The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-05-18

How can stop the rafting in the
brake bands on my carr ....
Possibly the brakes need refining.
When worn down they usually are
noisy. Also SHIN up the suspension
points so that there will be no lost
side motion. It is advisable to use
small coil springs to keep the suspend
ed parts from hitting the brake drums.
When | throttle down the motor of
my car for two or three minutes and
then open the throttle the motor seens
to choke and sometimes will stop alto
aether. Can you tell me the troubie7 .
Your trouble is in the carburetor.
Would suggest your trying a new
auxiliary air valve spring. Also In
spect float and float valve and note If
same work freely and properly.
The other day started 70 operate my
car after having had il in the garage
for four months, during which time the
battery ran down. A man told me that
it would do no harm to the electrical
end to 90 ahead and run the car with
out having a battery in il to take care
Of the current, saying that II had no
battery to receive the current it could
not generate any. Later on ! met an.
other man who said that ! should not
run, my car mile without a battery in
it because by so doing ! would burn
the wiring out of the dynamo, because
! was generating current and that
without the battery there to receive It
would put my electrical apparatus all
out of commission. Which opinion 10
correct2
In the first place, you were wrong in
leaving the battery in the car for a Pc
riod of four months, during which time
the battery was allowed to run down.
The battery should have been given an
extra charging at occasional intervals
in order TO keep the specific gravity up
TO the standard, which is between 1875
and 1900. In laying up the storage
battery for the winter 1t must be re-
membered that the battery as used for
electric starting and lighting or for
electric lighting only Is strictly an elec-
trochemicaI apparatus and requires a
certain amount Of care whether idle or
in actual service. Therefore if the car
owner will bear this in mind and fol-
low the directions given herein he
should have little difficulty in keeping
the battery in good condition during
} the winter months. If the battery Is
always filed to the proper height and
| kept fully charged within the limits Of
the standard 1880 to 1895 it may be
safely considered as being in healthy
condition. Every car owner should
| have hydrOmeter syringe to use In
| determining when the battery is fully
| charged. and it will also be found con-
venient to use in filling the battery
! with water.
Inspect the battery once every two
weeks and take a gravity reading Of
the electrOlyte with the hydrometer
syringe to determine the strength or
capacity of all cells. after which fill
| each cell to the level of the inside COW
er with pure distilled or clean rain
water. You should run the engine for
a period Of two or three hours, as nee
essary, until the gravity has reached
1880 In all cells. The engine should
be operated at a speed equivalent to a
car speed Of fifteen to eighteen miles
per hour. You may find it impossible
to charge the battery on account Of
the necessity Of placing the car in
storage In this event, If alternating
current is available. small vibrating
rectifier can be used. This can be at
tached to the wall and connected to
any standard lamp socket. Charging
the battery overnight, or twelve hours
every two weeks would be enough.
If you do not want to be bothered
with the care of the battery while the
car is not used You may send 1t to
the nearest battery service station,
where It can be treated for dry stOr'
age, providing it is in healthy condi
ton when sent.