HANDLING A CAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 12

HANDLING A CAR

AVOIDING MECHANICAL TROUBLE | Witli the ever-increasing numbers of gars on the road, it is not surprising to hear all kinds of comments referring to the varying degrees of driving skill noticed in town and open country, but most of the discussion usually centres around the subject of driving as affecting the comfort and safety of other road users. Sometimes one is apt to question whether the speedman is much more of a menace than the dweller who for want of confidence gets in the way and creates difficulties for other car drivers. This is only one of the many aspects of car driving discussions, and, one could dwell almost indefinitely upon types <;f drivers and their methods; but the object in venturing on this subject is tu draw attention to the fa ci that driving has a most important influence on maintenance costs, the expense incurred in renewals, adjustments, etc., which the motor-car owner is called upon to Leaf. When reflecting upon the causes of some of the mechanical defects arising in privately-owned cars there are often very good reasons for flßpposing that a fair proportion of •nth defects could be avoided if the owners displayed greater care and skill when handling their cars. It is, of course, a well-known fact that similar types of car will show very different results with regard to wear in comparison with the actual running mileage. When a car has suffered from continuous rough treatment an opportunity for discovering the fact will occur during the course of repair operations. As a general rule, however, opportunities of this kind are overlooked, with the inevitable result that the same sort of wear occurs again and again, and no definite steps are taken to prevent its repetition. One of the most expensive driving habits responsible for excessive wear is that best known as the “accelerator-brake style” of driving. The driver who habitually jerks his passenger against the backs of the seats by violent acceleration, or expo ses them to the risk of being thrown forward out of their seats by sudden

application of the brakes, Is not at all popular; but more than this, be is making his own motoring far more costly than needs be by imposing tremendous and abnormal stresses on every part of the chassis mechanism. While touring car speeds arc an the increase and cars travel quite fast in safety, the owner should not be unmindful of the best method of reducing speed at crossroads, or 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.

The habit of driving “on the dutch” is another prevalent form of bad driving and should be studiously avoided. No matter wna.; form of clutch be em ployed, no undue amount of slipping should be allowed. Car drivers a'.e sometimes advised to keep on top gear as much as possible to save petrol, but actually when an engine is labouring on top gear it uses more fuel than when running half-throttle on a lower gear, and, further, in the latter case the wear and tear on the engine and transmission is considerably reduced.