New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
Five Perfect
Points of
Motor Cure
Tests for These Items Should
Start Car and Keep
1t Going
By William H. Stewart, Jr.


The reason many owners Of auto
mobiles fail to locate troubles when
they occur is because they take only
a limited view of the problem. Their
inspection extends only to the car
buretor or the ignition, and having
looked over the few parts they do
understand, they are at loss what
to do next. And yet there are only
four requirements for an engine to
start, and one more to enable it to
keep going unless it is overloaded.
The four conditions necessary for
the engine to start are ignition. car
buretion, fabrication and compression.
If these arc right the engine must
start. Nothing can prevent it. The
remaining requirement is cooling,
which must be right if the engine is
to run any length of time. Therefore
If one is trying to get his engine
started or to develop best power all
five conditions must be looked after.
Suppose an engine refuses to start,
then we are concerned with the first
iOuA. w Z CIdHh luc engine ny MSduS
OF the starter. If it refuses to spin,
the fabrication may be defective or the
battery weak. We turn on the lights.
If they burn brightly and do not dim
excessively when the starter is used,
the battery is not weak. So we suspect
the fabrication.
The best test is to get out the start
ing handle and to crank the engine by
hand. This also gives one a chance
to test the compression at the same
time If there is good resistance as
each cylinder comes on compression
we can dismiss that point. If one or
more show weakness we must locate
the leak, which may be around the
valve caps, spark plugs. relief valves,
leaky gasket, where cylinder head is
removable, inlet or exhaust valve,
scored cylinder or trouble with the
piston rings.
Having disposed of these two one
must now distinguish between car
buretion and ignition troubles. Prime
cylinders with gasolene through the re-
ilef valves. Crank engine and see if
1T VIII start. If it refuses to start the
ignition system is at fault.
III 1t starts, but stops immediately.
the ignition system is able to fire
the mixture. but the carburetion is
at fault This gives starting point.
~" 'i1S 'iiat the caTDuretlOn is at
1ault we pay no attention to the ig
milton system until we have located
the difficulty. Here is where a prim-
ing pin on the carburetor is of value.
Prime the carburetor and wait for the
gasolene to escape at the drip outlet.
II no drip, trouble is before that
point.
If carburetor foods, trouble is beyond
that point; In case of no drip we
start at the gasolene tank and work
forward. Possible troubles are. No
gasolene, valve closed at tank, clogged
1uel pipe Or screen, no pressure or
leakage OF pressure system, leakage
or valve troubles of the vacuum
system. If gasolene reaches carburetor.
trouble may be clogged spray noz-
zle, needle valve closed, air valve held
open or weak spring. leaky inlet
manifold, Or cold engine
II the trouble is in the ignition
system it must also be traced step bv
step. There are so many different
! ignition systems that only general d.
r!ectlons can be given. A good test
is to disconnect each spark plug wire
IN succession and set the end not more
than one-nuarter inch from the cvl-
l!nder, leaving a gap for the spark to
Jump. Then close the switch and spin
engine by means of the starter.
sr>|'' spain SHouiu jump from each
wire.
If a. good spark jumps all along the
line, the trouble must be in the spark
plugs: II only a few sparks Jump.
trouble is in the distributor or the re-
naming wires. If no spark jumps. the
trouble is in some part common to the
whole system. such as battery. battery
wires, coil or coil wires, interrurter
or nterrupter wires, high tension lead
Wire to distributor or grounded dis
tributer.
Having corrected all the ignition
troubles. start the engine and inspect
the cooling system. Fill the radiator.
see that fan is working. and remove
filler cap to see if the water is in
motion. If it is not the pump may
not be working. unless there is a
thermostat. Another test is to run
engine several minutes and note il
bottom of radiator becomes hot or not.
If it does. the pump is working. If
not, the pump NAV not be working
or the hose connections may be
clogged.