Evening star., 1935-05-26
HELPFUL AUTO TIPS.
GIVEN FOR WOMEN
Voltage Regulator important
Device to Prevent Drain
on Battery.
BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL.

BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL.
| Just about this time of year there
is plenty of agitation for a tive-day
week end.
The voltage regulator now used on
many of the newer cars is an i'm
portant device that does more than
make it possible to use many addi-
tional electrical accessories without
draining the battery. 1t plays a
valuable role in preserving the bat
terry itself. This it does by charg-
ing the battery more nearly under
the constant potential system as used
by battery-charging stations. volt
age regulator does not increase the
amount of current turned out by the
generator, but keeps the battery up to
par by increasing the charging rate
when the battery IS low and reducing
it when the battery is more nearly
fully charged. Excessively high out
put from the generator not only dam
ages the battery, but shortens the life
of the headlight bulbs and the dis
tributor parts.
The past Winter has brought many
thousands of motorists to realization
that lighter oils are vitality important
in the newer plan Of motor lubrica-
ton If this realization is carried
forward into warm weather there
should be better performance and a
more genuine type Of economy. 1t
may be necessary to lift the hood
more often to add OIL but not so
often to make repairs. All this Is well
illustrated in the latest recommended
tionS for hot-weather lubricat.un, few
car makers recommending heavier
than S. A. E. 80 for Summer service
and almost all advising S. A. E. 20
for the break-in period.
Over 100 degrees one manufacturer
recommends S. A. E. 40, while a
few car makers advise this grade in
the temperature range from 80 de-
grees up. This is explained Iy the
fact that their products carry mo-
tors capable of encouraging high
speed travel and consequent higher
operating temperatures. 1t may also
indicate that there is as yet no COM
plete agreement among manufacturers
as to the advisability of using lighter
oil and using itsup, regardless of oil
economy.
Watch the oil level for signs of un-
reasonable losses, however. Your en-
gine will use more oil when driving
in fast suburban traffic because you
are obliged to make fast stops, lift
ing your foot from the accelerator
suddenly.
To understand why there often is a
marked difference in service charges
for the same sort of work it Is neces-
Sary to remember that work Is done
by different methods A good ex-
ample is Strengthening a frame To
straighten the rear of frame on one
car, for example, calls for removing
the gas tank where heat is used to
accomplish the bending In straight
ening the same frame by cold bend
ing the gas tank can be left IN place,
with saving to the owner.
That the difficulty of parking
car is largely a psychological stum-
bling block is well demonstrated by the
common experience of most drivers
whereby they find it easier to get out
of parking space than get into one.
If it takes six backward anu for
ward motions of the car to get into a
space the average driver usually can
get away from the curb i'll three.
It's just that he feels it Is easier to
get away than to park.
A little carelessness getting into
the car is likely to cause a lot of
trouble for the driver. Should she
happen to bump the rear-view mir
ror and move it out of focus she will
not have sufficient rear vision for
safety. Since the mirror is easily and
frequently moved out of position it
follows that the adjusting nut should
be frightened occasionally. If this is
not done the mirror is apt to slip
down out OF focus.
I confess to more than the usual
surprise when a woman recently
asked me If there was any logic in
the tip to use second gear for better
control going down hill. She had been
| driving for three years and had
motored since the early days, yet she
had never used second on a down.
grade! 1 am not saying this in a
spirit of criticism, for her confession
leads to another point which I feel
is much more important Because it
is so easy to shift into second from
high at almost any speed the driver
must be careful to increase motor
speed when slowly letting the clutch
pedal come up. If this is not done
the motor acts as too strong a brake,
causing the rear wheels to pave the
way for a skid.
Unless 1t is absolutely necessary,
do not permit any one to lubricate
the springs of the car, especially
those in front Oil is the enemy of
good spring action because it is easily
affected by changes in temperature
and thus is not reliable assistant
in regulating the degree of friction
between the leaves. Overoiled front
springs are fruitful source of
Shimmy. To check an annoying
spring squeak it is usually enough to
apply little penetrating Oil to the
affected spring.
A woman reader writes me to say
that she is troubled by having the
motor Of her car pop back when
going down hill or when slowing
down for a STOP This sounds like
misfiring due probably to using the
wrong type Of spark plugs. If plugs
overhead they will cause backfiring.
This condition is aggravated through
an excessively lean carburetor mix
ture.
Hats off to the woman who took
look at the new oil filter on her car
and who noticed that the top carried
a warning to put that particular end
to the bottom. Consultation with
the service manager developed the
fact that the name of the filter had
been incorrectly imprinted on the
side Of the shell. In attaching the
filter the mechanic made the mis-
| take Of f0l10uyinc the iy,cfaod