Your Oakland— Its Care and Maintenance

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 278, 14 February 1928, Page 7

Your Oakland — Its Care and Maintenance

A SUN special feature to assist the otener-driver to obtain the maximum results in performance by the proper care and treatment of his car.

Give your Oakland a few minutes of your time each week, and you will be amply repaid by years cf troublefree running. There are three main things that must be attended to: (L) Lubrication, i.e., oiling and greasing of chassis and engine; (2) eleetrical equipment, and (3) tyres. Because of the extreme simpliicty and straightforward design of the Oakland car, these items do not present any great task, thereby allowing the owner-driver to give his or her car every attention in an efficient manner. In the case of'a new car the oil pan should be drained after the first 500 miles of use, and refilled with ar good quality oil, like, say Double Shell or Gargoyle A. Examine oil level every time the car’ is used, and refill if necessary. Every 1,000 miles, completely drain oil pan, flush out with oil (not kerosene), .and refill with fresh unused oil. The internal working parts of the engine are lubricated under a pressure system which is connected with the oil gauge on the dash. Always keep an eye on this indicator to see that the system is working properly’. At 25 miles an hour on high gear the indicator should be about 10 to 12. Oiling and Cleaning the Gearbox.— Every 1,000 miles, remove the plug, and allow all the oil to drain out. Replace the plug, fill the gearbox with two quarts of benzine cr kerosene, and run the engine -for a minute or two. Again remove the plug, and, when drained, replace plug tightly, and fill the gearbox to the level of the filler x plug with good oil, similar to, say, Gargoyle C. Watch the oil. level regularly, say every 250 miles. The rear axle should be treated in identically the same manner. Never use grease in either the gearbox or rear axle. The clutch is the single plate dry disc type, and requires no lubrication

WHY TYRES WEAR OUT SEVERAL REASONS KNOWN Foolish question? Not at all. There is a lot more to the answer than most of us suspect perhaps, says a tyre expert in the “Goodyear News.’* First of all there are at least a dozen factors which affect tread wear and only two of those that are under the control of the tyre manufacturer. These two are: Quality of tread compound and nature of tread design. The other factors that are variables in the question of tyre wear are: Weight of the car, the load carried, inflation pressure used. Under-inflation causes rapid tread wear. Experimental tests have shown a difference of 25, to 50 per cent, faster wear resulting from four to five pounds under-inflation. Then again, if wheels, either front or rear, are out of alignment, loss of mileage in tread is sure to result. The driver himself is another consideration. Some di'ivers create rapid tread wear by abrupt starting and stopping. Frequent and quick stops mean more rapid tread wear. Fast driving is also a cause of rapid tyre wear. In a recent test tyres driven at 45 miles an hour wore down twice as fast as those driven at 10 miles less an hour. It is perfectly obvious*»too, that rough or abrasive road surfaces take a quicker toll of tread wear than smooth highways. And then, too, the hilly country is harder on tyre mileage than the level territory. Summer and winter driving have their effects. In hot weather tyre treads wear much faster than in cold, and, by the same token, tread wear is faster in dry weather than in wet. So you see why there are several reasons tyres wear out. CAR A NECESSITY'.

WFAT AMERICANS SAY. Of all the necessities of life, American farm women rank the motor-car first. Running water in the kitchen conies second, a sink third, telephone fourth, and radio set fifth. This was revealed by answers to 40,000 questionnaires sent to American farm women by the Federation of Women’s Clubs. Nearly four-fifths had cars, one-fifth radio sets, over a half telephones, and less than one-third had running or pumped water at kitchen sinks. Questionnaires sent to 4,101,581 families in the United States covering both city and rural areas revealed that in 1926 56A per cent, of homes had telephones, 55.7 per cent, motor-cars, 46.2 per cent, gramophones, 40.4 per cent, pianos, and 24.1 per cent, radio sets. In communities of less than 1000 of population the proportion of families owning motor-cars reached 60 per cent. In cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, 54 per cent, of families had motor-cars. J

other than the release bearing every 500 miles. The universal joints should be oiled with gearbox oil every 3,000 miles. The lubrication system for the rest of the # chassis consists of an easilyoperated pressure oil gun system, which should be gone over regularly with the proper kind of oil as indicated in the driver’s manual issued with the car. This covers brakes, steering, wheels, chassis, etc. We'come now to the electrical equipment. This will require little, if any, attention, if general care and cleanliness is maitained. The system is sixvolt, with usual generator, starter, ignition, etc. Spark advance is automatic. An important unit is the battery, which needs regular and careful attention. Keep the terminals clean. See that the level of the acid in the cells is kept above the top of the plates by addition of distilled water. If the battery runs down, have it recharged as soon as possible. Tyres should also receive regular attention. Once a week check for tyre pressure. See that pressure is all four tyres is equal. Wrong pressures affect the performance of the car, inasmuch that steering is made heavy, the engine sluggish, and petrol consumption increased. Finally, some general hints. Keep the radiator filled with water, and occasionally flush it ou_t. Fan belt requires adjustment sometimes. The clutch should be adjusted when the pedal is only half an inch off the floor boards. Steering box and connections require plenty of oil, otherwise the action is heavy and tiring. The carburettor should not be touched except by a competent mecnanic. If every Oakland owner gives attention to the points mentioned above, a considerable benefit will be obtained in the way of greater reliability, more satisfactory runnning, and lowest possible cost.

A fire extinguisher which puts out flames by freezing them has been demonstrated in England. The release of gas so chills it that -it is partly solidified, forming an intensely cold “snow,” which again changes into gas. This process readily absorbs heat from the burning materials, and when the temperature is sufficiently lowered the fir© goes out.