Evening star., 1926-10-31
LOWLY WRENCH NOT YET
THROWN INTO DISCARD
Owner Surprised to Know That Even Up.to-Date
Automobile Requires Adequate Repair Equipment
Be Kept Near for Emergencies.

at every general repair shop in the
country Is to carry enough repair
equipment along in the car to be able
to catch any trouble before IL be.
comes serious. This applies particu-
larly to touring. because It Is on the
long drive where the car cannot be
given a rest pending q visit from the
repairer that small troubles soon de-
velop into genuine breakdowns.
Something You Cannot FOresee.
A spare spark plug may be the
means Of saving the motor burned
bearing. If the engine is forced TO
climb steep hills on five cylinders, or
on three, there is no telling how hot
the power plant will get, how quickly
it will burn off oil and how soon
the bearing will be starving for lubri-
cant.
New features on cars make It ad-
visable to carry additional repair or
supply equipment, rather than to re-
duce equipment. In the case OF ny
draulic brakes. for instance. 1t Is we'll
to carry a small can of the right
fluid when taking a long trip. There
is a certain amount or fluid loss
through evaporation and normal leak
age, and should the car be In some
accident involving the wheels 1t may
y
cylinders at the brakes. with conse-
quent loss of fluid. Having the proper
fluid in the car saves the risk or
having a roadside repairer use the
wrong kind of fluid I'm the system.
Even the instruction book Is as
important as 1t ever was. One owner
in a large city discovered the cause
of a troublesome noiseSin the chaSsls
by referring to the instruction book
Ill
point on a new type of universal joint
with which the car was equipped. AT
the service station the mechanics
were familiar only with the type or
universal used on the preceding model
and were not aware that the univer'
sails had been changed on the new
model.
Differences Noted.
There is often just enough differ
ence between so-called standard ac'
cessories as designed for different
makes Of cars to encourage mechanics
who are unfamiliar with the travellers
to make serious blunders. If the In
struction book is handy, the owner has
an opportunity to check up, and the
intelligent repairer will be glad of
the chance to avoid making mistake.
This is particularly applicable to the
matter of adjustment Of four-Wheel
brakes. There are so many types now
in use, and particularly so many vari-
ations of the mechanical type that the
instruction book is often absolutely
necessary If the job Is to be done prop
erly.
At least one Of the 1925 cars has
very conveniently located tool box. IT
is large enough to accommodate the
0po oVff oIo T1n6QFn n
torist should carry with him at all
times. This is encouraging. The
trunks carried on the rear of many
cars are handy enough when the cars
are Just riding around the city, but
when the trunk space is used for cloth
ing as on a trip there Is usually little
room for tools and supplies. In one
type of trunk used on one car there
is a special compartment on one side
where tools and supplies can be kept
permanently.
Tool Compartment Crowded Out.
Lower cars and lower seats have
robbed many motorists of the time
honored tool compartment, and reluc-
tance to soil the luXuriOuSly uphol-
stored seat cushions of the closed car
have rendered 1t nearly useless. Mod
ern motoring needs new type OF tool
compartment, large enough Tor sup
plies as we'll, because the modern mo-
torist is soon going to discover that
it is costing him a lot of money to
imagine that cars are troubleproof and
that service stations grow on bushes.
The most striking innovation in the
design of tomorrow's car may be the
convenience and the size of the tool
compartment. The motorist is begin
ming to discover that it is one of the
missing links in present-day motoring.
(CopyriEht. 1926.)