Evening star., 1933-10-08
CAR NEEDS SERVICE
FOR FALL DRIVING
Adjusting Carburetor Mixture
to Suit Variable Weather
Held Beneficial.

Putting the car into special condi-
tion for Fall driving is as important
as preparing it for Midwinter service,
according to new thought on subject
that has not received the attention 1t
merits. While it is possible to plan
Autumn preparations in such way as
to contribute to the pre-Wntel care
of the car. service men pont out tIat
there NAV be actual harm in thinking
that Winter preparedness Will beneft
car during the Fall months.
Special care is needed IN the mater
of fabrication. During lnolan SUM
mer, not to mention those many uaye
in Fall when the temperature moulges
in inward swings. many car is caught
with gear and motor lubricants tnat
are suitable only for the coldest
weather. On a long trip this may easily
prove to be a punishment to the car
especially the modern TRANSMISSION
which is designed to function SO quietly
as to prove troublesome, II only slIght-
ly wcrn and noisy.
Ficklc Weather Period.
Autumn is a period of tickle weather.
II is ant TO be so cold in the morn
ing that the strongest battery Is need
ed to crank the motor, and then TURN
so hot at midday as to cause oVerheat-
ing. Just applying rules OF moderation
may not be sufficient to keep the car
in trim through this trying perloo
Safer is the plan of adjusting car to
meet temperature changes. This calls
for a more intimate knowledge OF the
automobile. Thousands of motorists
who are taking delivery of new cars
this Fall could benefit by giving serious
thought to meeting the Autumn sea-
son rs a problem in itself
Il is important. for instance. to have
the brakes is exceptionally safe con-
d;tioa. At this tima of year road trac-
ton is apt to be variable. due TO the
falling Ct leaves. When there is moist
ure under the leaves. as in the morn
ING sl,i6dirg is on the cards for any
driver who does not watch himself.
With brakes that function properly, his
chances of skidding are reduced, be-
cause he has only the traction risk to
meet. At this time of year brake lin
ing must he such as to offer the same
coeffcient of friction. whether the car
is operating in the dry heat OF day or
the cold dampnesS of the night or early
morning If you are having the brakes
refined, now is the time to insist upon
the best lining possible. using only spe-
cial nodded or semi-molded lining on
internal expanding brakes.
Simple Unit of Auto.
The carburetor has been mentioned so
often as a complicated piece of mecharr-
ism the average motorist would rather
experiment with third rail than tam
per with its adjusting screws. The
truth is, the carburetor is one of the
simplest units of the car. Ignition tim
ing is much more complicated; also
brake adjusting A number of the car
buretorS now in current use have but one
adjusting screw. which makes enriching
or leaning out the mixture matter OF
but moments effort. Those who are
meeting tickle weather conditions sue
cessfully this year are enriching the
mixture during starting, leaning out
later in the day
Giving the motor the right mixture
for the days temperature will have a
very helpful effect on the battery. Re-
gardleSS of how rugged the battery is,
any heavy drain will shorten its life.
This drain can be avoided. not only
through using more appropriate mix
ture but also by having the breaker
points clean and synchronized, and also
by limbering up the motor with little
preliminary hand cranking
Don't risk broken arm by trying to
hand-crank for the whole job. AS a
matter of fact. hand-cranking for any
of the newer cars is just about out of
the question. The best one can do is
to turn over the engine a few times so
as to ease things for the starter Do
this with the choke fully out and the
ignition off. When you step into the
car press the choke button half way in,
press your foot on the clutch pedal. step
on the ignition and then crank with the
starter.
Use Half Choke.
Many drivers slow up the process by
using the starter with the choke all the
way out after the preliminary hand |
cranking.
Remember that the motor has already
been choked. but also bear in mind that
if it doesn't start Immediately, it is nee
eSSary to rechoke It. To simplify the
process it is well to push the choke but |
ton about half way in during the sec |
ondary part of the cranking process. If
no hand-cranking is done, it will speed |
the start to crank with the starter
moment before switching on the igni-
ton.
The use of special break-in or valve
oils with the regular crank-case lubri- |
cant is recommended for the Fall This |
will speed up starting and lessen the !
annoyance of sticky valves. OF course, !
this light Oil will burn Off freely if the |
weather turns warm and the car Is |
pressed into hard service, but the valves |
will be benefited nevertheless. This is |
not possible if you use light motor oil |
Fall is special problem of its own |
Don't fall into the habit Of viewing 1t |
merely az a nre11Ide to Winter