MOTORING NOTES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19035, 2 April 1930, Page 15

MOTORING NOTES

BY

“MAGNETO."

"The Star’s” Service Column: Weekly hints on the maintenance of the car will be published in this column. Correspondence on any subject concerning motor-cars will be welcomed and will be answered. x A Few Necessary Hints. Test tyre pressures before going on a iong run. Don’t go out without tools. Don’t laugh. It can be quite easily done. Carry a spare tube and a few spare valves. Carry a valve key or one of the small screw caps sold with inner tubes. Look around the engine for water leaks. They are liable to go unnoticed. Look after the battery. It is a valuable accessory as you will find when it fails to function. Don’t neglect the annoying engine rattle or body squeak, or trouble may result in the shape of a big repair bill. 3$ i't & When Adjusting Brakes. Brakes need adjusting at regular intervals and the foot brake at least should skid the wheels. When adjusting, don’t take too much slack up in the devices provided on the brake rods, as this shortens the throw and takes away a great deal of the leverage. 95 9$ X Plug Points. Quite a big factor in the saving of petrol is the correct adjustment of the plug point gaps. An incorrect gap will heat up the engine, cause mis-firing, and lead to quite a number of minor evils. The correct gap varies between .025 in. for magneto systems and slightly larger for battery systems. k 8 Driving Slowly. Do not drive too slowly in top gear. It causes undue wear and places too much of a strain upon the transmission and engine. Change down, especially in traffic. Remember a traffic policeman likes to see the back of your car as soon as possible after he has given the "comc-on” signal. Changing down makes for quick getaways. Main Road Users’ Rights. Declared as being “impracticable,” “years ahead of us,” and “too costly,” the proposal that major road trafficshould have preference over minor road traffic was opposed and finally rejected by the South Island Motor Union at its meeting last week. Mr W. T. Ritchie, representing South Canterbury, brought the matter forward as from his association. It must be stated that as sponsor of the suggested change he put up a strong case. Mr A. E. Ansel!, president of the union, declared that the scheme was not practical and stated that the offside rule at present obtaining was the simplest way. So far from the proposal being impracticable, the question that jumps into the mind of every thinking motorist is “why”? America, which is admittedly the home of correct traffic control, has the two rules. The difficulty seems to be that the main roads of the Dominion are not suffiiciently well defined. This, in the writer’s opinion, only exists in cities and large towns. Could not the difficulty be got over by making the proposed rule apply only in rural areas, the offside rule to operate in urban districts? Then the difficulty arises: “How is the motorist to know where an urban district starts and where a rural area commences?” It might be possible to get over this by marking the boundaries at least so far as the main highways are concerned. In any case if the rule of right-of-way for main road users can work satisfactorily in the U.S.A., surely New Zealand with its smaller traffic problems could manage to get along with it. As Mr Justice Ostler once said: “The main road user has a right to travel at a reasonable rate of speed.” The strongest argument, however, is that on a main highway it is practically impossible to observe the right-hand rule owing to the fact that intersections are often narrow and obscured and the rate of speed usually maintained prohibits the driver from slowing down sufficiently to cross with safety. In the writer’s opinion the onus of care should be placed on the minor road user.

As far as the argument, “years ahead of us” is concerned, surely it is the policy of every progressive body to keep its measures a jump or two ahead of requirements. New Zealand has a great future for motor-transport, perhaps as great as any other country in the world, and its traffic laws should be kept modern and even ultra modern. Educate the public to a new rule now. Then, when it really becomes necessary, when the number of vehicles in the cbunty has reached a peak, the rule would be a habit. Mr Passmore says that whilst human nature remains, the motorist will not stop for a sign unless he happens to feel inclined. That, of course, is no argument at all, because it applies to every traffic regulation, including railway stop signs. The cost, as Mr Freeman says, should not be quoted as a deterrent. Cost is an argument that is too frequently quoted as a reason why progressive schemes should not be gone on with. The Age of Speed. This is the age of speed—many

