Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-18
DO|NCS IN THE AUTO WORLD
New Accessories Put Finishing Touches Old Cars-Fs to Automobile Owners in Regard to Garage Fire Pre- vention--Suggeston on Storage Battery.

Providing the car with certain new accessories gives the owner an opportunity to renew his worn -out | equipment, to add new accessories and | to change the nature of others, as his | experience from his preceding years | driving may dictate.
 The tires, of course, will require re- newing, for it must be remembered | that the effect of time is as disastrous on tires as is actual mileage covered. l Many instances may De cited in which the spare tire, which has practically seen no service whatsoever will have detefiorated more rapidly than any one of the four which had been in constant use and which were pur chased at the same time.
 Another portion of the ar'S equip ment which possesses certain 'de- nitely indefinite" period of usefulness is the starting battery, which, even with best of care, should not be eX- pected to give more than IS months service. The end of this IS months period therefore, will give the owner the opportunity, if he so desires, to experiment with new kind of start ing battery, as well as with a different brand of tires.
 ical perfection found in the power plant of the modern car, the owner can afford to pay greater attention than ever to the appearance Of his vehicle. Tn the days when large ex- penditures were necessary annually for the overh&uling and mechanical repair of a car, the average motorist l did not feel warranted in the addl- tfonal outlay for repairing, varnish- | ing, up-holstering, or recovering the l top.
 1 Whether the finish or the car of a year or two ago will require attention | or not is much a matter of the care which it receives, as well as of the work put upon it by the manufac- 1 lures. The car which is washed regu- | larly with harmless soap, or is pro- ! tected from tEe disastrous effects of | accumulated dust, mud or grease by a coating of wax or similar material, may need no attention. so far as the i the upholstery and top material are an inferior quality, however, and, due to exposure to rain and sun, have l become cracked or leaky, new ma teriaIs should be supplied immedi- ately. An attractive appearing and
 waterproof top is necessary on any modern car, and with the several | varieties of special top and seat cover | ings On the market at reasonable prices, there is no excuse for the | owner to be seen in a shabby car. | Certain parts of the equipment of the car should give service as long as the vehicle itself Among these are the speedometer. the clock, and the
 various tools, wrenches, pump, and the like. To be sure, the speedometer shaft may require a new link or so,
 and the pump may need new packing,
 but such attentions are in the nature
 of ordinary repairs and cannot be
 classed as replacements.
 Drivers who use a pipe will be in | o1 I,, mo ;Nf T-
 ing it in a few seconds without using
 the ordinary cleaners. The spark plug
 cable from one cylinder is removed tc
 make the cylinder imperative. A pei pipe held over it, so that cylinder
 compression is used to clean the pipe. Taking out insurance after the bon
 fire in the garage is the modern paral-
 Tel of the man who went to the lock
 smith after thieves had visited his
 stables. And yet it is being ra-enacteC
 every day.
 Whenever a shiny, new car is sac
 rificed to the flames, it's owner is quicl
 to attribute the disaster to anything
 under the sun except his own care
 favorite p1aints. And yet the Nev
 York Bureau of Fire Investigation ha!
 records which show that 75 per cent of all garage fires are caused by th' | careless exposure Ol 1I0 u s5dSSO-IuS That magic fluid which has quick
 ened transit and befriendeG manllint is quick to resent insult. The mal who deliberately smokes In a garag
 or in a place where gasoline is kept is guilty of the next thing to arson.
 When you drive into a public gar
 age the first sign that greets you read
 something like this: we are not re sponsible for loss from fire" So i you value your car, it is up to you tt find out how that garage man handle . his business. If his floor is strewl with oily waste, if there are pools O oil and gasoline on the floor, if h.
 greets you with pipe in his mouth
 drop into reverse and back out. Fo
 gasoline is treacherous. At times : is possible to wave a flaming matcl
 above an open tank with impunity
 again. explosions have occurred wher
 gasoline vapor was carried in the ai