Evening star., 1936-07-19
USEFUL AUTO TIPS
G|VENFOR WOMEN
Exhaust Pipe of Motor Car
Effective Way of Checking
Engines Efficiency.
BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL.

D1 hLDLhICh ~. N " OCoLLLs
If todays automobile owner stands
for anything at all it is too much. u
The exhaust pipe of the automobile
continues to be an effective way OF
checking the engines efficiency. This
can be done best with the aid of one
of those exhaust analyzers which
modern service men use. but lacking
much equipment, the owner can make
certain observations that will help her
understand what is going on under
the hood. and why.
Black smoke from the exhaust dur
ing the warming up period indicates
that the mixture is too rich. This, in
turn, usually means that the auto
matte choke isn't working properly.
The remedy would be to adjust spring
tension on the choke thermoStat con-
troll SO that the valve opens sooner.
Appearance of black smoke at the
exhaust pipe will also be accompanied
by audible skipping. If both of these
conditions clear up as the engine
warns. the trouble obviously is not
due to faulty ignition nor to the
carburetor.
Automobile designers predicted that
we would learn to like the new body
styles. 1t seemed very doubtful that
their prophecy would come true, for
streamlining had gone into various
schools, radiators we're bizzare to say
the least, and even the closest OBJ
servers couldn't tell their favorite
make of car when they saw it. But
history merely repeating itself. People
are starting to like the new styles and
to find anything else funny looking" !"
All the prophets did was to bank on
the fact that motorists will approve a
style when they see enough examples
of it.
To the designers who regularly ex-
pertinent with all manner of freak
styles the fashions finally approved by
the manufacturers always seem con-
ventional. Intrepid buyers who sign
for what seem to be strange looking
creations soon see themselves coming
a dozen times an hour. In few
months they hardly know their own
car when they see it, SO many dup
licates crowding the road and lining
the curb. The resistance to the new
styling breaks down. Just before
next years models are announced 1t
will be common to hear the most re-
lentless critics concede that they
rather like the new styles.
And so the evolution of automobile
fashions goes round and round, like
music from that much eulogized horn
in the popular song.
I'm just old-fashioned enough to
believe in the rule that car owners
had better not tamper with the car
buretor, but if an owner Is forced to
make an adjustment during the vaca-
ton trip she can save herself a lot
of trouble by making changes only
when the engine is well warmed up.
If she starts tampering with the car
buretor when the engine is cold the
automatic choke is likely to present
difficulty. With the engine warmed
up the choke stays out of the picture,
offering a better chance of doing
what's needed.
mention all this because recently
had a letter from a woman reader who
wanted to know just what changes
are needed when driving in high
attitudes. The mixture must be leaned
out when you get up to where the air
Is lighter.
A woman reader wants to know
what should be done with an engine
that is starting to Use oil too freely.
The car has delivered 81, 1000 miles of
service and oil consumption is now
down to $50 miles per quart.
My reply was in the nature Of a
counter-query. How much farther
does she propose to drive this car
before turning it in for a new one?
I suggested that If she expects an
other $4,000 miles from the car I
would not have the engine rebored.
1t will cost about s25 to buy the 100
quarts of oil needed over that mileage.
She can eliminate the usual 1000
mile oil changes because by adding oil
every $50 miles the crankcase Is vir-
tually being replenished as she goes.