Hello Winter!

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 34, 3 May 1927, Page 11

Hello Winter!

Temperature Changes Necessary Readjustments FOR THE MOTOR ENGINE King Frost, or his Auckland equivalent, limed his advent with extreme exactitude this year, and the cold months seem to have now set in. The winter season requires a lot more from the motorist in the way of car attention, cold wet and slush or mud, having the power to considerably depreciate the engine and the car. I asked Mr. C. B. Gleeson. of Dominion Motors, to prepare a note or two for motorists on the subject of winter attentions, and here is what he says: EFFICIENT WHEN WARM “Engines, like men, do not operate at their highest efficiency until warmed up. An engine should not be asked to take the load or raced until it has had a chance to warm up. This applies particularly to sleeve valve engines. Owners would be well advised to let their engines run for a few minutes before driving off on the cold mornings. Radiator shutters should be taken full advantage of. OIL CHANGES “Lubricating oil requires changing more frequently in the winter, due to the fact that greater condensation takes place in the crank-case, contaminating and emulsifying the oil. “A certain amount of benzine vapour leaks past the pistons of every engine, more so when it is cold, and this gas condensing in the crank-case ruins the lubricating property of the oil very quickly. “The manufacturer’s recommendations with regard to summer and winter oil grades should be very strictly adhered to. Lighter or heavier oils will cause more harm than is generally believed. “Different engines require different grades of lubricant due to different characteristics of design. An owner may be of opinion that his car runs better with a grade lighter or heavier than recommended, but he does not take into consideration—even if he knows of —the excessive wear or carbon deposit that may result from using the wrong grade. “Gear-boxes and differentials very often require lighter oil in winter, and it would be advisable for owners to have these units examined. CHOKE CONTROL “Do not use the choke control more than is absolutely necessary. It draws raw spirit into the cylinders, washes the lubricating oil away, and causes excessive wear to the pistons, rings and cylinder walls. Pushing the car out into the sunlight some time before starting, or placing an electric heater to throw heat on the engine, will facilitate starting, and will help to minimise oil dilution. DIRT AND WATER

“Carburettors, vacuum tanks or sediment traps, and brakes and under-car-riages, require cleaning more often in winter. Moisture gets into the benzine more easily. Badly fitting tank-gauges and caps, and wet tins or funnels, and filling the tank in wet w.eather, are the main causes for water getting into the tank, apart from bad benzine, and sweating tanks. “Misfiring on a cold morning is very often due to moisture forming overnight on the spark plugs, coil and distributor terminals and wires. This can be very much minimised by placing a cover over the engine—over the engine, not the bonnet. A car should not be parked on an earth floor, as moisture rises overnight and settles on the engine. A concrete floor covered with boards, or even boards for the

tyres to run on, is the ideal garage floor. “D, wring the winter in particular care should be given to cleaning down the undercarriage, which is often much more important than the body. High-pressure water should be used on the under-gear to free it of mud and ammonia from street refuse, the latter of which is one of the greatest enemies of steel. Water should also be directed to the brakes, freeing them of as much grit as possible. The greatest cause of brake-band wear, on outside contracting brakes, is grit in mud picked up on wet roads. Highpressure water should not be used on the body work, in cleaning which lowpressure, and a leather, should be used simultaneously. “We do not require to consider the eventualities where there is snow or ice, and where the radiator should be drained at night. Water has been known to freeze in the carburettor, blocking the benzine flow. “Some cars perform quite well on second-grade spirit in the summer months, but require first-grade in the winter. OVERHAUL “The following should be overhauled at this stage: 1. The kit of tools. 2. Screen-wipers. 3. Non-skid chains 4 Brakes. 5. Hood. (5. Curtains or glasses 7. Lights. “Also any place where water is likely to leak into the benzine tank, tonneau, or on to the engine or electric equipment.”