motorists demand it. Speed limits on principal highways have been raised or removed altogether in some countries, but for the individual, the modern problem of speed is one which each must decide for himself. Few will deny themselves the occasional thrill, but probably many will find that life will be pleasanter if they make a habit of more leisurely motion. The man who goes “ all out ” when touring misses a great deal of pleasure. The scenery through which you drive, and the fascinating life of the countryside; the opportunity of giving a hand to the fellow-motorist; the hundred and one occasions of beauty or interest which may be met by the roadside, all make for greater pleasure and happiness than speed for speed’s sake, mileage for the sake of mileage.

Braking at Intersections. Whilst touring car speeds are on the increase and cars travel quite fast in safety, the owner should not be unmindful of the best method of reducing speed at cross-roads on approaching bends and on other occasions, for an enormous amount of wear and tear can be avoided if the necessary reductions in road speed are effected by the aid of engine deceleration alone, leaving the brakes to serve as the final retarding effect and for use in sudden emergencies. Considered in the light of design and construction, it might be held that the braking system should be constructed in such a manner that no undue stresses should fall upon any part of the chassis or transmission, however violently the brakes may be applied; but, as every practical experienced motorist knows, numerous examples of twisted axleshafts, strained splines and badly worn universal-joints have been due to perpetually harsh treatment on the part of car drivers with regard to brake manipulation.

Brake design has improved considerably in recent years, but occasionally one encounters examples of touring cars in which the actual adjustment of the brakes varies with the load carried in the car, so that if the brakes are regulated to work properly with one or two passengers “up ” they may be found to drag when the car is filled to capacity. A car possessing this defect is a source of anxiety, because if adjusted for full load operation the brakes may not come fully into action when the car is light and, on the other hand, additional stresses may be imposed upon the engine and transmission by dragging brakes when the car is fully loaded, should the adjustment be regulated for the maximum braking effect for light loads. This may entail frequent adjustment of the brakes for varying loads; which, though inconvenient, is the only safe plan to follow with an imperfectly designed brake lay-out. News and Views. The Main South Road is very rough at present. Potholes abound and the surface is in a bad state. The culvert near Dunsandel is still being constructed, although months have elapsed since its commencement. Drivers should be careful at night, as an obstruction of this kind is easy to hit, even though it is lighted. Stray cattle on the road are a danger at any time, but at night they can be a real terror. 'l'wo inconsiderate cows got adrift on the Main South Road on Monday night and parked themselves in the middle of the highway. Along came a car, picked up one of the stragglers with the head-lights, swerved violently to avoid it, and very nearly ran hard into the other. It was a narrow escape which might have ended in disaster, because the violent braking caused the car to skid uncontrollably in the shingle. I suppose these moving obstructions must be classed as another road hazard blameable to nobody. A correspondent writes in inquiring if the Matipo Street railway crossing is still a compulsory stop. The wigwag signal has been installed and is working satisfactorily, yet the yellow discs have not been removed. Must a driver stop, he inquires, if the arms of the wig-wag are still and no bell is ringing? vl x According to the information tendered by the Railway Department, the moment a working visual signal is installed the crossing ceases to be what is known as a compulsory stop crossing. A little delay occurs before the signs are removed, but the yellow discs will be taken away in due course. 8 8 The grades on the Waipara bridgeOmihi section of the M,ain North Road have been considerably improved of late. A certain amount of difficulty is experienced in negotiating those places where reconstruction is taking place. Three visiting motorists complained very bitterly this week over the fact that they experienced considerable difficulty in negotiating the reconstructed portions. From a report received from our Waipara correspondent on the matter, however, the dangerous places are plainly marked. Care should be exercised from the Glenmark church onwards. 8 « X The popularity of Corsair Bay as a motorists’ picnic place has been considerably enhanced since the macadamised road from Evans Pass to the bay was put down. The drive over from Sumner has great scenic attractions, and need not cause the novice driver any anxiety.