Arizona republican., 1918-05-12
WINS MOTOR PRIZE O|v STARTING AND
 LIGHTING FAULTS

Some good advice by an expert, on the case of storage battery and cleo trical system is given to motorists through the columns of The Repub- llcan by E. H. Gielow, chief electrician for the Willard Service Station in Phoenix.
 The following article, which is part Of the answer to the question of starting and lighting troubles, won the prize contest in Motor" the national magazine of motoring, and is vouched for by the Willard man as being one of the best obtainable. It is offered to Phoenix motorists with the hope that it will be the means of enabling them to secure better service from their battery and electrical equipment. In order to have ones starting and lighting system operating at its high est efficiency it will be necessary for motorists to know something about their electrical equipment It is true that electricity never fails if it is given the mechanical assistance nec- essary for it to do it's work. When breakdowns do occur it is not because some unseen energy has failed to per. form as it should, but simply because the mechanical conditions necessary for efficient operation have not been maintained
 The maintenance of an electrical starting and lighting system for a motor car amounts to keeping the at- tention focused on keeping the me- chanical side of the apparatus in good order. There are three electrical cir cults on an automobile; these namely, are the starting, lighting and ignl- tion.
 Short circuits in the starting sys- tenn can be located at the battery by removing the negative wire from the battery and putting one of the test lamp terminals in contact with the negative pole of the battery, and the other terminal in contact with the end of the detached negative wire. When short circuit is found the lamp will generally light, unless some special conditions are present."
 Maybe a "Short"
 Perhaps there is a short circuit in the entire starting motor caused by a ground between the starter and start ing switch. Where these conditions hold the test lamps will not light un- less the switch is closed. In locating trouble in the starting system observe carefully that none of the parts are fused or burned away, and also that connections are solid. Often it is diff ficult to locate a grounded or short circuited starting switch, due to the | insulation hiding the bread
 The ills of the starting motor are few and if any are present they are of mechanical nature. On both the starting motor and lighting genera | tor, dirty commutators and minor trouble in the brushes and their hold CTS, are the chief trouble. Considering the commutator, if the segments are | found to be blackened or rough due to the use of short or worn brushes or cheap ones with poor electrical qualities, and poor contact as the re- suit of too weak spring pressure. Com mutators should present bright cop pery appearance and when covered with carbon dust, should be cleaned Brushes should make good firm con- tact with the commutator which they should fit exactly. Trouble caused by sticking brushes due to dirt or greas, may be cured with a few drops oi gasoline.
 Weak spring pressure may be rem edied by pulling out the spring witl the hand. Light sand paper, no emery, should be used on the com
 mutator to clean off the black ac
 cumulation. Though the amateu
 should not go too far in making re
 pairs upon the generator or othe
 complicated electrical apparatus.