MOTORING NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23332, 16 October 1937, Page 20

MOTORING NOTES

ANTI-KNOCK FUELS BENEFITS FROM CHEMICAL RESEARCH e “It may be wrong to say that no ?. modern car suffers from ‘pinking’ but J. it is not incorrect to claim that none t, need do so,” states The Motor. “This happy state of affairs is of recent h origin, and for it much credit must go a to the fuel companies. il “It is not generally realized that in if anti-knock value the cheap fuel of y today is as good or better than the - highest grade marketed 10 years ago. - The No. 1 fuels show a corresponding improvement, and certain types using [1 ethyl or alcohol blends, or alternaa tively using special processes in manue facture, have a resistance to knock i, that will meet every requirement of s present-day engines. o “Manufacturers have, it is true, taken e advantage of improved fuels by raising a compression ratios, and thereby giving motorists more economical and coolere running engines. At the moment, s however, certain restrictions in design e prevent compression ratios being - raised much higher, and the oil company chemists can, therefore, cone gratulate themselves on having adt vanced beyond automobile engineers t for the time being. “Close co-operation between the two [, does, however, exist, and petrol eni. gines working on compression ratios s equal to those now used on Diesel ent gines are by no means impossible in e the future. For the moment let us, as ordinary motorists, appreciate that » we dwe a bi l debt to the fuel coma nanies and their chemists." LONGER LIFE FOR TYRES t Many motorists find that by runf ning with their tyres under-inflated - they can make up to a certain ex--8 tent for springing deficiencies and set cure a more comfortable ride. What is » gained in riding comfort, however, is » lost in tyre life. j The motorist, therefore has to choose i between his personal feelings and his s motoring expenditure. Many will pre- - fer to ride with under-inflated tyres j for the sake of comfort, and with some suspension systems this can be apprej ciated (especially with cars that are a year or two old). To get the greatest life and the s greatest security" from the tyres, how- - ever, it is essential to maintain the j pressures recommended by the tyre or i car manufacturers. These are all - worked out in accordance with the load carried a wheel, and if they are not r maintained the cover will be damaged, I the rate of tread wear will be increased ; and it will soon be found that road grip is lost. Furthermore, soft tyres will . exert greater wheel drag, so that fuel consumption will also be increased very » slightly. j It is important also to maintain the > correct alignment of the wheels—front ■ and back. An example was given re- • cently which showed that an error of I a jin in the alignment of a wheel is • equivalent to dragging a spinning tyre > sideways on the road for 22 yards in • every mile. Tread wear takes place • rapidly in such cases. ; BAD DRIVING : No fault of a poor driver is worse : than that of passing another car on the brow of a hill or on a curve in the road. If a foolish driver tries to pass you ( in such circumstances, slow your own car as much as possible, so that he ’ will pass you with the least delay and t you will be able to stop quickly if he , gets into trouble. ' When he starts such a move, put ; out your hand as a warning signal. , If he disregards that, you can be sure ; he is a dangerous driver. Let him pass t quickly. Remember that a car travelling 40 , miles an hour is covering 66ft every ; second. The slightest fraction of time i can bring another car over the hill or i around the curve unexpectedly, and [ disaster is upon you. A good driver will never be guilty ’ of this lapse of sanity. i SPEEDING BURNS PETROL i Whether a journey be covered in ‘ one hour or two, the number of revolutions made by the engine (apart from short periods on the indirect gears) is the same. Consequently if the engine be regarded as a pump, ! the amount of petrol-air mixture which 1 will pass through it depends upon the ’ extent to which the throttle is kept : open. This varies, however, to a cerj tain extent in view of the fact that the wider the throttle the more effi- ; ciently does the engine make use of ’ the fuel. None the less, the consump- • tion a mile increases as the time ! taken over a given journey is reduced, and in the case of high speed a one- ' hour journey would show an appreci--1 able increase in fuel consumption as ' compared with a two-hour journey. 1 The faster one drives the heavier the fuel consumption. ’ Speed also raises the consumption J of lubricating oil. Further, it is harder on the tyres. Speed may gain time, : but it only does so at a cost. Time ’ may be money, but in ordinary motor- " ing time gained is money lost. MYSTERY BUS TRIPS Just as Britain and New Zealand - have indulged in mystery train trips, 1 Americans in parts of their country r can now enjoy the privilege of mystery > bus trips, the one charge covering all expenses. Most of the tours cover r approximately 200 miles, and each is t in charge of a social director. The trips are in general to woodland camps, hotels at lakes or the seaside, - etc., so that boating, swimming, and sports are available. Evening dances, - picnic lunches, and points of interest - en route all find a place, and all j comes without any thinking out be--1 forehand of where to spend the sumf mer week-ends.