MOTOR AND CYCLE

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1931, Page 14

MOTOR AND CYCLE

PETROL TANK •

( THE CAJR’S ACHILLES '■ 1 '(London Motor Correspondent.y Car designers appear to be favouring/ increasingly the rear position for the petrol tank, and in the case of some of the 1931 models it is to be noted that this position has ‘been adopted in. preference to location under the dash, which obtained on cars of the same ■makes in 1930. This departure is being (hailed by many motorists as a very desirable reform, presumably because they imagine that a petrol tank in close proximity to a hot engine adds to the danger of fire. This view may conceivably have some substance, though it is unwise to be dogmatic about such things. It has never been proved that tanks under the dash are more dangerous than tanks, under the driving seat or at.the rear of the chassis, and it is certainly a fact that there are a great number of cars •with the tank under the bonnet in commission at the present time, and that ~ such a position has been popular with many makers for years. Yet the number of cars: that-go on fire annually is infinitesimal.. In regard to the risk, of fire, it has been the practice of some designers to so contrive their chassis that the petrol tank was neither in front nor -at the rear. They literally made the driver sit on the possible cause of fire by placing the tank under the driver’s seat. ■The disadvantage in such an, arrangement, however, in the case of at least one well-known make of car, that every time the tank had to be filled the driver had to dismantle the scat to secure access to the filler orifice. REMOTE RISES. Personally I think the best arrangement is to place the petrol tank somewhere amidships under the chassis, and to run the filler orifice out to the side of the car, say between the two doors. I should like to see this practice adopted, not so much because I imagine there is much risk of fire on any type' of •modern car—whether the tank is in front or at the rear —but ‘because the supposed dangers to the front tank are offset by the peculiar risks to .which petrol tanks at the rear are subjected. The other day I managed to stop a fellow-motorist whose filler cap had disappeared. It was a rear tank and the gaping aperture leading to the petrol might at any moment have received a lighted match carelessly thrown away. I -mention this incident to show that even rear tanks are not entirely immune fi/oni the risk of fire in certain circumstances.

But the rear position subjects the tank, as I have stated, to a particular risk, that of being rammed by another car. I have had such an experience, so I know. It has always been a mystery to me why better protection is not afforded to this vital part of a car—a veritable Achilles heel; —either by way of special armour or by tucking it away well under the chassis, where it will not •be the'first thing to be hit in an impact at the rear.. .' A POINT OF-LAW. Only those wfio have undergone the experience of having thejr tank perforated know the' unpleasantness involved. It is bad enough to be put out of action on a lonely road, but even more agonising is it to suffer such a casualty in a busy thoroughfare.' Not only is one thrust into embarrassing prominence •because of the traffic hold-up, but a ..sensitive imagination, coupled with a : little knowledge of the law that is merely dangerous to one’s peace of mind makes ono apprehend all sorts of nasty possibilities. As the petrol gushes from the tank to the ground, one almost expects some fool to throw a burning cigaretteend te a lighted match into the mess. This would not matter so much if <nly one’s own car were concerned—at least so it seems at the time —for a damaged car to most owners looks in so sorry a plight that he feels it might just as well be destroyed altogether. But I am told -that the law in such cases is that if another car catches fire or other property is damaged. through the escape of petrol from your tank, you are liable for all the damage, and it is not at all certain that the insurance company will pay U POne could, of course, plead in such a case that the real culprit is the driver whose car bumped into the tonk, but in these matters it is terribly difficult to apportion negligence. The othei* fellow might, for instance, allege that you stopped too suddenly for him, or gave him no warning that you intended to -stop. As to . the insurance aspect, if other property were set afire the insurance company might asse r t that sufficient precautions were not taken to stem the flow of petrol or to prevent it spreading. FITTING OF BUMPERS. . ■ . I ■' But legal considerations apart, the fact remains that the petrol tank is a singularly unprotected component bn many cars and that even tho rear petition does not represent perfection. That being so the rear tank cannot crow over the front tank in the matter of immunity from danger. It is admittedly easy to point to defects in a car, but not so easy to furnish suggestions of a constructive nature. My own impression is that the safest place for the petrol tank is somewhere under the chassis, tucked away, and protected by the chassis itself from all risk of impact. It would naturally require to bp well away from the exhaust. With such a position it would, of course, be necessary, as I have already indicated, to place the filler orifice somewhere easily accessible from either the near or the off side. 'Some cars and commercial vehicles already adopt this practice, and I do not see why it should not be universally adopted in tiine. On some makes of cars bumpers offer a partial protection for the rear tank, but the main purpose for which ‘bumpers appear to have been designed is to protect the wings. This accounts for the tendency on so many cars to fit partial bumpers over the rear wings. Such an arrangement is conducive to greater neatness of appearance, but, after all, safety should come before appearance. FILLER CAPS. Incidentally, It may also be useful to point out to manufacturers that the filler caps they provide are often unsatisfactory. If the cap is of the screwon variety, the thread of the screw often goes; if of the spring or bayonet fastening type, it is fatally easy not to replace it correctly after the tank has been filled. Within recent times I have lost several filler caps because the garage hands have not replaced them properly after filling my rear tank. These experiences have made me replace the filler cap mysd(beven at the risk of hurting the -pronpssional pride of the garage hands. I Jhope thus to keep it for- a much longer period than usual, but inevitably iq will go of its own account, a flimsy affair. I think that, in the case of components suclj. as petrol filjey, caps and,

