Walking On Roads

Driving Habits Do Change

Do you own a new car? Are you driving a new car as you drove your old one? If you are, then you are not being fair to yourself or your automobile, and it is time to change your methods just as the manufacturers have changed their mechanisms. This is the new thought in automotive circles, and its proponents declare that the practice of adhering to antiquated habits in driving and caring for cars is costing motorists thousands of dollars in repairs. Too few car owners recognize the high cost of operating modern cars on out-of-date principles and accordingly the great majority of motorists are paying the piper for failing to revise their meth-ods of motoring. An angle of the subject emphasized by manufacturers is that habits contracted in the operation of one make of car must not be taken to apply to all makes. In a number of instances it has been found that a motorist will assume that a grade and type of oil that was exactly right for his first car should be quite right for all subsequent automo-biles in his possession.

This phase of the subject has clearly demonstrated in a very popular model of semi-high grade car. A large number of purchasers of this car found it necessary to have pistons replaced at rela-tively low mileage. The car was blamed for the condition and if it had not possessed many outstanding virtues its rep-utation might have been seriously im-paired.

The trouble was that the timing was a little more advanced than on most cars and, since many of the owners had graduated from cars in which failure to retard the spark on hills or in accelerating made little difference, they went ahead letting the new car "click." The pistons absorb most of the shock when a motor is knocking. There are habits, however, which are serving to injure the older cars as well as the newer ones, investi-gations show. Perhaps one of the most striking of these is the custom of racing the car in second gear with the idea of warming up the engine and motorists somehow or other imagine that it makes no difference how fast they run with a cold engine, so long as they run in second gear. Common sense, however, teaches that this is a very destructive habit. High speed in second gear presupposes normal lubrication and the car owner should know that this impossible with cold and congealed oil in the crankcase and oiling system.

One habit which countless drivers do not seem to be able to rid themselves of is "riding the clutch." This habit came into vogue with the old-fashioned cone cluthes where for the purpose of getting a smooth start, even running smooth-ly through traffic, it was frequently necessary to keep the clutch ball engaged. The leather facing usually stood for this abuse and cases of slippage were rare as compared with grabbing. Now owners forget that the plate and disc type of clutches will not stand for habit-ual slippage and that there is no reason to "baby" the clutch as in the old days.

A significant proportion of the recent trouble observed at service stations can be traced directly to unbounded and unreasonable belief in the value of time-honored customs. There is the motorist who still thinks he is doing the right thing when he keeps the headlights burning during the daytime while touring. He does not know that in traveling faster the current output of the generator is lower, thus minimizing the need for wasting current. He does not realize that burning the lights in the daytime means shorterning their lives. He does not see the economy and common sense in wasting any excess current by the simple process of using the horn and the starter more frequently.

Considerable trouble has been experienced with the emergency brakes which operate on the propellor shaft just back of the transmission. This is the popular location for the hand brake now and there are many points of this position, but the motorist's habit of not using the emergency is already working against him.

In this position a brake band is very apt to become either too dry or too greasy. The band is away from the water from the streets but does get much of the dust. At times, therefore, it will be harsh in action. At other times, should the front universal joint throw grease, the brake will slip. If it is covered with grease and is held going down, a steep hill the grease will start to smoke, filling the car with unpleasant fumes. All this can be remedied to some extent by more frequent use of the hand brake. Just using it to hold the car in parking will not serve to keep, its lining in good condition. It must be used. The habit of always relying upon the service brakes must be broken.

Discussing brakes brings up the matter of the possible danger in following the old habit of greasing the front wheel brank bands, thus interfering with the equality of brake force distribution and encouraging a skid on a wet pavement.

Faulty habits are costing American car owners a staggering sum annually. One of the most serious of these is the custom of using kerosene to flush out the engine lubricating system when changing oil. Much bearing trouble and not a little cylinder scoring, has been traced directly to this. Kerosene added to the

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The WHITE GARAGE, Ltd.

All Car Service WILLIAMS, ARIZONA

Official AAA Garage

Telephone 111