MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3196, 21 September 1917, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Olutch.")

Headlight Glare. In our news columns last week an acoount was given of headlight glare experiments which are being carried: out under tlio direction of the city motor expert (Mr. L. S. Drake). Tho offaet of tho experiments thus far is to suggest that'the best solution of tho problem is the "use of a prism lens which' deneots tho beam to the road aad diffuses glare, with little, if any, loss of light. Covering tho lower half of an ordinary lens with ground glass is to an extent effective. This devico turns down the beam and does away with the upward-directed glare, but these results are secured at tho coat of sacrificing part of the light whjoh an efficient prism lens concentrates in a useful and non-dazzling beam. Tilting tho lamp in order to turn tho beam down without sacrificing light does not offer a satisfactory solution of the problem. Dazzling glare cannot be wholly eliminated in this way, and in tho caso of gas lamps, which are largely used, tilting has tho offeot of concentrating fhe heat of tho lamp-flame, with disastrous oifocts upon a cowly mirror-reflector.

Not a Recommendation. A favourite recommendation in selling a car is that it will pick up speed very rapidly; but it would, seem that both dealers and manufacturers are working against their own interests in suggesting such, methods of operation to users o? cars. To accelerate a oar weighing over a ton from five miles an hour to forty miles in fifteen or twenty scab's means a tremendous strain on every portion pi tho machine, with consequent rapid deterioration, and is' especially destructive ox tyres. Moreover, thero is no. reason.ahlo advantage in the procedure, for tho time gained thereby could hardly, be measured with h stop watch in a oar's run. Tho result is attained by supplying a much greater power result than tho user has need for; it also means that the car-owner pays for a lot of petrol consumed by tho excessively large oncino, which has been of no benefit to nim.

Battery of Magneto Ignition. Due probably to the inoiflonoo of the way, whioh-led to:the scarcity of magnetos, ovon in America, it seem 6 that the battery systom of ignition has made considerable headway in tho States, and to such an extent that it has been predicted that the magneto miglit be superseded. Still, the relative merits of the two ignition systoms.form a very debatable question in Aincricn. to-day, and thoro are many motorists who are firmly convinced that tho magneto possesses some peculiar ..quality of spark tnut oaAnot bo imitated by means of an induction coil, and therofore has a distinct value for ignition purposes. With the magnobothe first spark wliioh jumps from point to point of the plug is followed by a flame, which is maintained for a considerable period. . Tho question is, whotlior or not it is of any particular 'value, ond when the solution is sought •by discussion, tho matter becomes involved in all sorts of complications as regards the turbulence of tho mixture, its density, and a numher of other considerations. It is probably safer to argue from practice rather .than from theory, and, several exports, after lengthy experience on the road under all conditions, backed up by results noticed in a number of workshop tests, havo como to the conclusion that the magneto iB the most efficient known form of ignition, assuming that'the timing of . tho spark-by the driver is not' always absolutely. perfcot, having regard to engine speoa. With perfect timing there does not appear, to be anything to choose between the two systems, but perfection-is seldom attainable, and the magneto. limits appear to have , the faculty of correcting imperfections, or; at any r?te, of. rendering their effects less noticeable than with coil ignition, ■

Here and There, . Answer to a correspondent.—Such' pret parations .as you mention vary in quality and'effect. Some.of them produce stearic acid and pit tho cylinders^.. A number undoubtedly contain'caustic soda, and are harmful. The particular preparation you name is said to be free from these defects, but I cannot' personally vouch for its efficacy. Castor oil is not a' suitable lubricant for a; motor-cycle. Though it is used in aeroplane work, aid in mai ohines which/are frequently and thorough-ly-cleaned out, it is not suitable'in the ordinary way for- light high-speed en- . gine3, because it gums under intense heat. • Since tile outbreak of the war; motor vehicles, in Great Britain have decreased over 200,000. . Of this..number 50 jier cent, wore passenger motor-cars, i According to the latest- figures there are now only 331,887 motor'vehicles-in Britain, niade up as f0110w5:—150,249 cars, 21,258 motor-trucks, and.160,290 motor-oyeles. In. 191'1 the figures were:' 281,175 cars, 22,191 motor vehicles, and 233,381 motor-cycles; French motorists who use their care for private purposes are now limited to tiro gallons of petrol a day. This is a. more generous allowance than' English motorists receive.

Eighteen motor-cars which went to' the bottom of the sea in a steamer that was sunt off the coast of .China have recently been recovered. They were, it is stated, so little the worse-for being submerged for a.period of six months that they have been put in good running order at;a cost of about £i 0 per car. Clogging of the silencer :is ; hastened whea too much oil is fed to the engine. The unburned oil is forced hack into the silencer, where it covers the parts, permitting them to hold carbon and dirt. A- thorough cleaning' is possible 'only when the silencer is removed and partly dismantled/ but oftei lump's^'of oil-soaked dirt irfay be loosened by tapping tho sides of the silenoer lightly with a hammer. 'After cleaning the driver'will at once notice a marked difference in the performance' of the' car.-■ Go over tho! lekther on. the . car occasionally with a good dressing and the difference in the appearance of the upholstery will repay you a thousand times. It also keeps the leather soft and pliable, helps it to resist rain, and prevents it from wearing out so rapidly. A careful driver isn't necessarily a godd driver. Poor brakes, remarlis an American oracle, help'to keep tho-doctors and the undertakers Busy. The dirt collected on the outsido of tho engine is not merely an eyesore. It gets into the hearings and causes loss of power and wear. This shortens tho life of the engine. Jf the dirt is removed regularly this ,wcnr is prevented, and the ear will last longer.,