High Road and By-Road

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18630, 7 May 1932, Page 20 (Supplement)

High Road and By-Road

engine temperature. THE COOLING SYSTEM. WATCHFULNESS PAYS. Probably the radiator and cooling system is the most neglected part of the car. Most motorists gne it little or no attention, except occasional topping up with water or tightening of the pump-shaft packing gland Few seem to realise that the cooling sjs tern is not to prevent the motor Iron, boiling or becoming objectionably hot but to keep the engine at its be operating temperature,, namely, about 185 degrees Fahrenheit. An air-cooled motor, whether aeroplane, motor-cycle, or car, has arr exceedingly wide range of operating temperatures, and the, designers have tremendous difficulties to overcome in order to provide adequate and sufficient cooling under all condtions. A water-cooled engine does not operate under such greatly \aiy Ing ranges of temperature, nevertheless the temperature may often exceed that for which the cooling system was designed. . The consequences of running with a motor that Is too cool are just as serious as if the motor were abnormally overheated. Overheating can be traced to many causes, such as faulty circulation of the water through the radiator and cylinder block and head of the motor Itself. Other causes are slipping fan 'belt, too rich or too lean a mixture, retarded spark, dragging brakes, overfilled gearbox, or a motor that requires decarbonising. Another thing that Is likely to produce overheating is the thermostat, for should this be out of adjustment it may prevent the free circulation of the water when the motor is hot. Radiator shutters, whether controlled automatically or manually, which do not fully open will cause the motor to run. hot. , ... Usually there may be no visib.e evidence of overheating, but in serious cases the radiator will perhaps boil over or fumes will be felt within the

More. Sorloua than Over-heating. Over-cooling is not readily noticeable, but is more serious than overheating. When the motor is running too cool the oil is sluggish and cannot be whirled into a fine enough spray to adequately lubricate the cylinder walls. A cold motor requires a /.ich mixture (as evidenced when starting from cold), but a rich mixture never completely burns away, so raw petrol is left on the cylinder walls, destroying the oil film and causing dilution. Radiator shutters that are left wide open when the motor is cold allow the engine to remain cold. The shutters should be closed when the engine is cool, and gradually opened as the motor warms up, and for this it is necessary to keep an eye on the engine temperature gauge. Similarly a damaged thermostat which allows the radiator shutters to open too soon, or allows the water to circulate toe freely when the engine is cold, will not help the motor to reach its correct temperature. The majority of cars are run over-cool; it is only when they are driven fast on the open road that most of them are allowed to reach the correct temperature.

A COLUMN FOR MOTORISTS.

Deriving Greatest Energy from Petrol, Internal combustion engines give their greatest thermal efficiency when operating at a temperature of just over 185 degrees 'Fahrenheit. At this temperature the greatest energy can be derived from the petrol, and. the oil becomes fluid whilst still retaining the required viscosity and body. Below this temperature a richer mixture is required to develop the same power and flexibility, since much heat is dissipated by the cold metal of the engine. Overheating, that is, running at a higher temperature than about 185 degrees Fahrenheit, thins down the oil, with the result that there is more wear on cyflinders and bearings. Moreover, if the motor is too hot the gases entering the cylinders will be unduly rarefied. Overheating is experienced In modern cars in good order only when they are put to hard pulling up steep hills, through sandy roads, or are driven at high speeds. How often does one hear from a motorist who has just completed a run of two or three hundred miles that his car ran sweeter than ever and pulled like a Trojan? The reason is that the engine was at a proper temperature, since on such a tour fast speeds are usually indulged in, together with heavy loading of the car with luggage. If a car runs best on a fast or hard run, it is a sign that under normal conditions it is over-cooled. Intelligent use of the radiator shutters will maintain correct temperature.

