THE MOTOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1566, 9 October 1912, Page 3

THE MOTOR.

(Br Asirinus.)

SOME EMERGENCY HINTS. The following "emergency- hints" wore written some time ago by A. T. M. Gray, and published by the Austin .Motor Com- : pany iii their privateadvocate. The hints i wis appeal tu nearly all motorists, ami will no doubt bring back to ninny, experiences that they .themselves have had when . the car was new and they \y>re eager. The. writer of these hints states that they are based on actual happening.-', and are ■ "just the-er-inspiration of the moment." , A good many motorists have had similar , happy thoughts just "'after' the moment." The writer states:— 1 Now, before-starting up it is a goon thing to switch on. i'hysical exercise is 1 not -thereby belittled. It. is merely suggested that jerking a starting-handle is not conducive to symmetrical development. Sandow docs not recommend it. , Keports to the contrary notwithstanding, sawdust is not the best cure for noisy gears. A passion for experiment leads to several places—including prison, lunatic asylum, and bankruptcy court. Besides, you are supposed to be running a motorcar, hot a sawmill. If the engine persists in stopping directly you let the clutch in, it's a good tip to.examiae the hand-brake. If this is found to be on very tightly, try to reason out the probable effects of loosening it out a few notches. Efficient braking power ts pre-eminently necessary, but you can have too rauch of a good thing. You had better complete the reasoning process quickly if you happen to be iu traffic. The shaft of a horsed vehicle through the back of your body is not helpful. The idea of the petrol tank is that it shall hold petrol. A firing mixture consists largely of air, but. a firing mixture wholly of air is not. a mixture, and won't fire. This is unfortunate because, otherwise, real economies in the fuel department would certainly be possible. However, it's just one of the penalties a man must pay for being a motorist. A Harmless Dissipation. Tickling the carburettor is a perfectly | harmless form of dissipation, so'long as you don't drop a light into the flood puddle. If this should happen, walk quietly to the nearest village for u spade. Hurrying may startle the other occupants of the car, and cause a dangerous-stampede. Cool deliberation is a first essential, it may bring you much more than the sec-ond-hond value of the car from the insurance company. If the car is not entirely destroyed when you get back,-take hold of the spade firmly, with the right hand grasping the handle, and the left a little advanced down (he haft. Set the edge of such spado to some likely earth, place the left foot on the left shoulder (No! Shoulder of the spade, of course) and press forcefully. You will probably jerk the spade out of your hand at first, but unless you hove pressed at the wrong angle this will not matter. Otherwise you may get a whack on the knee-cap that will make you sympathetic with all housemaids for ever more. ' If,-however, the spade handle falls away from yon, vou may say what you please ■ but it should not be forgotten that the car is still burning, and that, if only foi the sake of appearances you must get some earth on to- the' engine,, and generally make the vehicle as messy as possible. Of course, you can't save the car, but if you have seen your wife out of danger, wrenched off the valuable fittings (if any), taken the number of 'the kicnl policeman, and a few cither precautions like that, your whole duty has been done. You are tlie'fSttings in pocket, and, if a moil of resource,' you linvo managed to retain the spade. Then yoil claim as much over the market value of the' car as seemcth good in your sight from' the insurance company; borrow Jones's, and go away to recuperate. This emergency ha.s been dealt with at some length, because it is important Chances have been missed in this connection'sufficient to make angles meet. Only by eternal vigilance (known in tho vernacular as an eye for the main chalice) may one coinu to greut reward. Carburettor tickling is an absorbing topic.' It is tho first thing a man does when the engine won't fire—and often the last. It has beconio so like second nature to a motorist that men have been known to puil up with a burst tyre..stop the car, switch off, get down, and absent-mindedly tinkle tho carburettor. • If after judicious tickling she still refuses to flood, turn on the petrol tap. If nothing happens, buy some petrol. This is generally efficacious. . If you miss your gears and so;nebody (:v bystarideivperhaps) says "Rotten," it's a sign that his culture is no better than your driving. It is perfectly lawful to g> rod at the ears, but only a taxi-driver is equal to an effective retort. It is better to get back to first as soon as possible and push on. You'll feel calmer after a bit. Exciting Experiments. To crank with the gears in mesh is exciting, but not always expedient. If sho comes at you, kick two holes in the road to enable you to get a good grip with the feet, lay the whole weight of tho body against the radiator, uud push. The re- , suit will surprise you; but at any rate tho coroner's jury have nothing worse' than "suioido while of unsound mind" 10 return. Tlio idea, of course, is that, the change speed lever shall be in neutral, but if you must have it anywhere else, make it the reverse. 'Sprinting alter a car is splendid exercise, but the odds are 200 to 1 against you ciitchirg it before it hits something. This, howo'ver, need not discourage you. The longer the odds the greater the victory. Don't imagine because a. car can run to Edinburgh and back on top gear that all the other gears are unnecessary or useless. ' You've already paid a lot of money for them, and unless you want to pay a lot more, use them. You are not selling cars; you are btiying them. That makes, a difference. You can drive round corners on two wheels, but the other two are occasionally, helpful. If you waii't to do something for effect's sake, make a practice of letting in the clutch with a jerk. The tyre companies won't mind, although the lady in the rear seat, who has her hairpins driven into her. head, might. But the ladies never Were good sportsmen. • They must always have some real or imaginary cause for complaint. May as well make it a real one. "The N.Z. Autocar." The Ford motor-car manufacturers, represented in New Zaeland by the Colonial Motor Company, Ltd., have recently established a publication under the title of "The Now Zealand Autocar," and the seventh number of the first volume has just-been brought out by the 'Wellington Publishing Company, Ltd. Several of . the leading English firms' publish magazines, which contain much that is readable besides motor topics. They deal in a most interesting, way .of motor tours, over { various parts of the globe, and in some 1 case.s are excellently ilhislttited. There ■ is no doubt that.such magazines can do ! much to facilitate motoring ill any 1 country, and if the Vord Company con- 1 tinue as they have begun, they will be a great help to. the motoring communitv here. In case some sceptical people will -i smiie a superior smile and make some 1 remark about, modern advertising, il may be advisable to uphold the foregoing .-Inti- 1 menl by a quotation from the hv-t number i of the booklet. ' Jn an article on the "Auto Fiend, coninient is made on those "hog-motorists" who seem to firmly believe that Ihe road belongs In them, and goes on lo point out that in New Zealand there have been sufficient accidents to demonstrate, the necessity of a law to remedy (he existing order oi' things. Local bodies have tried lo enforce bv-laws without any appreciable effect, and the evil is daily growing worse • and worse. The role ol the road tor i wheeled traffic is deliberately ignored. As , nil instance it is asserted I hat. the way m j which some cars and motor cycles are driven through the llorokiwi George between I'aiiaulniim and f'aekakariki is a disgrace. The .speed on anv such road , should never exceed ten miles an hour, j and the horn cannot lie used too fie- ( quently. There arc .numerous sharp and , dangerous corners for quite two miles, , and yet il is a common sight to see autos , rushing through without reducing speed | or using any means to warn others of their approach. Any magazine, no matter : for what business purpose it be set up, | ilia I fosters motoring in such a way can < only be welcomed, and will no donbf be j widely read by oilier than owners of fhe f Ford cars. ' r