, 1920-02-26
USEFUL POINTS
FOR CAR OWNER
A%utomobiIist, by Careful 0bser-
walton of His Machine, Can
Save Garage Bills.
REPAIRS ARE EASILY MADE
Many Small Irregularities Can Result
In Serious Breakdowns II MOI
Watched-Some Instructive
Little Odds and Ends.

Following are a number of useful
points that all good motorists will be
glad to learn:
When the engine, after being start
ed, runs for a minute or two and then
stops, the first place to look for trou-
BILE is in the gasoline feed line. A
partial stoppage in the pipe will les
sen the flow of fuel so that the float
chamber fills slowly. On being started
the motor at once consumes this gaso-
line and her has to wait for more.
There is another possible ause of this
trouble. and that is the float Of the
c%arburetor sticking. OF course, If the
float is stuck in a high position the
flow of fuel will be greatly lessened
or even stopped.
Use for Old Files.
Occasionally 1t becomes necessary
for the man who operates his own car
to file a piece of cast iron that has
been subjected to friction and has ac-
quired a CLASSY surface of Skin" The
best way to get through this skin is
TO use the edges of an old file, as
using n good file on such surfaces will
spoil 1t.
To Clean Spark Plugs.
An excellent method of cleaning
spark plugs, or in fact any mica sur
face, is to wash them first In a 10 per
cent solution of acetic acid, which Is
an infallible solvent of grease and
carbon deposits. The plugs should
then be washed off with gasoline and
finally dried by rubbing them with a
cloth.
BIulng Metal.
The car owner who does his
repair work sometimes finds It's neces-
sary to ''blue" small bright objects,
such as screws. This may be done by
placing them on a piece Of sheet iron
and holding them over a fire until they
assume the desired color.
Cleaning Contact Points.
1t Is sometimes difficult to find a
really satisfactory agent for cleaning
the contact points Of ignition ap-
paratus or the surface of a COM
mutator on a starting motor or n
lighting dynamo. There is something
known as "cuttleflsh paper" which is
fner thar the finest quality of sand
paper and which is very well adapted
to this operation. Cuttlefsh paper is
not regularly carried by hardware
stores, but 1t may be obtained from
dental supply houses.
interior Wire Break.
On rare occasions 1t happens that a
wire breaks inside Its insulation, CIV
ing no exterior sign of he trouble.
The car owner thinks the ignition sys-
ten has gone bad, changes spark plugs,
sends the magnetic to the service sta
ton, ETC., when all the time this In
terror wire break is the cause. In the
event of an obscure ignition trouble
remember this.
Leaking Tube.
Sometimes an inner tube receives
a puncture big enough to allow the
tire to become Debated after a brief
interval, but not visible to the naked
owe. When this happens in the garage
the bucket Of water tells the tale at
once. but on the road about the only
OF locating the leak is to initiate
he tube and hold successive portions
OF It close down to the dust along
the surface of the road. When the
puncture is brought into this position
the output Of air Will rufie the dust
and indicate the position Of the leak.
The varnlsh on the new car fire.