Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05
AUTO RESOLUTIONS
NOW APPROPRIATE
Drivers Should BE Especially
Careful of New Year
Cars.
By n. CLIFFORD BROKAW,
Automobile Technical Adviser.

AdVOtnS03G ANN1AACdA AuNlSGEa
At the beg inning Of the year a large
number of people are buying automo-
biles. inspired to this end by the beau y
of various new models which appear on
the market. Whether person buys a
new car in January or at any other
time Of the year, January IS a good
time to consider some New Year reso-
lutions pertaining to automobile driv-
ing.
1t is q good time to check up on the
mistakes Of the last year and outline
q program for the coming IL months
period which will insure careful drtv-
ing and contribute toward lowering me
totals of accident statistics.
Before an automobile leaves the fac
tory in which it is made 1t is carefully
inspected by some one who Is respon:t-
bic for such work. The process of
checking and rechecking goes en- b tn
as to the perfection of the mechanical
adjustment and the completeness +
the equipment. The radiator and g So
line tank of new car are drained
before the vehicle IS shipped ous TO
the dealers.
Finally UP to Owner.
The dealers, however, before turning
new cars over to their customers, see
that the radiator is filled with clean
water and the fuel tank with gasoline.
From that point on, however, it is nee
essary for the owner to look after these
two important matters. The engine
crank case is generally filled with oil
before the car Is shipped. 1t Is well
for the owner to determine the oil
level to be sure the supply is sufficient.
An oil gauge is available for this pur-
pose. If the gauge does not register
full. the owner should add fresh oil.
The owner of a new automobile is
likely to use the machine frequently
However, If the car is left standing
without using for half month or
ore, it Is best before using again to
remove the spark plugs in all cylinders
and pour in each cylinder a teaspoon
of cylinder oil. through the spark-plug
holes. Having done this, the hand
crank should be used to turn the motor
over a number of times so that the oil
will get into the cylinder walls.
When a new car is delivered, the
bearings in the transmission axles and
universal joints, as well as the pistons
of the engine, are generally somewhat
tight. The idea Is that the first 500
to 1000 miles Of operation will result
In these bearings assuming q high
glasslike polish. Realization of these
expectations depends to a large extent
on how the automobile is driven dur
ing the first 500 miles and the second
500 miles.
Be Careful of Engine.
There are two things which should
be absolutely avoided during the first
500-mile period, namely, that the en-
CINE should not be raced and should
not be driven at a speed higher than
VsAfl Id -
OF speed Is specifically authorized by
the manufacturer. A good schedule to
follow for most new cars is for the first
500 miles, rs miles an hour; for 500 to
600 miles, Is to 80 miles an hour, and
sometimes for short distances as high
as IS miles an hour, occasionally at
tanning 40-mile-an-hour speed for
short distances. From, 700 to 1000
miles, the car can be driven from IS to
so miles an hour, with short spurts of
over so when road conditions will
permit.
After the first 1000 miles a new auto
mobile should be sufficiently broken in
so that 1t can be taken out on the road
and driven at 40 to so mile an hour
rate Of speed hour after hour, where
such speed can be safely INDUCED in
In other words, it takes about 1000
miles Of driving to break a new car in
and the life Of the car depends to a
large extent on how carefully these
breaking-in rules of driving are OBJ
served. It should be pointed out that
there Is no advantage In driving a new
car at the 25-miles-an-hour speed rate
or less. after the car has been driven
more than 500 miles. In order to get
the proper polish of the bearings, the
speed indicator should be increased
about as indicated above.
GwnAA T...- F..
A new automobile is much more
tempting to those interested in stealing
cars than one which has seen its best
days. All automobiles are now equipped
with plenty. Of locking facilities which
are fairly effective means of preventing
theft. Prom the beginning Of an auto
mobile experience, the owner of a car
should see to it that the car is locked
at all times when left alone. Some au-
tomobiles have keys which will lock both
the ignition and the transmission, as
well as the doors, If the car is a closed
model. The reports of automobile in
surance companies indicate that large
number of automobiles equipped with
plenty OF locks are not locked when the
cars are stolen. In other words, the
theft grows largely out of the careless
ness on the part Of the owners in leav-
ing their cars unlocked. A practical
procedure to follow Is to at least lock
the ignition before getting out of the
seat of the automobile. This act should
become q deep-seated habit.
A locking device should also be placed
on the spare tire carried on the rear of
the car, or on the side. New cars are
equipped with new tires and a spare
new tire is usually stolen from an auto
mobile If it is not in some way attached
by locking device
Even If car is insured against theft
1t is well to take all possible precau-
tons against having 1t stolen. The loss
OF q car In this fashion is bound to
cause the owner some inconvenience.
1t is also undesirable to encourage car
stealing by leaving a car unlocked. Fur
thermore, the thief may injure the ma
chine and the owner may get it back,
but in state that will never be as sat-