HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20260, 31 July 1937, Page 28 (Supplement)

HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

USEFUL SPARE PARTS. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. I it is a rather remarkable thing that ! in most standard cars no provision is made in the equipment for spare parts tor the electrical equipment. The ! motorist of experience will not think of going far afield without at least a few spare parts with which to cope with minor troubles. The parts which should be carried consist of spare headlight and taillight bulbs, a box of five spare fuses, and a roll of insulating tape. | In purchasing these spares, care must be exercised to see that those j suitable to the car are obtained. Fuses of less than the required amperage will not be of much help. In j addition to these spare parts, a sharp | knife and a very small screwdriver, j capable of fitting the tiny screws I used in electrical connections, should be Included in the kit, while lit least Iwo spare sparking plugs, again of the right type, will be useful additions. Must Be Stowed Carefully. Most of these electrical spares arc of rather a delicate nature, and must be stowed in the car very carefully to prevent their being damaged. They can be kept in a small tin cigarette box lined with felt, but it is far better to arrange special sockets for the sparking plugs and lamp bulbs so that they are held In a similar man ner to those which are in service. For example, a small hardwood block may be drilled and tapped with the same threads as the plugs and screwed to some convenient place, such as the engine side of the dashboard. Here the plugs will stay until needed with no possibility of damage. Useful Trouble Light. A good idea was passed on the other day by a motorist who makes one of his spare bulbs serve a double purpose. He mounted it in the position described, but also wired it to the ammeter with a small switch interposed, and thus was able to light up the -engine compartment at night for small adjustments needed. The fuses and insulating tape are not particularly fragile, and be carried safely in one of the door pockets. It is commonly believed that a blown fuse indicates bpyond any doubt a fault in the wiring somewhere, and many motorists start on a hunt for trouble before replacing with a new one. But it seems certain that fuses often go simply through old age' or a temporary heavy consumption of current, and it has been found that it is worth while to replace a blown fuse straight away with a new one and await developments. If the new fuse takes the load satisfactorily, there cannot be much wrong. It is only when a replacement blows straight away that a search for frayed wires and short circuit should be made. A Blown Fuse. In the event of a fuse blowing with no spares in the car, a temporary repair can be made by wrapping tinfoil from a cigarette packet round the old one and replacing it in Its clips. Another idea is to connect the two metal ends with ordinary fuse wire. These makeshifts, however, should never be left in place permanently, but at the flrkt opportunity a box of fuses should be purchased and one placed in the clips. The old expedient of hooking a hairpin across the fuse clips is dangerous, because, if the wiring is overloaded this will be too strong to blow and the next weakest link in the eleotrical chain, probably the lamp bulbs, will give away under the strain of the excessive current. THE SKIDDING SEASON. While every season of the year Is skid time for the motorist who does not take care, the winter time is the danger season of the year because of the weather and road surfaces made tricky through various causes. It is noteworthy that a very large number of motorists do not adjust their driving habits to suit the conditions of the weather. Obviously a braking system which may be quite effective in fine weather on a dry road may be found wanting in an emergency on a surface made greasy by moisture, or coated with frost In the early morning. Speed should be regulated to agree with the actual road conditions me't with. Speed whloh may be regarded as 'safe on a dry road may be very dangerous on a wet

By continual use, paved road surfaces become glazed, and such road surfaces when wet offer less frictional resistance to motor-vehicle lyres, no matter how good those tyres may be. It is highly important, therefore, that motorists should not only adjust their speeds to meet the climatic conditions prevailing, but they should also ensure that the tyres of their vehicle are adequate to perform their proper function—that is, provide road grip. Far t°o many cars are being driven about ihe roads today with tyres which are worn smooth and offer no frictional resistance to the roadway. And again, It is mentioned that if a motorist drives about with a pair of smooth tyres, those tyres should be on the rear and not on the front. The use of properly treaded tyres on the front is an essential to safety, as they give greater security in steering. One of the most fruitful causes of skids is the use of front tyres which do not grip the road and cause drivers to lose momentary control of their vehicles. See your tyres are /right on all wheels and adjust your speed to meet road surface conditions.

A COLUMN FOR MOTORISTS.

