Show 1 l' l QUERIES ANSWERED By George H. H Robertson The adoption of ot a standard traffic code with the view of securing uni uniformity uni-I uni fortuity in traffic regulations will be of Immense help to in various various various vari vari- I ous cities citiE's that have been slow to recognize recognize recognize rec rec- the Importance of the safety first movement A single set of rules will be the means' means of Instructing all drivers and residents of cities in the simple regulations of safety If the standard code Is adopted as now proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed In all of the larger cities motorists motorists motorists mo mo- touring from one ona city cit to another another another an an- other will have no excuse for violating any traffic laws Records show proof of the fact tact that motorists have been to toa toa toa a a great extent the worst offenders against traffic regulations It has been th the aim of the authorities In the different different differ differ- ent cities to draft requirements with the view of reducing reducing- the great number of preventable accidents It IMs Is pro proposed to further eliminate the possibility of oC street accidents by standardizing signs and signals throughout the country The semaphore system in us use on Fifth avenue has been recognized as being ver very efficient and its use has been Wen lately adopted by Detroit B Ba Baltimore T I Washington St. St Louis Loul Boston BoSon New Orleans and several other large cities Automobile Editor My car employs the circulating oil oiling oil oil- ing system systems Should 1 the the- theold old oil be drained out and the reservoir cleaned or is it only necessary to renew the oil supply as it is exhausted A A. A T T. T SARDON With the circulating lubricating I systems in popular use the same oil I is used over and over again While i much may of this may eventually be burned I in the cylinders it is ls probable that the lubricant will become worn before the reservoir is emptied Consequently the level evel of the oil In the reservoir should not always be taken as the criterion cri cri- ten terion on to Judge the condition of the lu lubricating lu- lu system Although a strainer is used to free the oil of all foreign matter as the the lubricant starts on Its return trip it t Is the experience of ot many designers that the oil if it used too long gradually becomes filled with minute particles of iron filings w worn rn from the rings piston cylinder walls walls' and bear bear- ings If oil Is used in this condition conditi bear I n the metal filings will act as an abrasive abra abra- abrasive abrasive sive and will wear the ver very surfaces that the lubricant is supposed to pro pro- I It is therefore advisable to re replace replace replace re- re place the old oil with fresh lubricant several times Umes throughout th the season If care Is taken in fn this direction the motor Will give excellent e. service with this system s stem of lubrication lubrication and and the wear of the mo moving ing parts will i be e reduced re reduced re reduced to a minimum Automobile Ed Editor t Is it true that the gravity of ot gasoline gaso- gaso line now on on BaJ sale is lower Jowar th than n t gaso-t w was s formerly the case case If so sa is there any difference in the tl results obtained d from my motor due to to this c change e ang-e WILLIAM ATKINSON It is considered by good authority that the specific gravity of the I gasoline gasoline gasoline gaso gaso- line now sold is about 6 60 or 62 62 whereas where where- as for a few years a 60 or 70 degree degre could be obtained Although the I higher g gravity of gasoline is more readily vaporized and therefore en enables enables en- en ables the motor to be started more easily c it ills ls' ls not ot ottrue true that the higher grad grades s produce more more power power In fact the contrary is the case for any grade of gasoline produces when burned burled the same amount of heat hat per pound Remember that the power developed by the motor is directly dependent upon the amount of heat hlat formed formed formed-by by the explosion of the gasoline vapor Inasmuch as the lower grades of gasoline are heavier you ou will realize reaUze that there Is a a. greater number of pounds per gall gallon n than in the higher gravities of gasoline Consequently the lower gravities deliver more power for forthe forthe o othe the same number of or gallons Automobile Editor I t have an electric lighting system on my car but no separate generator Therefore the batteries must be he bech ch charged when they b become come empty empt If it becomes becomE's apparent that the that the batteries I Iare are weakening and I have no opportunity opportunity nit to charge them could I connect I dry cells in series with the storage battery and obtain sufficient current nt I Ifor for my lights D DICK WASSON ASSON Dry cells are not intended for lor such constant service as that required for operating electric lights They will rapidly decrease i in strength until their output Is less tess than that of the storage storage storage stor stor- age battery with which they are connected con con- con con- When this occurs the re resistance resistance re- re of ot the dead dry cells cell becomes very ery high and the curren current obtained e from the storage