New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27
Automobile Owners
Easily Can Reduce
High Cost Of Upkeep

That famed automobile NTH the
maqnetized rear arle to pick up the
parts that drop ont is a present day
need, to Judge by the following art'-
Gle. headed "The High Cost Of Auto
Upkeep."1
By H. c. BROKAW
If some of the auto owners and
chauffeurs do not mend their ways the
city streets will be paved with . MKT
ure of asphalt and auto parts. If you
do not believe this, look at the pave
ment on the busiest streets and see
what a collection of junk you will find
strewn along, particularly at corners
where many cars make sudden stops.
The other day l noticed car stop,
and the driver wondered aloud what
was the matter that the engine had no
power. He happened to be near q ga
rage and called for mechanic to look
at the engine. =, .,.,
"a few minutes ago." he said, "the
engine had so much power l couidnt
stop it when l wanted to, and now
can't make it pull at all"
When the mechanic had given 1t
"once over" he said to the driver, open
your throttle.
"The throttle is OPEN" was the re-
Spouse. IT.
hunted up a small bolt, with which he
connected up the throttle linkage SO
that the lever and accelerator pedal
would open the throttle when moved.
Through neglect the bolt had worked
loose and dropped out, SO that the lever
did not move the throttle arm, and ad-
vancing the lever had no effect.
The bolt probably is one of those to
be found imbedded in the pavement
somewhere about the city. An exsmina-
ton Of the pavement OF any, OF tne
automobile thoroughfares will reveal
nearly all the fifty-seven varieties Of
auto accessory parts in the asphalt. A
great many Of the bits of metal found
there will be broken skid chain links,
but counted twenty-six different
species of other lost parts in crossing
Fifty-seventh Street at Eighth Avenue
Many Of the stray parts are OF
screws, cotter pins and the like, which
have worked loose because Of neglect.
Their absence will account doubtless
for a good many of the rattles and
suueaks which their former owner is
now complaining Of, and to replace
which he will pay the garage man
several times their value.
The average instruction book given
with a car will advise the owner to go
over the car every so often and tighten
I'D the bolts and nuts as precau-
tionary measure, but usually no atten-
ton is paid to this until the car stops
or develops some unusual sound. Then
a mechanic is called in, and 1t takes
him a couple Of hours to find the
cause of the trouble, while the owner
stands around cussing the maker Of the
car.
Probably a good many Of these parts
along the road are lost due to careless
mechanics, who drop small parts in the
dust pan and will not take the trouble
to fish them out, or leave them on the
running board, and after q time they
Jar Of to the street, but it shows there
is a lot of carelessness among drivers
when they even lose number plates and
hub caps. have pair OF brass hub
caps, picked up along the road, which l
have turned into ash-trays.
The loss Of hub caps allows grit to
get into the bearings, and to prevent
this as far as possible by making the
driver take care Of them the manufact-
urers have made the prices Of these
parts entirely out Of proportion to
their real value.
The owner should become so well
acquainted with his car that he knows
where the different bolts and nuts are.
Many will tighen up all they know
about, but do not bend their backs to
get underneath, where they can see the
dust pan bolts and brake linkage bolts.
| IL the owner knows where these parts
are he should make it his business to
see that every bolt and pin is locked
with a lock washer or cotter pin. Then
he should 60 over them at least once q
month and tighten them up. He may be
sure he will pay several times their
value and mechanics time If they are
lost, so that economy is involved. as
we'll as the inconvenience Of having
the car stopped on the road.