New-York tribune., 1920-03-07

hof4W1tn, t0alS ABOUT CxoC1u& 0u.
fins troubles.
When trouble with . car comes mors
time usually Is spent in finding out what
tho matter is than in fixing II. This
i, not ~ II should be. but It will be
70 until the driver learns TO hunt by
rule systematically. The average
driver rssents this. He 4pesses that
the trouble is in the carburetor, or
With the ignition, or somewhere else,
and tries to prove his diagnosis. In
stead Of Arst making sure where the
trouble Hes and what the matter 10.
You have learned In this series that
the three things necessary to start a
fasoline engine are ignition. compress
sion and gasoline mixed with air in
proper proportion. Therefore, II the
engine Will not start It must be one
Of these three things at fault. You can
,sttle Il as regards tho ignition very
rapidly. Take q wire Oh . spark plug,
lsy Il one-eighth inch from the base
II The plug and turn over the engine
By hand. II you get a good spark you
do not have to look further in that
direction.
See next II the gasoline IL turned
a. then II 1t flows from the drip cock
under the carburetor. Put spoon
tui in each cylinder through the prim-
ing cups, II there arc cups, and crank
ever the engine. If II starts and runs
. short time and then stops the trouble
Is between the gasoline pipe line and
tho cylinder. Usually It means water
OF dirt clogging the spray nozzle.
Drain the carburetor and see II It
valve . complete turn, choke the air
and then set the needle valve back
exactly where it was. Prime again
aud try the engine. II it runs you
know the trouble was at the needle
valve. II It stops again, see II the In
take manifold leaks through loose
bolts or defective gaskets either at
arburetor or cylinder end. See II the
auxiliary siE valve Is stuck. This
should locate the trouble and enable
starting.
Don't Annoy the Carburetor
Nothing is said about adjusting the
earburetor. II 1t was right when the
car was last run and has not been
changed, except as directed above, you
may be sure it Is In adjustment still.
Incidentally the carburetor maker will
be glad to give you an instruction book
Tor your make which is real COM
lendium Of information concerning
this device
If there was no spark upon testing
you need not bother about the gasoline
supply. Go to the interrupter, with
switch turned on and short circuit the
hxed point and see ii there Is a spark.
Next, If there IL dirt between the
points and II they open and close as
the engine is eranked. Test the bat
terry; see that wires are neither loose,
broken nor ort-circuited This is
not needed II there is good spark at
the interrupter points.
See If the distributor is dirty, or II
wires have become loose If mag
neto only Is used It Is easy to sec If
The !nterrupter points make and break
properly and the distributor is in con-
dition. If so. and the wires are all
are clean, the trouble is In the arma-
ture winding or condenser and it is a
repair mans job.
Il with good spark and tho
cylinders prined there Is no explosion
sne compression should be tested as
previously described. II the car stops
on the road and does not start again
@nen the starter pedal is pressed get
out she crank and turn the engine
over by hand, with spark retarded and
gears in neutral. II it is hard to turn
over 1t indicates lack Of iubricating
OIL OF lack Of water, which allowed tho
sngns 20 heat SO that the oil does
not DO its work.
Causes Of Misf1ring
u the engine runs. but ono or two
d the cylinders do not Are, It. often IL
qaite as annoying as to have the auto
ssop. There Is variety Of causes for
irregular action and loss of power, the
most usual being a dirty or short
atcuited plug. That is, carbon has
collected on the insulator until il
oners path for che electric current,
depriv1ng the plug points of the vital
spark. A clean plug will rectify this.
leaking at the valve also causes mis-
af'ng, az do q leaky manifold, pitted
oI Or, glazed points OF interrupter, too
~, .,eh OF too lean a mixture. With these
lungs All right there should be no
.souois with missing cylinder unless
y0o allow It to become unbolted from
- me base, when there might be q miss
ing cylinder, indeed.
Hero Are Some Rules
II 10 not necessary to tell all the
s@ps In the search for trouble, for
0nce you get tho idea the logical pro-
sfession 10 natural; where you have a
suie to follow IL is q pleasure. This
!. !. the general trouble rule used at our