New-York tribune., 1921-01-30


Brokalc, technical director Of the West
Side Y. II. c. A. Automobile Schools,
covers some Of the things that do go
aorong.
A lot of the everyday experiences OF
an automobile driver, and the troubles
which come. might be we'll summed up
under the caption Of "a good man
gone wrong" There are unpreventable
things that happen, but I do not re-
member many of them. In most cases
it is the driver who has gone wrong
and not the car.
A list Of things which drivers re-
peatedly forget to do and the things
which they do that are wrong would
exsend far beyond the space limits of
this paper. Take starting. AS a joke
it has been worn threadbare-so fre-
quently is it forgotten to turn on the
ignition when starting to crank the
engine.
Of course, it is exasperating to have
a car full to start on a cold morning,
and many driver is prone to warm
the atmosphere with his language
addressed at the car or its maker, until
some one comes along and remarks
that the car would start much easier
with the ignition turned on.
Then there is the matter of retard-
ing the spark. Failure to dc this,
with the old starting crank, often gave
the driver broken wrist or a cracked
kneecap. The spark may be advanced
triife when there is motor to turn
it over and take the back kick, but if
the spark be unduly advanced make
sure that the engine and the starting
motor both get as hard kick as the
crankhandle could impart. and repeat
ed doses leave their effect upon the
mechanism.
Then there is the fellow who keeps
on using the self-starter until the
storage battery is discharged He
never stops to find out why the en-
CINE does not start, but keeps on kick
ing the pedal. The wise one would find
out first thing whether there was a
spark at the plugs and gas to ignite
The safe rule would be- if the engine
does not start after pressing the
pedal a couple Of times, to find out
what the trouble is. whether the
starter is turning over the engine
and then whether here is a spark. gas,
and last but not least, compression
If there is no spark at the plug it
is time to find out why and pressing
the starter pedal will not improve the
situation.
Then there is the fellow who forgets
to clean the spark plugs, forgets to see
OIL IN the crank case and water in the
radiator. The fellow who does not do
this goes wrong instead of the car
The wise man when the starter does
not start the engine gets out the hand
crank instead of wasting the battery
That is too much like work for a lot OF
drivers. Many driver does not carry
the hand crank in the car for use when
there does some trouble develop on
the road Neither does he remember
that in such case he has a good hand
crank which he cannot leave at home.
namely, to jack up the rear end put
the transmission in high and turn over
the engine by means of the rear wheel,
or II on slight decline in the road
way he may accomplish the same thing
by pushing the car short distance or
letting it run by gravity
Another common neglect is failure
to keep the brakes in shape. Many a
man starts out knowing that one set of
brakes is out of commission, but as
the other one is all right thinks he
can get by with it. Then in an emer-
gency he finds that there is something
wrong with the other set and probably
forgets that he can use the engine as
a brake by going into second or first
speed and cutting off the ignition and
closing the throttle.
Another fellow will discover 8
squeak which grows annoying. but it is
so much trouble to stop and find out
what it is that ne runs on a dry bear
ing of some kind and when he gets
back at the garage finds that he has
to make replacement, when perhaps
screwlng down a grease cup or put
ting on few drops of oil Would have
saved expenses, besides the annoyance
of the squeak.
The same kind of fellow will in
spect his oil gauge and put n addition
al oil if needed, and then fail to screw
down grease caps and otherwise lubri-
cate as the book directs. He probably
finds it too much trouble to lubricate
the wheel hubs, to change the oil or
grease in the dfferential and gear
old way, just so it works. OF course,
he blames the car when something
happens, but it is the driver, not the
car, that goes wrong.
Here are some of the other things
they do. or don't do, which are evi-
dences, likewise, of good nan gone
wrong:
Letting the clutch in slap dash.
Running up close to another veh-
el or the stopping place, and then
jamming on the brakes
Running around corner or a curve
on two wheels because it looks snap
py.
Skipping one shift in going from
first to third. or from third to first
speed, without regard to engine and
car speed. or going into reverse when
the car is still in motion
Stepping on the gas so heavily that
the car almost springs cut from un-
der you and grinds off dollars worth
Of tires and loosens up few bolts
on the engines.
Neglecting to cover the radiator on
cold day. when the car is standing
and then kicking because it does not
want to start.
Running the car on the starter Just
to show that it can be done. doing
50 or $40 worth of damage to the
storage battery.
Neglecting TO release the clutch be-
fore shifting gears
Trying to start without letting off
the brakes
Failing to keep the storage bat
terry filled to the top of the plates
and to have it charged occasionally
from outside when necessary.
Failure to find out whether that
engine knock or pound or other
noise is doing damage. or may DC
l-,E%