Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-03-10
TROUBLE HUNTING
TO BE METH0DICAL
If System Is Used Trouble
Will Be Located More
Easily.

Most of the troubles incident to the
operation OF a motor car may be To-
Gated very quickly, If one will but 20
after them in a systematic way, and
not wander aimlessly about the engine
and other parts. The hardest thing a
driver has to do when the engine stops
or acts up is TO divest himself Of tne
idea that he knows just what the trou-
bic Is. He is sure he can fix il in
minute, and he putters around Il long
time before he makes up his mind
that 1t is something else, and 1t taxes
a lot of time to prove that to some
persons.
II the engine stops on the road and
pressing the starter pedal fails to start
1t, the first thing to do is to get the
crank out OF the tool kit and crank
over the engine. If, with the gears
In neutral the engine cranks over
hard, II indicates a lack OF lubricating
oil. or lack of water, which has al
lowed the engine to reach a tempera-
ture where the lubricant fails to per-
FORM its work. If the engine turns
over fairly easy II is <ot Necessary to
look Tor oil or water trouble.
The next test is for compression. II
the driver Is not experienced and is
unable to tell simply by the resistance
10 the starting crank if each cylinder
mas compression, he should open all
petcocks except on one cylinder and
turn the crank two revolutions. not
| ing If there is a resistance for one
! quarter OF a revolution in the two
/ revolutions.
If one cylinder has very weak or
no compression, the trouble will be
found usually in the exhaust valve.
FIRST examine the push rod and see If
there is clearance between it and the
valve when the valve is supposed to
be closed; If there is, the valve must
be lifted out and the valve and seat
inspected for carbon. Sometimes a
piece OF carbon will lodge on the
valve seat end, due to the hammering
or the valve, will become fastened to
valve or seat. For temporary repair
generally it can be scTaped off with a
knife and the valve be ground in
upon reaching the garage.
If the trouble is not in tho exhaust
valve, it might be in the Alet valve.
In some types Of engines the valve
mead may break off and get into the
cylinder and when the piston comes
up punpch hole in the piston head. A
| petcock may be loose so that It will
Jar open sufficiently to affect the
| compression and so cause the cylinder
to miss fire. These troubles usually
are confined to one cylinder and not
to the whole engine
The gasoline Is the next to be In
| spected. Is there gasoline in the bowl
or the carburetor? This may be de-
termined by inspection, opening drain
cock, or flooding. If not, examine
gasoline tank and see If there is n
supply; then see If the shutoff valve
IN the line leading to the carburetor
is open; If so, drain the bowl of the
carburetor to get rid of possible water
and dirt. To check the possible
clogglng OF gasoline pipe or carbu-
rotor screen, notice if the bowl fills
up again in a reasonable time.
Do not adjust the carburetor. III
the engine has been running it Is
| practically certain that the carburetor
has not become out of adjustment.
Inspect the intake pipe, or manifold,
| to see II 1t has been loosened by vi
bration. If the engine still refuses to
run, put about a tablespoonful of
gasoline in each cylinder and crank
over the engine. If this runs the en-
glne for Anew revolutions it indicates
that the trouble is in the gasoline
system, and leaves but the spray noz-
zle, which may have dirt lodged in It,
or the auxiliary air valve, which may
| " oNuSh' 90 remaining CAUSES.
Next inspect the ignition system.
The first thing TO do is to loosen one
of the wires from a spark plug and
! lay or hold 1t so the bare end will be
an eighth of an inch from the base Of
the plug, and have some one crank
the engine by hand or with the
starter If a spark does not occur,
go first TO the interrupter points and
short circuit the fixed point with
| screwdriver or other metal tool and
| see II there Is a spark. Examine the
points for dirt and see IL they come
together and open properly. Then
examine the condition Of the battery,
testing it. Examine the connectors
on the battery, which sometimes Jar
loose; examine the wires leading to
the interrupter and switch; see If they
are loose, or broken, or short cir
cuited. This need not be done If the
spark shows at the interrupter.
Examine the distributor for mols-
ture or dirt and see II the wires have
| become loose. II magnetic only IS
used it is a simple matter to see IL
| the interrupter points are making