The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-01
SOME COMMON SENSE
WILL REDUCE FUEL BILLS
Here Are Explained Some of the Ways and Means
OF Saving the Gasoline That Is Allowed
to Get Away.

There is scarcely a motor car In
eervice to-day on which the consume
uon or fuel cannot DO reduced. This
stAtement may seem like exng1eration,
put the best authorities are agreed that
~ Is no more than the truth. This
condition Of affairs would be bad
ehoush under, any circumstances, but
IN the present crisis 1t 10 really seri-
Gus. Ordinarily this waste of motor
Iuei would be merely loss from the
pocketoooks OF certain number of
our countrymen. To-day every drop of
Tasolene wasted represents Just 90
much energy gone from our war maxi
ing Preparations. With personal and
patriotfc reasons for reducing the con-
sumption OF motor fuel the appeal 70
the motorists OF America should be IT.
resistible.
The FIRST place to look for wastaee
OF the fuel 10 naturally the carburetion
system. Here the principal leaks take
place. and these must be stopped before
real fuel efficiency can be hoped for.
~ Is rather amusing to see ambitious
car owners install certain types Of de-
wees In connection with tho carbure-
tion system, when X they only knew
now to adjust the carbureter properly
nothing OF the sort would be necessary.
The modern Internal combustion en-
CINE Will usually operate on fuel
mixture ranging from eight parts of
air to one of gasolene to fourteen
parts OF air to one Of gasolene Operat-
ing conditions. however, are better when
the mixture IL leaner. but as a gen.
eral rule the car owner tends to use
q mixture nearer the latter than the
FORMER. Obviously mixture at 3 to 1
contains almost twice as much gas as
one at ~ to I. II the engine ran bet
ter with the richer mixture there might
be some excuse for using It, but Il
doesn't. Further. the richer mixture
tends to produce rapid carboniza alton,
and while the engine will assimilate II
nevertheless the action Is sluggish and
lacks the snap that Is present with the
leaner ranges. Therefore the first
thing the car owner who aims at maxi
mum efficiency should do is to make
sure that his carbureter Is properly
adjusted to give the leanest mixture
consistent with satisfactory running.
II the car owner is unable 70 make this
simple adjustment himself be should
certainly have the service station do 1t
Tor him. In cases where the cNrbureter
IS an old instrument with not enough
range Of air volume 1t may be wise to
install one of the devices of the auxili-
airy air inlet type. These are mex
pensive and easily put In place. At any
rate every car owner should give his
earnest attention to the carburetion
system with o view to reducing the
very probable waste in this location.
Before We leave the carburetion sys-
tenn We may suggest that many modern
cars will satisfactorily operate on q
mixture Of gasolene and kerosene. II
the individual owner will try this ex-
pertinent, using. say, four gallons Of
gasolene to one Of kerosene. he may be
pleasantly surprised; at any rate It is
worth the attempt. This Is particularly
90 In warm weather. when this heavier
mixture vaporizes more readily than In
colder.
Now the carburetion may be never
90 good. but II the ignition il not up to
the mark maximum efficiency can never
be reached. Therefore, 1t behooves the
car owner to keep the battery fully
charged and filled with distilled water.
rs he has been warned SO often. The
cable connections at plugs and ignition
unit and coil must be kept clean and
tight. 1t does not one atom Of good
10 get q fine explosive charge in the
cylinders unless there Is good hot
spark to ignite II.
These two items OF caeburet!on and