ce cemore cell is decreased more than ever Automobile Editor I have heard much concerning value 1 of oversize tires s. s Is there any ny harm Inthe in inthe inthe the use of tires double oversize that is is tho the size larger than the oversize oversize oversize over over- size would call for JAMES TAMES WARREN The chief would be to the poor fit of the larger tires on the narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row rims The carrying capacity of the larger tires would of course be greater but their size of ot support at the rim would be so small that much of this advantage would be lost As one prominent engineer expressed it it the use of very large oversize tires in n narrow rims is similar to a a. big soap bubble which on a pipe Automobile Editor Will a car use less gasoline traveling traveling traveling travel travel- ing fifty miles at twenty miles an hour than it will in going the same distance at double that speed 1 L. L M M. T. T This question cannot be answered specifically for much depends upon the type and size of ot the car the Diameter of the rear wheels and the gear ratio on direct drive Practically every motor is designed to deliver its highest efficiency at a certain speed or number of revolutions rather and the car speed at which these revolutions tl will be maintained Is the speed at which h you will travel farthest atthe at atthe atthe the least fuel consumption The motor motor motor mo mo- tor othe average medium sized car runs the most efficiently at from t to 1200 revolutions per minute Therefore Therefore Therefore There There- fore with inch 34 Y wheels eels and a gear reduction on high speed of 32 3 to 1 I you ou will travel farthest on a gallon of gasoline at a speed of from thirty to thirty-five thirty miles an hour provided hour provided of course that your car answers these general specifications A more powerful powerful powerful power power- ful car having larger wheels wheels- or a higher high high- er speed motor will run more economically economically eco eco- at at St k faster rate rate Yo will understand of co course course that this run run- run run- Continued on page paJe 6 6 vf Q QUERIES ANSWERED L t ll Continued from page 5 5 hV Wing must be made mado on the high hig-h or dl- dl 4 L sect fE t gear whenever possible t Editor it i S 11 J lf T J am touring through an unset unset- t i f l of the country in w which s seems ems impossible to obtain c Je e t r quantities of gasoline would it r h. h for my mv car to run on kern kero- i for or a few m miles les W t I L I. H H. BROWNl BROWN l' l have haye been made which to to show that many gasoline mot motors mo mo- mo- mo tors t may be run on k kerosene rosene after after i they they have have been once started on gasoline gaso gaso- I line line This necessitates slight changes j gaso-j In in the carburetor however which must 1 ba be 6 provided with some source of ot heat to to aid in the tile vaporization of the less volatile fuel and is hardly to be recommended recommended rec to the amateur driver To Tobe Tobe Tobe be sure the majority of modern carburetors car car- are aie provided with jackets through which not lot air all or hot water passes after atter the motor has once been started and some of ot these will serve to vaporize the Kerosene without much trouble but It must be remembered r s that kerosene is an entirely different rent s fuel riel from gasoline and cannot be ue used to to advantage In motors designed for rf ithe th latter If you must use kerosene i t yin ln In a gasoline motor however try addone add- add one pound of sulphuric ether to j every every- ev n three thrle gallons of ot the fuel and amI you will have an ea easily 5 ly vaporized fuel that although it will possess an exceedingly exceedingly ex ex- disagreeable odor will replace re replace replace re- re I place gasoline at a pinch It Is probable probable probable able that sulphuric ether could not be obtained at a cross roads store where no no gasoline Is to be had In quantities and nd It Is therefore well to carry a few pounds of this chemical whenever you start rt on an extended trip It is our OUI policy for motorists to econ- econ in oils Only the VEr very best grade rade oils of-oils of oils should hould be used for internal lubrication Some engines have vt very n clos closely ly fitting fitting- pistons and andt t t rings an and antl l tightly adjusted bearings i which mean that a alight light Ight bodied oil should be used sed in order to work ork a film b between the closely fitting parts Other engines will wUl operate better on medium grade hade oils while whilo an m engine th that t has been run for tor some time so that the working parts have freed up will need heavier bodied oils in order to cushion the shocks between the worn parts Rapid carbonization of a motor usually results from the use of ot a poorly poor- poor 1 ly 13 refined oil of inferior quality Hot 1 I carbon and the sulphur compounds freed fr ed by the combustion of poor oils i passing between valVes and valve seats t erode and pit bath necessitates frequent frequent fre- fre qU quent t The carbonization of teh ten explosion chamber valves and top lop of piston is also caused by the use Yot 1 tot Cof an oil of incorrect body too light or t too o heavy too high an oil level In the wank case or by