, maI chines were examined to see if they complied with legal requirements as regards brakes, etc. Inquiries were made as to whether each rider had a proper tool kit, and whether he was insured against third-paTty risks. For every omission or default marks were deducted thu3 the winner of the event was the rider showing the best "road sense" and riding the most correctly equipped machine.

The idea is an excellent one, inasmuch as it brings home forcibly to the haphazard rider his own faults. It is a pity, however, that the event is of a kind which suffers from publiciity; a competitor having heard of such a trial, and entering a "secret" novelty event would at once be on the qui vive.

GARAGE CHATTER.

An American in dear old London was bragging about his car. He ended his eulogy by declaring: "It runs so smoothly you can't feel it, so quietly you can't hear it, has such perfect Ignition you can't smell it, and as for speed—boy, you can't see it." "But my word, old dear," interrupted the Briton, anxiously, " how do you know the bally thing is there?" Modern racing tax's in the 1500 c.c. class have attained such dangerously high speeds in relation to their weight that experiments are being made in the direction of fitting. wind-resisting shields in order to limit the speed without hampering the design of the \enginel ; - ; v ■Riders of chain 'driven; machines should never fail to carry one or two' detachable links (" spring links'') with

tliem. In nine cases out of ten it -1-3 the detachable "link of a chain which breaks first, but, even should One of the other links give way, a repair can' usually be effected with a spare ■detaaeh able link. When buying spare chains links, always make sure that they will Miit the chain in use: some chains have thicker side plates than others. It is a good tip to renew the detachable link of fi chain about every ROOO miles, even if it seems in perfect order, for, as mentioned, if is generally T005 ,{; vulnerable' spot.

STOP 'EM, SOMEBODY!

(By OSOAT? T-T. FEKXBACH.) Down with the maddened drivers who • Alone f'e dn.sh. Who speed their ears in recklessness Until the- r">-pnn a smash. And of responsibility The summons then would shirk Bt limping explanation that Their "brakes refused to work." Unfit and foolish motorists Too mnnr are. bv for— When faultv driving brings them grief The-" blame it on the car: And ample cause of trocble in Their auto's frame they'd find. When, truth to tell, we know full well It's in their frame of mind. Plain common sense the driver needs, With wrist and nerves of steel; Who in these gifts is lacking has No business fit the wheel: He who refrains from beating trains Much wisdom has displayed; He may not make the crossing, But for sense he makes the grade.