Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
MILADY'S MOTORING
BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL.

M1LAUx > MOlON1LVO
BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL.
ANY woman is justified in assuming
| that she has won her masters degree
when the man folk are willing to ride
| on the rear seat.
Wonlan's imaginative nature encour-
ages her to speculate as to what would
happen II she violated certain rules in
the operation of the car, and It Is often
through such thought that she gains o
very useful knowledge Of the remark
able vehicle we so often take merely Is
8 matter of course.
Why, for example, is IL necessary to
observe certain precautions in switching
on and off the ignition? Where Is the
risk in turning on the ignition again
Immediately upon switching 1t on?
Thus she comes to know that II the
ignition is switched on again before the
engine has come TO q full stop, dam
gerous backfire through the carburetor
may be the result. Through this same
speculation she also learns that she
should not switch of the ignition when
going downhill. because switching 1t on
again may mean igniting lot OF un-
burned gas In the exhaust and mufner.
Some of the windshield and cowl
ventilators are designed so that they
can be opened when driving in the rain.
Another point to remember when caught
in q Summer shower Is the fact tnat
rain usually beats against the car from
one side, so that the windows on the
opposite side need not be closed.
Recently there has been tendency
to equip new cars with tires that are
lust about right for the size ana weignt
IF the machine. letting the owner at
tend to the OVERSEEING of the tires when
he GENES to buy new ones. l am not
going to discuss the matter itself, but
merely suggest the Importance OF Watcn-
ing imitation a little more closely where
the tires are inclined to be little
understood. Since each inch OF tire
width has more weight to carry, 1t is
necessary to avoid underinfiation.
r. Is a good plan to remember that
the car will turn around in shorter
radius to the right than to the lett.
This is because when the front wheels
cramp around to the right, the right
one is restricted only by the frame
whereas when turning left, the left
front wheel strikes the steering rod.
which is usually out little from the
frame.
While in q repair shop recently, TAX
ing a little vacation from other peo-
pies troubles in order to catch up on
nv own, a woman dropped in to ask
one of the mechanics II 1t would be all
right for her to go riding for the after
noon, even though she was bothered by
what she diagnosed as strange knock
| in the engine. The repairer's reply was
| interesting.
ITS probably carbon" he suggested,
"but maybe it's just the way you hanole
| the engine when you are in a hurry 10
| get away when the trafnc hgnts turn
| green"
He referred to a common mistake III
driving that of "crowding" the engine
with gas by pressing too far down on
the accelerator. Skilled drivers can do
| this by retarding the spark simulta-
neously: but the average woman at the
wheel will find that she will be able tc
get away best, and with least strain on
| the engine. by feeding gas just short OF
getting the knock.
While the pressure gauge on the in
strument board Is intended to tell now
well the oil is circulating in the en-
CINE, it often also warns when addl-
tional oil is needed. Should the pres
sure drop radically, it is best to raise
the hood and take look at the Oil
level indicator on the engine. Nat
urally. if there is shortage OF oil. the
lubricant that is left has to do more
work. heats up, Trims out and registers
a lower pressure.
I, is entirely safe and practical to
use the starter motor to pull your car
off railroad tracks il the engine stalls.
Simply keep the gears IN second ana
press steadily on the starter button.
The clutch pedal. of course. should be
ND" and the hand brake released.
The starter-motor rotates the engine
through a gear in mesh with teeth on
the edge of the fywheel. Because 1t
rotates many times for each turn OF the
engine, 1t is able to do the job without
exhausting the battery. Some cars can
run about half mile on the starter,
but the convenience is only for emer-
gency use.
Very wisely the modern woman leaves
the matter of washing the car to the
neighborhooi garageman, but as man
ager of her motoring much OF the sue
cess of the cars appearance depends on
how we'll she delegates this work. There
is a natural inclination to order Q wash
when coming in out Of driving rain.
but often this becomes q second and
wasteful bath. The car may simply
need chamoising and a polish.
A wash will oe needed most when the
car has been out in a light rain, es-
pecially II It has been driven fast over
q highway just wet enough to make
the surface Shiny. Much washing can
be avoided by busting the car before
taking 1t cut in the wet.