the presence of mechanical me me- defects in the motor Piston lug leakage or a poor fit between the them theston ston m and cylinder are the most seri seri- i us mechanical defects contributing to fie i immediate carbonization of any motor mo mo- f tor IJ elf Editor The right front tire of my car seems 1 q wear v vear ear vcr very much more rapidly than any Sany of the other three What would probably be the c cause us of ot this E. A A. NELSON If i you find that this Is the case with hf cry tire that you place on this wheel t trouble evidently lies Hes in the align- align of the wheel Itself It rn may y be bej j that the front wheels do not re re- J lve in parallel planes This would 1 caused b by a slight bend in one en end the front axle and would force the theto I tire to slide as it revolves I would i st that you take your car to are are- r sible repair man and ask him to measure measure th the front wheels accurately in order ider to have them properly aligned 11 r Automobile Editor While While hU ascending a ste steep p hill recent recent- i the motor of my car seemed to lose 1050 OWer and finally stopped In hh the midI mid- mid Hl of la-of I of of a grade After allowing it to o past st ba backward k kard ard I sounded the tank tanh acl d. d found over r two inches of gasoline The Phe he motor started stalled and ran well as soon as asI I cranked it on on level What hat could have been the Localise f. f It lse of ot this behavior on the hill V ft c c- cR R- R BARRETT s 1 I V I presume that your gasoline feed is ion flon TIon the gravity sj system tern stem with a tank located to lo- lo under the front seat Unless Unless' F r our r rank tank ank is fairly well filled you will that a steep grade may bring the carburetor carburetor to a point above the level of the gasoline and when vb n these condi condi- lions y-lions prevail the gasoline will not flow t The bite e fact that your our car ran r probably when hen on the level Jevel would seem to indicate indi Indi- indicate cate ate that these conditions existed Automobile Editor In the section of the country In which I reside the thermometer rarely falls fall 1 hel below w 10 depicts above zero r I hope hop to I use m my car throughout the tho winter and I like to Know lwow the best l kind nd of 1 I Ml i mixture re to employ In my radiator and cooling R system stem JOHN SAWYER Alcohol either wood wood good or denatured forms about the toe mo most t satisfactory anti anti- freezing material One part of pf alcohol to three of water will not be affected by temperatures temperature's such as you v would l df- df meet with The alcohol alcohol- mingles min readily with the water and there therefore therefore f fore re it Is IB not necessary that the two be mixed before being poured into the radiator Furthermore alcohol has no ho no Injurious effect on the rubber hose con v and gaskets To you ou must realize real realize ize however that the alcohol will evaporate out of the of-the the water and that this will therefore need to be replenished replenished more frequently than the water itself in order to maintain the same me same degree degree de- de gree of specific gravity g Automo Automobile lle Editor 1 I J have heard some authorities say that the use of ot wire ire els wheels tends to increase in- in crease the tire mileage Why is this G G. G W W. HO ITON As well Is well known wood woOdis is i a a poor poor I conductor of heat while ir iron n or steel on the other hand is a most excellent conductor At high speed the heat of or I friction increases the temperatures of I Ithe the air in In inthe the tires tire considerably but there ther is naturally no radiation of any consequence through the wooden spokes With wire wheels however there are positive metal connections between the steel rims and the metal spokes and th the excess boat generated g in th the th tire lire is thus carrIed through h the it is quickly dissipated by the VH very rapid rotation and passage passage pas pas- sage through the air air Automobile Editor Editor- How long will the six volt eighty eig ampere storage battery on my car par last when rhen used only for the sta starter ter JAMES WILSON Tile This depends entirely upon upon the current current current cur cur- rent consumption of your our starter the number lumber of 01 times that you employ it and the duration of each ach engagement eng U r ur b battery tery has a capacity of eighty ampere hours at six volts an an hour it II means that It it will deliver one one nc ampere at six volts volts' for eighty h hours o two for forty hours or 01 eighty for tor one hour Although Al AlI Although Al- Al I though the ct current consumption of the average s starter arter Is ia high the duration of I the contact is short short J In as much 98 as practically all electric starting S 'S systems 8 toms terns now in use have provision for foe the automatic char charging ing of the battery you do not need to concern yourself o raeH with the capacity of th the storage cell Automobile Editor Which Is the better grade of gasoline gasoline gaso gaso- j gaso line Ino to use in an automobile the 64 test or the 72 test st What advantage has the latter over over the former There I Is a difference of 7 cents ir In the tho cost The lower test is the cheaper AL BR BRAUN UN If It both g are art 0 of good |