ENGINE SLUGGISHNESS.

Northern Advocate, 22 April 1933, Page 2

ENGINE SLUGGISHNESS.

REPLACING OF SPARK PLIH'fS

.Manufacturers of spark plugs have often given wide publicity to the desirability of renewing the plugs after every ten or fifteen thousand miles’ running, rather than Availing until they give obvious signs of. bad condition. While it must he admitted that if every motorist Avas to folloAv that counsel, the sales of spark plugs would increase exceedingly, it. should not be thought that such advice is inspired by purely selfish motives. In fact, it has been found that when plugs become old and carbonised, and the insulating qualities of the core are impaired, there is often a noticeable and bad effect on the performance of the engine. In support of that statement, the ease may be cited of a motorist avlio, having gone to the expense of having the engine of his car thoroughly oA'orhauied, baulked at the cost of a neAv set of plugs, and Avas critical of the way in which the service station had done its Avork, because the engine seemed just as sluggish and as greedy for petrol as before. At last he Avas prevailed upon to fit noAV plugs, and has since admitted that there has been a remarkable improvement in the running of the ear.

. Ncav plugs should not be fitted simply because the engine is not perform ing well, but if it is known that the existing- set is old, in point of view ot mileage run,- and there is no other reasonable explanation of poor performance, the price of a new .set of plugs is at Avorst- a good gamble. The motorist should bo careful to choose a typo Avhieh is suitable for the engine of the oar.

Traffic surveys are. the means of obtaining ami collating’ definite data upon which sound conclusions may be based. The weakness of many surveys is that they apply only to conditions at a given, time. .New problems are constantly arising, and new conditions have to be met. These new conditions often are results of method* applied after the first survey.