ELEMENTARY SIGNALS. SAFETY ON THE ROAD. STOPPING AND TURNING. The growth of the motor transport system has made the question of road signals a most important one, and the Motor Vehicle Regulations contain important pro'visions which every motorist should know. Of course, mere knowledge is not sufficient, but given the knowledge it can be applied. The knowledge should be universal, and the application also universal. Almost from the advent of the automobile organised efforts have been under way for the education of the highway user in the special conditions and problems of motor traffic. This has been a fundamental principle of automobile clubs and their work in this field has been steadily extended. ■Most of the signals are contained in the regulations, but volumes of regulations will not prevent accidents if people fail to apply them. The signs require simply care, caution, and commonsense, which, after all, are the three basic principles of the regulations.

Two rules of motoring—the two most important rules—do not require siganlling. They are ‘‘keep to the left” and “give way to traffic on your right." Records show that a very largo percentage of accidents are attributable to two or three major causes and circumstances. Violation of the right of way is one of the most pronounced causes, and another, almost as frequent, is driving on the wrong side of the road. It is a fact that motorists usually fail to observe the keep to the left rule on the most dangerous parts of the road—at corners.

The two most elementary signals embodied in the regulations are first bending the right forearm directly upwards 'with the upper part of the arm directly outwards from the body and horizontal, at a point at least 30ft before the point of stopping, as a warning to vehicles in the rear that, the driver proposes to stop. The arm should be kept in this position until the vehicle is brought to a standstill, and, second, extending the full right arm horizontally to the right at a point at least 30ft before the point of commencing when about to turn to the right. The arm should be kept in this position until commencing to make the turn. Many drivers, when giving these signals do so in so slovenly a manner as often to lead to confusion.

The strange sight was to be seen on New Year's Eve in Rome of policemen on point duty directing the traffic with growing piles of New Year gifts heaped round their feet, preesnts from motorists who would slow down their cars at the crossings to hand out their gifts and wish the smiling policemen a Happy New Year. This unusual ritual is the result of a campaign by an institution known as Automobile House to develop friendly and practical co-operation between police and the motoring public for the better regulation of traffic in Rome.

TEST FOR DRIVERS. AN INTERESTING APPARATUS. ROAD DANGERS TO ORDER. An interesting apparatus has been designed overseas by a professor of psychology with a view to providing tes'ts to ascertain the faults which contribute to poor driving of automobiles and consequent road accidents. The motorist taking the test seats himself in a motor car body in the laboratory. He lias the usual steering wheel, gear and brake levers, accelerator and clutch pedals to work. In front the driver sees a miniature landscape painted on canvas with a road winding across it, with curves, cross-roads and hills. The landscape revolves towards the driver on two rollers. On (he road is a toy, car which is guided by a mechanism connected with the steering apparatus of the car in which the driver sits. When the test starts, the driver starts in low and changes gear as in ordinary driving. As the landscape, operated by a variable speed electric motor controlled by the accelerator, revolves on the rollers, the driver must keep the little car on the right side of the road. As lie changes into second gear and then inlo high, the car moves faster, or rather, the landscape revolves under it more rapidly. The driver must keep the car on the road and must obey signs which drop into position at intervals, just above

the roadway. lie has to turn sharp curves, for which .lie must slow down. JTe must shift to low gear on a steep hill and speed up on a straight road. lie may have to stop at an arterial highway. He reverses, turns , sharp corners, sounds Ids horn, when j the signs command. And all the time he must keep the tiny car on the road [ by operating the steering wheel as he | would if his own car was actually moving. When the driver is piloting the car over the road an apparatus to the left of the landscape is recording, with annoving accuracy, the number of times' the driver is off the road, the length of time off the road, and the total time required for the trip. The trip consists of a certain number of rotations of the canvas landscape, which is automatically timed, and may be long or short as desired. There appears to be common sense in this novel application to ascertain why some drivers get tangled in traffic and Involved In road accidents, while others drive for years without trouble or accident. Possibly the time will come wlmn motorists applying for their driving license will he sub.jecled by tiio police authorities to a test on a'machine of the nature described. Tho nap of upholstered cushions, pressed down by constant silting can he refreshed by spreading and patting down on a hath towel or thick cloth that lias been saturated in hot water. Wring tho cloth nearly dry before placing It over tho portions of the upholstery affected. Tills treatment should be followed by a good brushing.