The Washington times., 1913-02-22
SHOULD UNDERSTAND
THEIR MOTOR CARS
Automobile Owners Need to
Know What, Where, and
Why Things Are So.

Get acquainted and learn to know and
understand your car. This little truism
and bit of advice applies to every owner
of an automobile, from the possessor OF
the modest little runabout to the owner
Of the hig touring car or limousine, VINO
forever has tabooed Il should worry"
The automobile of today is one of the
mcst perfect bits of man-fnade mechan-
ism. almost as ,intricately, although not
as deliciately constructed, as is the
high-priced and dependable watch. and
1t can hardly be classed as insensate. 1t
needs understanding care; ii even needs
loving care.
1t is the customary and proper thing
in the homes of the people of means to
maintain a nursery with competent at
tendants; to look after the children un-
der ordinary circumstances. But when
sudden Illness comes and doctors ser
vices are not Immediately available IL is
the parents who must know what emer-
sency measures to take. The automo-
bile Is a mechanical child; subject to
whims, crochets. and little, easily-rem-
edfeo ailments, but il demands not only
intelligent but loving attention. and this
can only be given ii by the owner when
an emergency call comes.
Owners Should Know.
The hired chauffeur may be an ex-
pert and loyal to his employer, but if
of the mechanism and operation of his
car, and one of the frequent minor ills
of the road develops the temptation
g for fIn raA ,1.nNra
TO save himself trouble, or even possi-
bly, earn some side commissions by
running the car into the nearest garage
or machine shop and letting some one
else do the worrying" while Mr..
Owner foots the bills
The above is not intended to imply
that majority. or even any large
number, of chauffeurs are careless or
dishonest. In fact, the reverse is true
as general rule, and this rule would
- universal If the car owners under
stood his own car. was himself able to
locate, with ear and eye, the source of
minor troubles and capable of remedy
ing defects or personally acting as a
pilot or even as repair assistant in
the event of road emergency
Added Touring Joys.
This. to say nothing of the added joys
of touring to the man, or. perchance,
woman owner of a motor car. Ad-
mittedly 1t is pleasant to loll back in
the tonneau seat, have a hired driver
keeping the car under control, and re-
view the scenery as il whisks by with
Kaleidoscope rapidity and variety.
But your true motor car enthusiast of
the owner class is not thus idly content
He may be content, even If his hands
the thrills of the pilot are the real thing
but if he understands his car, the
song Of the motor, running rhythmically,
is a sweet melody, and, the slightest
miss is discord which requires instant
attention and investigation.
The miss" may be ever so slight, but
IL the car is attuned il will sound like
the roll of thunder, and il will mean
that immediate action may avert future
and trouble. The chauffeur
might notice IL and simply say to him.
self that an overhauling in the garage
would be In order when the trip was
ended. But il the owner was wise he
might take a stitch right there on the
road which would save him nine in the
garage or the repair shop later on.
II the car owner is wise and acquaint-
ed with his car the instant that the dis
cord In the even action of his engine is
noticed he will know that the miss
must be occasioned gy one or the other
is to be found in one or the other of a
very few places.
Can Locate Trouble.
He will be able to locate his trouble
either in ailing magnetic, possibly due to
water having short circuited it; in a
broken or loosened wire leading to one
OF the cylinders: a fouled or choked
spark plug, or a badly carbonized valve.
Again, IL he is on personally friendly
terms with his car, and all cylinders are
t,.tf hA riran ic dtnp
coughing, he knows that the trouble is
TO be located in the earburetor, being
due to too ricn or too weak mixture of
gas and air or to some impeachment or
dirt which has gotten into the gasolene
and choked the carburetor needle valve.
Then, again, there Is the question OF
tire trouble, blowouts, and punctures.
the ever--resent bette noir of the road
tourist. No precautions which may
be taken will guard against the oc-
casional picking up of nail or a sharp
and destructive piece of glass, or
against a stone bruise which may spell
disaster at any time, but the owner
who knows can minimize these troubles
by intelligent instructions TO his chauf-
feur or intelligent driving, If he himself
be handling the wheel. 1t must be OBJ
vious that a car cannot be driven over
q rough road, Or one prolific in THANK
yema' ANS" as it would be over smooth
macadam without inviting trouble.
end favored
Should Oversee Work.
And when the tire trouble comes. as
come IL must to every tourist, il is at
least well for the owner tc be able to
oversee the work Of his driver, see that
the latter takes no chances on pinching
the inner tube in making the replace
nent and that each holding lug is prop
erly adjusted A knowledged of tempor-
ary and makeshift blowout patches is
also a most valuable acquisition IN
times when the intelligent use of a sec
ton of a worn-out tire Or even a sec
tion of an old leather shoe has been
made to serve as emergency blowout
patch and thus saved a tour from an ,
ending on the road far from
any relief station.
Despite the fact that this year many
Of the cars. and especially the higher
priced ones. are equipped with self
electric or otherwise the
problem still remains more or
less with Us. and ii is wise owner I
who personally studies this phase Of the
touring problem. On all care where
hand cranking is necessary. II the bat
be possible to turn the engine over and
get spark and action with three
quarter turn of the crank.
And there is certain snappy action |
TO this that is required which every
owner should require. If, after two or
three OF these turns, the engine still re-
mains stubborn. II is owing to its hay-
ing suffered too long cooling, and the |
can be easily remedied BY |
lifting the hood, opening the pet cocks
and flooding the cups with gaaolene
rom q priming torch. which should he |