radiator caps, the makers should give us somewhat greater solidity even on lowpriced cars, for these articles are always being handled and the wear is great.

CAR WHISTLES FOR ATTENTION.

OVER-RICH MIXTURE. It is doubtful if anything more surprising can be found than a car which whistles to its owner when it requires attention. Such a car, however, already exists. Even with the science of motorcar manufacture as it is to-day, the car has yet to be made to. give audible indication when it is time to fill up with petrol and oil, but these new cars whistlu when the mixture is likely to become too rich. The phenomenon is easily explained. The air is filtered through “steel wool,” and when this becomes choked with impurities—impurities which the very existence of the filter have prevented from reaching the interior of the engine—the mixture naturally becomes rich. On many cars this passes unnoticed for days—perhaps weeks or months—and heavier petrol consumption results. But on the new cars a small whistle is incorporated in the air cleaner, and the moment there is the slightest restriction in the main supply the whistle comes into operation. The owner can then wash out the steel wool and the filter is good for many more thousands of miles. It is seldom, of course, that such attention is required, but the fact that this whistle is fitted shows the lengths to which manufacturers of high grade cars today will go to ensure economical and ,trouble-free tunning.

MAKING MOTORS MIND.

HELPFUL HINTS. i(By W. B. Franklin, service manager of General Motors, New Zealand, Limited.) When a battery is charged or discharged very quickly it will overheat, and the overheating may result in tho plates warping. When the plates warp, the paste will fall out of the grids. Not only will this prevent the battery from taking a charge, but it will shortcircuit the plates at the bottom. Using the starting motor for a considerable time at a stretch means a quick discharging of the battery and a possible overheating and warping. Therefore, if the engine does not start quickly, do not use the starter for a long time, but get out and find out why the engine does not start. Never put acid into the battery. Distilled water is the only kind to be poured into a battery. This is because in distilling water the steam is driven off, then caught and cooled. This process leaves the iron and other materials behind, so that The water obtained bj’ distillation contains nothing that can cause destruction to the battery plates. The distilled water should cover battery plates. For cleaning spots from the car upholstery, household ammonia has much to recommend it. As compared _ with many substances, such as naptha, it has the especial virtue of being non-inflam-mable and consequently less dangerous. Never hold a match- over the battery to check the level of the solution. It is like holding a match over the “gas” tank. It is most important that tyres be iept properly inflated iu warm ,

(Heat is rubber’s natural enemy. Underinflated tyres, flexing more, generate ■more heat. ■ 'Repairing an oil leak in the 'engine not only reduces the cost of lubricant blit also is an effective guarantee that the engine will be getting an adequate amount of lubricant most of the time. The modern automobile requires a delicate touch in driving. Owners who are aware of the fact and who try to get the ‘‘feel” of their new cars quickly are the ones whose repair bills are usually lowest.

THE “AIRPLANE CAR.”

STARTLING ENGLISH AFFAIR. j Designers of aircraft are putting their minds to the -problem of building motorcars that may alter some of the present standards of automobile construction..A unique motor-car resembling an enormous “lady bug” is startling motorists on the English highways. It is known as a seven-seater “airplane car,” and in it the resigner has embodied many aviation principles. It is claimed that this “airplane car” saves 50 per cent, on petrol, 50 per cent, on horsepower through streamlined design, and even economises on tyres because at high speed it touches the ground only very lightly. The pointed front of the car noses its way through air resistance and sends the air scurrying over the top of the airship-like body. ■ _ Driving the car gives a sensation akin to that of driving an airplane before it leaves the ground. There are no road shocks; there is no engine sense as the engine is at the extreme rear of the chassis; and fumes and heat are absent, necessitating artificial heat in cold weaither. The rigidity of the . far’s con-,

struction is such thqt it can roll over without danger of the roof’s collapsing, it is said. The car is seventeen feet long and is capable of 80 miles an hour, but its-appeal is said to be in “useful speed rather than maximum, silence, good springing and extreme ease of entry and exit.” ' '