Arizona republican., 1920-08-22
MOTOR GAR OWNER LEAST UNDERSTANDS
 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

me one system, or combination of ystems, which the owner understands .east IS the electrical, comprising .gni- lioI, starting and lighting. The basis system, the storage battery. must always be in good condition if all three systems are to function prou- elIy- The starting motor and the gen efdtor are almost identical units or they may be combined in one unit. Tn valner case the care needed is very nttle Simply oil the armature bear insS once every two weeks and keen tne commutator clean and brushes well trimmed so they fit we'll The con Hecung wires and cables to the motor generator. switches and meter, are like lne arterfes in the human system. Inese wires an cables carry the fluid eiecr1city to and from the various units There must be no leakage of current through worn Insulation and loose wires. no absolute waste through pToken wires or connections that have iaHen off; there must be no damage through short circuiting, which simply cogs one part of te system tending to uamage it. It would be like causing all the blood to suddenly rush to one part of the body
 The meter on the dash is a most Vital part and one which the owner ought to watch constantly. This meter tells if the battery is being charged and 1t also tells if the battery dis charges when the starter is used or When the lights are used and the car IS running slowly. When the car is travelling at IS miles and over the gen. orator supplies sufficient current not only for the lamps and ignition but also sends a little to the battery to keep 1t charged But owners vary and so do cars Some owners drive a great deal during the day and little by night which nearly always results in an overcharged battery. Such Sn owner oug ht to test the battery at least once each week day over a normal week to see if there is excessive gassing and heating If such is the case the lights ought to be turned on even during the day so as to discharge the battery. partially.
 Of course, where the starter is used frequently during the day this usually suffices. and if used too much it may cause the battery to be undercharged The point is, without testing the owner cannot tell what the condition of the battery might be. Some owners do not even watch the ammeter as they drive to see if the generator is charging properly. An owner who uses his car a lot at night and little during the day puts extra drain on the battery by using the lamps so much This owner especially ought to watch the meter occasionally to make sure that the gen. orator is charging.
 When car is shipped from the fac tory the charging rate is set at cer- tain amount, but this should be changed to suit the individual require ments of the man who gets the car. If the owner cannot make the adjust ment he ought to tell the dealer to make it. You know from the above whether you need high or a low charging rate and the system should be set accordingly. Most owners find the highest possible rate best, for they can always bring the battery down by using the starter or turning on the lamps. But. often as not, when the high charging rate is supplied the owner forgets all about the battery with the result it gets constant over charging.
 When a battery has become run down to such an extent that it must be rebuilt the owner is often told by the