Evening star., 1937-03-21


dance of Winters end lacking suffi-
cient fabrication.
A test made by one service station
the engines brought in for service were
badly in need of an ignition check-up.
Many owners had been losing as much
as 3 and miles per gallon because of
late timing and badly pitted breaker
points. The general inefficiency of the
Ignition system was such that starting
had been delayed in every instance.
This meant increased crankcase dilu-
ton, excessive carbonizing of the cyl
inders.
Most of the owners reported that
they had been too busy to have their
cars properly checked over. 1t was not
just case of procrastination. In no
previous Winter have cars been kept
so continuously in service. In no VIM
ter within the period of large regis
trations has it been possible to go so
far through the season without ade-
quate Winter protection. This year
most of the serious damage to cars
did not start until the middle of the
| Winter. This reverseS the usual expe-
rience. Usually when a motorist is
| shocked into buying adequate cold
weather protection at the very begin
ming of the season he remembers to
keep his car properly Winterized.
But it is the seemingly minor type
OF damage which, in the aggregate,
| causes most of the trouble. There
are the many cases of badly damaged
hypoid rear end gears. Any type of
rear end may be damaged through
the owners failure to use the right
grade of lubricant, but in the case
of hypoid gears which require special
high pressure lubricant it is important
| to keep closer watch on the rear end.
! 1t is cheaper to change lubricant
along toward the end of the Winter
than to try to economic by keeping
| the old lubricant until it Is a safe
time to switch to warm weather
| grade.
When Spring is just around the
corner the temptation is strong to
put off what should be done today.
That explains why for so many mil
| lions of motorists there are big repair
bills ahead on what should be the
smooth highway of Springtime motor
! ing. Here are a few of the kinds of
Winter damage that should be eradi-
Gated Immediately:
Misalignment of tires. In Winter
there is an increased amount of park
ing. Wheels are struck against the
curb, parking is done with the tires
underinflated, and the car frequently
| is handled by parking lot attendants,
who naturally do not have the same
| interest in its protection. Then there
are the rutted and rough roads. All
| this tends to disturb alignment 1t
| does not seem to be generally ap-
preciated that wheels may get slightly
out of line just through normal use
Carbonizing of cylinders. During
the Winter season there is a marked
increase in the frequency and number
OF short runs This prevents the
engine from operating at its normal
and most efficient temperature. AS
result, the cylinders choke up with
carbon. There not only is strain on
the pistonS, rods and bearings during
sharp acceleration and hill climbing,
but steadily falling ineffciency of
the valves. The valve guides become
gummy, the seats are pitted and the
valve heads warp. In this phase of
the subject the owner should care
fully consider the automatic choke.
1t operates more times per day in
Winter, even though the season may
be mild
Finally, the wear and tear on springs,
shackles, shock absorbers and brakes
Each has its own story. Unless the
damage to these parts is erased now
the owner cannot expect to effect
Springtime servicing without making
this virtually Springtime replacement.
The infant trailer business, which,
one year ago, was being hailed as the
handsome godchild of the automobile
industry, finds itself today a much
questioned neighbor, whose children
are scanned with lifted eyebrows, ac-
cording to Consolidated News fea-
ture of the North American News
paper Alliance.
The trailer manufacturers, rolling
along IL months ago on the growing
tide of public interest in a new phe-
nomenon, have discovered that some
of the sunshine has gone out of their
lives. Regulatory legislation has been
introduced in many States and quite
few cities. Housing and sanitation
authorities have swung their batteries
into action.
The fact that the trailer is easily
copied has made it an active field for
small builders. The multitude of de-
signs has thwarted, to large extent,
the efforts toward standardized safety
features. On the whole, the life Of
the major trailer manufacturers who
have been trying to lift the industry
out of its mushroom era, has not been
altogether happy.
Meanwhile, leaders in the automo-
bile industry are less inclined than
formerly to regard the trailer as a
SAASi AoiASb blSocAAlS. 4Not OH Vic IlOol
manufacturers share the enthusiasm
that was evident year ago over the
development of the trailer as an ad-
junct to highway travel. True, they
neither condemn nor applaud. They
remain skeptical, however, about the
| ability of the trailer to add perma-
nently to the joys of motoring.
Some of the reluctance of the motor
manufacturers to cheer the trailer on
ward is founded on the belief that
American highways fall far short of
the needs of mobile population,
moving from place to place by trailer.
They point to the encumbranceS Of
swaying trailers on busy roads, on the
reduced visibility that must come with
multiplication of these vehicles.
They ask whether motor travel in
general will be enhanced if the trailer
is to occupy larger and larger share
of narrow trunk highways.