Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-01
By WILLIAM ULLMAN.

What has the mind of an automo-
bile driver got to do with his sue
cess in car ownership?
The question has come lately to the
attention of psychologists by way OF
the automobile service stations, and
now it is being seriously considered
by car owners who are puzzled to
know why cars of exactly the same
make and model reveal such a wide
variation in results at the hands of
different people.
Service stations have for some time
been perpleXed over the wide assert
ment of owner complaints which have
no real reason for existence. This
has led to the belief that many car
troubles are purely imaginary, and
many so-called adjustments are being
handled on this basis at present for
the simple reason that service men
frequently know no other way out
The real remedy for this condition,
however, lies in giving the car owner
proof that his mental vagaries have
much to do with the success of his
motoring.
Complaint Cited As Example.
The point Is clearly demonstrated
in a recent case taken from the rec
ords of a large service station. The
owner in question had not had his car
more than six months when he was
hack to the dealer with the COM
plant that the engine needed new
piston pins. The trouble was not
what one would expect of a car of its
reputation, and on this assumption
the service manager concluded that
the owners complaint was imaginary.
The owner was assumed to be
trouble hunter Whenever he COM
planned of the particular trouble he
was favored with a little converSa-
tional treatment and sent away in
the hope that he would get over II.
The service manager thought he was
doing the right thing. Premature
wear of piston pins for the particular
car was so rare as to suggest the
owners error.
The truth of the matter is that the
owner did not have imaginary trouble
at all. The piston pins were becom-
ing worn, and every time he acceler-
ated quickly there was n decided rap
In the motor. The whole thing was
the result of mental oddly, but
Imagination would not cover it.
Some one took the trouble to delve
deeper into the matter. That is how
it happened that the owner admitted
having had similar trouble with his
former car. once this fact was es-
tablished il was very simple for the
psychologist 70 reason through to a
solution. The motorist, through fear
of a repetition of his trouble, actually
brought such a repetition TO point
of reality. Every day when he took
the wheel he made various tests with
the idea of seeing whether it would
knock. Every day he was bringing
trouble upon himself in trying to
avoid it.
"Motor Abuse the Cause.
The tests he made were, in effect,
motor abuse. If he had never had
piston-pin trouble he would never
have had it with the new car.
1t has been noticed by many re-
pairers that certain motorists have
the same sort of trouble with their
cars, regardless of the make. This
demonstrates the influence of mental
characteristics in car success and
suggests the value of a complete
change of attitude toward ones mo-
toring whenever changing cars.
One owner has had clutch trouble
with every car he has owned just be-
cause he insists upon slipping it when
trying to make hills in high gear as
well as when running very slowly in
high in traffic. He knows that slip
ping a cl"+ch is injurious, but he al
ways Is t+lnpted 10 test the new
clutch OF he new car to see whether
1t will do better than its predecessors.
Back in his mind there is a foolhardy
idea that some day one of the cars he
buys will have a clutch that is i'm
mune to such maltreatment.
1t is mental vagary, pure and
simple. But it costs him a repair
bill every now and again. No car
that he has bought-and he has run
through quite a variety-has been
able to withstand his mental attitude
in this connection.
Some motorists start off with a