OCR Text |
Show I IKS TO WHY I I ABOUT '1 Jerky action of the engine, accom panied by muffler explosions, indi- ' cates that the engine is missing ex plosions. This means that one or more cylinders fail to fire and that the unburned gas passed out into the muffler, where it is fired by the flame from the next cylinder that fires This gives irregular, Jerky motion that is ery disagreeable. The causes of missing are rich mixtures, mix-tures, loss of compression and electrical electri-cal troubles. Test loss of compression by cranking engine by hand and noting not-ing the resistance of each cylinder. If one cylinder has less resistance than the others it must bo corrected, A rich mixture Is shown by pungent odor of the exhaust, sometimes accompanied accom-panied by black smoke. This must b corrected by adjusting the amount ol gasoline or air. It these adjustments are marked it is easily seen if they have been moved. Test spark by : :moving high ten sion wire from spark plug and boldin; it near the cylinder. Run engine anc see If a good spark jumps. Try this at every wire. If no spark jumps at any point the trouble is along that wire or in the distributor. If a good spark is shown at every terminal and still the engine misses explosions, the trouble Is in the spark plug. While proper carburetor adjustment is essential to gasoline economy. It is , seldom wise for the Inexperienced motorist mo-torist to attempt adjustments for him I self. It Is better to go to one skilled : in carburetor adjustments. But ttu motorist may make certain tests foi himself by exercising caution Never attempt to adjust the carbur- etor until the engine is thoroughh warmed up Then run for a hort dis ; tance with the car throttled down, and when the road is clear ahead, open' the throttle quickly. If the mixture is I right and the engine is operating per- j fectlv, the car will gain headway rap - I idl and smoothly Backfiring will indicate in-dicate too lean a mixture, which may be caused either by improper carburetor carbure-tor adjustment or a partial stoppage in the gasoline line or carbu...or screens. Muffler explosions indicate that the charge has failed to fire in . some cylinder and has passed Into the exhaust system, s Shift the daah adjustment so as to '. give more air and if this increases the speed, the mixture is too rich If the carburetor pops, it is too weak. Where there is no dash adjustment, the test ma be made While the engine is run I ning idle by pressing open the air I : valve of th carburetor. Always re-i re-i turn an adjustment to its original position, po-sition, if a change falls to give ira-! ira-! provement. If you find that the car i buretor adjustment is at fault. . j to 'an expert and have him make the j changes for you. To remove hard, greasy deposits from the engine and adjacent parts apply ap-ply a solution of one-half pound of washing soda to two quarts of water, U d hot, scrubbing off the offending I parts with a stiff brush. When it is possible to do so soak the parts to be cleaned in this solution, whic. latter ) should be kept off the hands, as It has an irritating effect on the skin. Be careful that a sharp turn of the front wheels does not bring the tiro In contact with a spring, fender or bumper As the wheel turns, this projection pro-jection will quickly cut through the tread of the tire. When the car is heavily loaded, there is danger that in passing over rough roads the tires will be bumped or gouged by projections projec-tions on the fenders. Bent or broken fenders may also be in a position where they will gouge the tires. Inspect In-spect beneath the fender and make sure that there are no projections which could strike upon the tire. You : may find bolU, rubbed smooth and i bright, by continuous rubbing on the tires. If a change is made to over-5 over-5 size tires, be sure that there will be sufficient clearance between the tire J and the fender when the car Is load-I load-I ed to capacity This is, however, pro- vided by most car manufacturers. The death of Nat Wills, the famous comedian, serves to emphasize a danger dan-ger which has been warned against ir S these columns. Mr. Wills went intc S a closed garage and started his mo-S mo-S tor. The fumes from the exhaust I overcame him and he died before h was found. Before you start youi I motor In a small garage, open the I doors or windows. Loose check nut on the rods in the I braking system may become the cause a of a serious mishap, if they are noi jj I remedied in time. When the check it xc moved Irom the turnbuckle or othei adjustment the tendency of the vibration vibra-tion is to loosen the adjustment of thei bands. As this may occur when the car is running, the chances of having the brakes fail through slack adjust-dent adjust-dent is worth taking into consideration considera-tion It is the natural impulse when the car stalls In soft going to Jam down the accelerator to get all possible, power from the motor. Bui if the car has stalled because the rear wheels cannot take hold in soft mud and are slipping around, this is not, the best way out. The whirling wheels simply dig down deeper It is better, after shifting into low. to j let the motor run at comparatively low speed and edge the clutch in gently. This will give the rear wheels a better chance to take hold Often one can get out better under these conditions if there is a load in Lie rear seat. i If the wheels continue to slip at ; slow speed, it becomes necessary to : tie ropes about the rear wheels or to I throw straw or brush under them j With a light car one can often help it forward by placing one end of a stout plank or pole undr the rear axle and with the leverage thus gained lift It forward while another applies the power slowly. Cars are generally so safe and so few fires occur that the motorist is likely to forget the inflammability of gasoline and handle it carelessl it is unwise In the extreme to use a lighted match for Illumination in examining ex-amining the carburetor after dark or seeking to determine the level of gasoline gas-oline in the tank. This is often the first Impulse where an electric flashlight flash-light or trouble light is not available, but such thoughtlessness too often results re-sults in destruction for the car and injury to the owner. Rain which leaks between the panes 1 of a tilted windshield may be checked ' either by having the upper pane cut long to lap over the first or by fitting a rubber strip between the two pieces 1 of glass. Long wear may result in loosely fit- ting pistons in old motors. In such cases, it Is wise to use a heavier grade of oil. |