Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31094, 24 June 1966, Page 9

Auto Gossip

by

A.J.P.

Instrument Lights A bright light on the dash can be very distracting at night, and can also reduce the driver’s night-vision. All cars should have a rheostat on the instrument lighting, although judicious application of paint on the light bulbs can work wonders. In some cars, however, the manufacturers provide a dimmer but negate its advantages in other ways. One popular model, for instance, has all the instruments marked in black letters on a white ground—excellent during the day, but most difficult to read at night If the lights are dimmed so the glare of the white background is reduced to a comfortable level, the black figures are invisible. A black background and white letters is the answer. Shut In I never realised how much I opened and shut the driver’s window on a car until the other day, when the

winder in my car broke off in my hand. After several attempts to wind the window up and down with the remaining stub of winder, I gave up and drove all the time with it down, and the heater on full blast to compensate for the ensuing influx of cold air. I am all in favour of fresh air—as long as it is warm! Causes In my case the winder breakage was probably caused by two things: a faulty casting, and the stiffness of the winding gear. The windows have always been hard to wind, mainly, I think, because the curved glass creates extra drag against the felt channels, especially when the felt is wet. I must try “lubricating” the felt with a little graphite powder, or pencil lead.

Any Preference? Frankly I am not sure whether I prefer the type of window which has a handle winder, or the type which is raised by a small catch or square of glass fastened to

the window itself. Both have advantages. The “pull” type is much quicker to use, and eliminates the handle which, on many cars, is placed where it either jabs into your knee, or is so close to the seat edge you skin your knuckles every time you try to open the window. The disadvantages are that the mechanism tends to rattle, it sometimes weakens and the window winds itself down over bumps.

Another Fault Another fault of the winder-type is that many carmakers gear the mechanism so .it takes six or more turns to raise or lower the window, which is rather upsetting when you are stopping and want to give a hand signal in a hurry, having seen in the mirror that the. truck behind, its driver with that faraway look in his eyes, is bearing down on your boot as if he meant to park in it. Maybe there is a lot to be said for electric window-lifts after all!

Quote of the Week “Recent investigations . . have shown that in far too many accidents the real cause can be traced to neglected tyres, with under-inflation or sidewall damage being the culprits.”—From an editorial in the "Autocar.”