Middletown transcript., 1921-01-15
WA4IERWEATHER
HARDER ON CARS
Antifreeze Mixture of Some Ma.
ture Is Necessary in Water
of Radiators.
LIGHT OIL SHOULD Be USED
Batteries Are Under Much Greater
Strain Than in Summer and De-
mand Recharging - Ignition
Points Need Cleaning.

With the approach Of winter the
motorist should think about his car
and what he must do for it if he is
to use it during the cold months and
expects the same service he had dur
ing the summer.
Winter driving is harder on car
than in summer, and the car must
naturally be In better shape to give
the same service. Automobile radia-
tors freeze easily, and the first pre-
caution that should be taken, is to
put an antifreeze of some nature in
the water Of the radiator. There are
q number of preparations on the mar
ket which, from the popularity they
have enjoyed, have evidently given sat
isfactiOn.
Cover for Radiator.
The dealer from whom one buys
accessories can furnish them. A radi-
ator cover is likewise good thing
to put on when the weather gets cold
er. Some prefer to use cover for the
hood as well as the radiator. The OBJ
iect is to prevent as much heat as
possible, generated when the car is
running, from escaping. One objec-
ton to the cover is that it has a
tendency to discolor the hood paint.
In cold weather a lighter grade Of
oil should be used in the transmits
sion and differentiaI. This is because
cold tends to make oil CONCEAL, and
the heavy grease or oil used during
the warm months will not circulate
about the gears as freely. Some man
ufacturers also recommend the use Of
a lighter grade oil in the motor itself.
Before making this change, however,
1t is well to consult the service man
ager or the dealer whose make of car
you are driving.
More Current Required.
Because 1t takes more current to
turn over q motor and start 1t in cold
weather particular attention should
be given the battery. 1t should be
taken to a battery service station, ex-
amined and recharged if necessary or
If in need of an overhaul the work
should be done without delay. Days
are shorter in winter and car lights
burn longer. which is an added drain
on the battery. Also not as much
running is done in cold weather.
Thereby the opportunity to recharge
the battery by reason of the ordinary
running is lessened and for this rea-
son the battery service station should
be visited often for recharge.
Because cold motor is hard to
start, the ignition should be carefully
gone over, contact points cleaned and
perhaps renewed if worf. Spark
plugs should be taken out and cleaned
and perhaps replaced, for with the
grade of gasoline sold today, as hot
a spark as possible is necessary to
fire the charge in the cylinder. It
might be well also to grind the valves
if this has not been done for a con-
siderable period. Power is one Of the
requisites of winter driving and with
out tight seating valves this is i'm
possible.
New Tubes Desirable.
The snow and ice of winter are hard
on tires. Patched tubes should be dis
carded, for sooner or later they will
give way. In fact tube that is
year old should be taken out and re-
placed by a new one. More tires fail
to give service due to faulty tubes
than any other cause. A tube that
has seen 12 months service has given
value received. At the end of that
service the resiliency Of the rubber has
been lost SO that it can no longer be
hardly called a serviceable air con-
tainer. Castings should be examined
for cutS and Loose trpadS