Evening star., 1939-06-25
NEWS OF THE MOTORING WORLD
Engineering Changes Automobiles Always Result Headaches
for Experts; Television in Cars Envisioned

you is waiting for a chance to make
left turn.
This business Of switching lanes
has to be handled carefully. There
Is continual risk in making the
switch without every precaution
against being rammed by q car
coming along in the lane you are
trying to enter, and a rear-view
mirror often fails to give a true
picture of impending danger. Rea-
sonably certain that your path is
clear, the safest way is to edge over
by degrees, rather than to cut
sharply into another lane. In this
way risk of collision is greatly
lessened. and should an unseen car
be approaching its driver will be
able to get appropriate. and safe
action from you by sounding his
horn.
Slow Down Pedal Action.
1t Is a strange thing that after.
so many years of experience in de-
celeration many motorists do not
know how to go about extracting
maximum stopping efficiency from
the brakes of their cars. They still
seem to think this is a matter of
pressing as hard as possible on the
pedal, locking the wheels and send-
ing up a prayer. Acceptable stops
are not made this way. All that
follows jamming down on the brake
pedal Is shock stop, followed by
loss OF equilibrium, skidding, sliding
and-too often-loW braking eff
cheney. The best way to apply the
brakes is to press with progressively
greater pressure. This process
should be as rapid as the situation
demands, and should be repeated If
| the wheels start to lock and slide.
In other words, the brakes are al
lowed to apply mildly first, then
with rapidly increasing force. This
| Is directly opposed to the dangerous
habit of going down on the pedal
so rapidly as to bring maximum
braking force into immediate action.
One for the Book.
Some drivers are resourceful.
Typical is the man who, when faced
with the danger of changing a rear
left tire on narrow road, first
removed the spare and placed 1t
on the road about three feet to the
left of his car. Approaching drivers
then turned out of their course to
avoid the tire. thus providing a
greater area of safety for the gent
who though up this bright idea.
In the Motor Mail Bag.
@. Why is it that out-of balance
wheels do not seem to wear rear
tire treads bumpy as they do with
front tires? I should think it would
make little difference whether the
tires are on the front or the rear.
IT. T. L.
A. For one thing the rear wheels
are drivers" This tends to level
off any bumps that develop in the
treads. Also the rear wheels never
pivot.
@. When going downhill the car
Aburetor of my engine overflows be-
cause the fuel pump keeps on send
ing fuel which is not needed.
can check this by declutching when
going downhill. but this is danger
Gus. Would a smaller pump be
the answer?-B. F.
A. You need the present size
pump for road work and uphill
driving The remedy is to have
the carburetor float level adjusted
lower and to use one of the new
special gaskets for the top Of the
float chamber.
@. The free wheeling control Of
my car has become troublesome
to the point where I am seeking
advice regarding the possibility of
doing away with it altogether Some
have told me that this will ad-
versely affect the performance Of
the CARD. N. S.
A. The only disadvantage would
be inability to free wheel except by
declutching. Free. wheeling does
save gas and oil. BY now you should
be able to tell just how much of a
savings would be effected in your
case because you can make tests
with and without the car in con-
ventional. The car will run just
as well without free wheeling 50
far as its mechanical operation Is
concerned.
Mr.. Russell ,DiH ansDer questions
regarding the safe care and opera
tion of your car. Just address him
hin, care of The Sunday Star and
inclose stamped, self-addressed en-
! Delope for personal reply.