THE EMERGENCY MARGIN. Despite the effectiveness of modern brakes a number of stem to stern collisions still occur in city streets because drivers persist in driving too close behind the car in front, and are unable to avoid the leading vehicle when an emergency stop is made. A few years ago stop-lights gave ample warning, but the efficiency of present-day brakes Is such that unless a driver is concentrating on the stop light the warning is insufficient lo avoid a collision. This warning applies particularly to drivers of older model cars and trucks whose brakes lack the stopping power of the modern vehicle. Drivers are, therofore, advised to exercise more caution and not follow closely behind another vehicle. Recognition of this fact will prevent an appreciable number of crashes.

SPARKS. A motorist drove a car of th« “baby” type up to the rear door of a Wanganui retailer’s premises reoently, and asked for a box, providing, he said, one could be spared. He was sporting enough, however, when an extra large box was offered, to point out that he wanted to put the box in the car, not the car In the box. Christchurch night owls must beware of the Transport Department’s night patrol in future (says the StarSun) . The roads in and around Christchurch are being watched just as closely during the hours of darkness as they are In daylight. An allnight patrol has been organised by the department, and according to reports, its operations have already met with success. It has been pointed out that some people consider there Is a relaxation of the regulations after the rush of daylight traffic has ended. This often leads to danger, and the night patrol has instructions to correct this false impression.

A novel petrol pump which automatically shows the value of the petrol delivered will soon be making Its appearance at up-to-date filling stations. Motorists will then be able to draw up and order, say, “five shillingsworth” Instead of a definite number of gallons, or they can “take the change in petrol” Instead of waiting until the attendant draws an odd couple of coppers from the till. The new pump Is known as the Wayne Computer, and the mechanism can easily be adjusted in accordance with petrol price fluctuations.

Motorists Involved In acoidents in New York State are asked to sign the following pledge, states the Public Safety Department of the National Automobile Club: “I pledge myself to respect the speed laws of the community in which I am driving—the rights of pedestrians and the rules of the road. To drive only a regularly inspected vehicle to insure greater safety—to stay in the proper physical condition for driving—to drive safely at all times, with care, courtesy and common sense." Last year New York State —with the largest population—decreased its traffic deaths by 9 per cent.

It is a common practice nowadavs for engine designers to provide a down pipe to lead crankcase fumes out well below the side travs. Some of these seem to be rather long and in danger of being closed up by stones or stumps in rough country. The result would be a somewhat hotter running motor and possibly the emission of unpleasant oil fumes from the crankcase breather. So keep an eye on this pipe and see that it is unobstructed. The same, in fact, would apply to exhaust piping, which, when kinked, will bring about generally unsatisfactory motor performance and cause overheating.

EDUCATING THE MOTORIST. MOTOR UNION’S SLOGAN. THE FIVE “ PS ” A GOOD RULE. Impatience, Ignorance, Intolerance. Inexperience, Intemperance. These five “I’s” have been chosen ) as the motorists’ slogan for the prevention of aooidents. This conclusion was reached by a sub-committee appointed at the last quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union and circulated to associations. The report points out that, after analysing the most prolific causes of aocidents, education should first extend in the direction of eliminating i 1-hem, and that all motorists should adopt the slogan. “ The personal touch Is the most effective, and education by personal contact would be more effective than by the publication of booklets or statistics,” the report adds. DIFFERENTIAL BOLTB. Items of tightening frequently overlooked even by service stations are be bolts or set screws that seoure he differential carrier flange to the banjo housing. The same may be •aid of the sleeve attachments to axle centres. Looseness is easily detected by the presence of oil leakage, and the sleeve's or carrier flange may be seen moving in relation to the housing or centre. In certain cases the only permanmt repair is to fit new bolts and packings. And where bolts protrude from inside they should be tightened securely before taking upon the outside nuts. THREE-POINT WINTER DIET. Motorists anxious to avoid the winter troubles of starting and wear will be well advised to put their cars on the correct winter diet. Here are the three main points to be observed:— 1 Have the crankcase and gear-box drained and refilled with the correct winter grades of a high quality motor oil and gear oil, and change the motor oil at least every 1000 miles. 2. Have all the chasis points greased regularly with high quality lubricants. 3. Change to a highly volatile petrol that will give split-second starting. This diet will make starting as easy in the winter as it is in the summer. It will prevent wear, facilitate gear changing and give perfect engine protection at all speeds.