IF YOUR ENGINE “FADES” OUT

Northern Advocate, 12 June 1937, Page 13

IF YOUR ENGINE “FADES” OUT

Some Roadside Diagnosis Points usually overlooked by the Motorist who is no longer a Novice but who* cannot yet claim to be an Expert.

(By W. A. Gibson Martin in the “Austin” Magazine.)

If his engine suddenly “fades out” on a lonely stretch of road the average motorist is completely taken by surprise, for the modern car is so reliable that one can drive for thousands of miles without an involuntary stop. Some motorists have actually covered several thousand miles without opening the bonnet —a tribute to the efficiency, of modern service facilities and to the inherent reliability of the car of today. It might seem as if all the experienced motorist’s knowledge is of no value nowadays—until one day the car fcomes to a standstill in open country, several miles from 6 the nearest garage, when a correct diagnosis is essential if the trouble is to be traced and rectified with a minimum waste of time.

definitely proved a fault in the lowtension circuit. Also always check the battery and engine “earth” connections. If none of these simple tests reveals a fault, perhaps the owner-driver may obtain some light on the matter by considering his past record in so far as maintenance is concerned. Possibly his conscience already has been at work and a moment’s reflection points to some long-neglected task. Perhaps the distributor has. not received the rnipor attentions which are its due. The contact breaker arm, for instance, works on a small pivot which should have a touch of light oil once every few thousand miles, but sooner or later, if neglected, the arm “binds” and fails to work smoothly on its pivot. Another frequently neglected duty is cleaning the inside and outside of the distributor cover. Use a petrol-soaked rag to remove any deposit which may have collected' on the inside, particularly on or around the electrodes. See that the carbon brush which makes contact with the rotating arm slides freely in its holder, and is perfectly clean. Examine all the high-tension cables as they enter the distributor cover; each one must be firmly held in position. Clean the outside of the cover with a petrol rag. ' v

The novice may walk a mile to the nearest telephone, and then wait indefinitely for the breakdown truck, whereas an experienced motorist may be able to diagnose and remedy the trouble in a few minutes. 1

The first point to realise is this—a sudden roadside stoppage is quite different from any of the other ills to which' a motor car may be heir, and in air probability the trouble is quite tinfling, and can be rectified fairly easily. 'Aq experienced motorist knows where and what trifling defects are likely to occur. Whereas the novice always seems to imagine that a mysterious and baffling defect exists. As ■a rule he overlooks the most obvious cause of failure, and wastes time in an attempt to locate the trouble in some unlikely direction.

Possibly a gradual falling-off in performance has been apparent for some time, with more than one warning signal ignored. Then there comes some trifling matter—some item quite insignificant in itself—which otherwise would make only a slight difference to the engine’s efficiency; but in its neglected state the engine is unable to cope with an extra load, and so it “lades out.” V The straw which breaks the camel’s back may, have been a spot of oil on one of the plug points—already these points may have been oily, or almost covered with semi-incandescent particles of carbon, and one additional spot of oil or carbon may be sufficient to stop the spark. With one plug inoperative an engine in poor tune may stop work altogether; but, of course, with the engine in ordinarily good condition a defective plug docs not mean a complete stoppage, although it always affects the performance, usually to an appreciable extent. Perhaps . the engine has been so neglected that not even an optimist could expect to restart it by rectifying one of the consequences of this neglect. Then, only a systematic examination and careful adjustment of ignition and fuel systems will restore the engine to its original sweet and efficient running once more.

So begin with the items that are easiest to check; even. if the trouble does not reveal itself at once you are not . wasting time; these are all part of the more intricate 1 investigation which may be necessary later on, and if the simpler items do not provide a clue to the fault, then you can proceed more confidently with , a more involved series of tests.

ciieck the fuel tank contents —the instrument board guage is not infallible—and see if petrol is reaching the carburettor. If not, disconnect the carburettor end of the ■ pipe from pump to carburettor and see if petrol flows freely from the pipe while tlie pump is operated by the priming lever. If there is no flow, examine the filter—it may be choked. The petrol pump is unlikely to go wrong so completely as to stop without some previous warning. But it is just as well, while examining the fuel system, to check the tightness of the petrol pump unions and its coyer, as air leaks at any of these points will affect the delivery of petrol. Now turn for a moment to the ignition. The oiling-up of one plug is hardly likely to bring the car to a standstill—look for something which affects all the plugs. For example a broken or disconnected wire leading to the coil or the distributor; a loose battery terminal, or a chafed wire which allows the current to “short.” The coil is unlikely to fail, but its efficiency or otherwise is easily tested by removing the high-tension cable which runs from coil to distributor. Hold the distributor end of this cable within half-an-inch of some unpainted metal part of the engine or chassis, and then turn the engine over by hand. If a bright spark occurs at the terminal, then you may take the coil to be in good condition, at least, the coil is not the reason for the engine coming to rest. If this test gives a negative result, turn to the low-tension system. There should be a fluctuating movement of the ammeter needle when the engine is turned with the ignition switch at “on.” And see if there is a spark at the contact breaker points if you separate them quickly with a screwdriver when the ignition switch is “on.” If not, look for a defect in the low-tension wiring, or a bad or broken connection which should be quite easy to locate, as you - have

It may not be possible to make these adjustments by the roadside and the owner-driver must recognise that his car is not to blame for such a contretemps—he himself is the culprit for callously neglecting a highly efficient r and complicated piece of machinery which is so carefully designed and constructed as to operate faultlessly indefinitely if given adequate maintenance. At the same time, however, something may be done to enable the car to proceed, under its own power, to a garage or service station. Clean and • adjust all the plug points, and the distributor points; clean the distributor casing inside and out. Repair, as best you can, any chafed or broken wiring. See that the high-tension cables do not “short” against the cylinder block t or any other part of the engine. Improve any dubious electrical connections. Clean the petrol filters. There is only one way to prevent roadside breakdowns: and that is to follow the maintenance instructions given in the handbook. See that these are carried out systematically and after the mileages stipulated, and you are almost certain to enjoy complete ! immunity from that awkward experi- ! ence which comes “If the engine fades out.”