Evening Star Newspaper, February 15, 1925, Page 63

MOTORISTS UNABLE ) TOAVOID ARRESTS A. W, Frye Says Traffic Laws Are Such That Coast-to- Coast Trip Means Fines. Special Dispatch to The Star. CHICAGO, February 14.—It {s fm- ible for a motorist to drive from coast of America to the other ‘without being arrested from two to #iX times, unless he has eloquence €nough to melt the heart of the traffic policemen, declared A. W. Frye, su- preme commander of the Maccabees, in an address at a recent automobile men’s conference. “The only way to avoid trouble with the police is by driving so cautiously that it deprives the trip of much of its pleasure,” said Mr. Frye. “There is not only lack of uniformity be- tween States but between cities in the same State. Every individual police department has its own rules. If I drive from the Maccabees' Interna- tional Home at Chatham, Pa., to Washington, D. C., and in Harrisburg, ., make aleft turn around a traffic efficer, T am liable to arrest. 1t in Washington, D. C., T carefully drive fnside the traflic officer, I will be lucky to escape the Police Court. If in Washington I give the hand signal used In California to indicate I am Zoing to turn to the left, the car be- hind will probably crash into me, be- cause in Washington the signal means for him to pass. “The Maccabees’ international motor ©aravan, which will bring to Wash- ington in July 2,500 cars and more than 10,000 Maccabees from all parts of the United States and Canada, will be the greatest objcet lesson the country has ever scen of the necessity for uniform traflic laws. Careful records of all conflicting traffic regu- lations will be kept by the caravan squad leaders, and these records will be turned over to the Department of Commerce, to aid Secretary Hoover's drive for uniform motor legislation.” URGES WINTER SPARES. Worn Tires Should Be Saved for ‘Warm-Weather Touring. It's all very well to think of Win- ter as the time of yvear to wear out the old tires, but some motorists change their minds after they’ve had & puncture or two on a cold day. It 18 then that they discover that there 18 no time of year more inconvenient and costly to have a puncture than in Winter. If the tires are half gone and in such condition that to ride on THE SUNDAY The Sunday Motorist An Abridged Magazine for Car Owners EDITED BY WILLIAM ULLMAN There’s many a single-cylinder riding around in an eight-cylinder car. Just Where—end When. New models in speed laws are in expectation as part of the progress of the present year. According to those who are watching the ma- chlnery of the 45 State legislatures , or soon to be, in session this y ar, there is a possibility that some State will offer a remedy to the pres- ent inconsistencies. The point attacked most strenu- ously by progressives is the fact that speed laws attempt to tell drivers where they should keep within cer- tain speed limits, rather than when. The difference is this: The law warns a driver against traveling faster than, let us say, 25 miles an hour through residential districts where hoouses are not closer togeth- er than 100 feet. But the law does not rule that when the strects are slippery the speed limit is automati- cally lowered to 16. Most States have provisions in thelr motor vehicle laws forbidding the passing of schoolhouses at more than a speed of eight or ten miles an hour. This tells the driver “where,” but overlooks the “when" feature of safety. Why dces the typical law not rule that a speed of 10 miles an hour is in order when children are playing in the streets? Our legislatures have given due consideration to the place but not to the time. Accident investigations are beginning to reveal that there are certain times of the week, of the day—even of the year—when extra caution is necessary in driving. Yet the motor laws still consider only the matter of dangerous plac What the law doesn’t consider the average driver is almost certain to overlook. Putting it another way, the law fs now being criticized for encouraging disregard for the matter of consideration for the times “when extra caution through slower speed is essential. Now You Have It. (Answers to jast week's questions.) 1. The wiring from the positive pole of the battery to the starter- button switch, and thence to the starter motor, is always the largest and heaviest insulated wiring on the car so that the starter can draw a maximum charze from the battery with a minimum of current loss. The more electrical enefgy the starter motor receives the quicker it will turn the engine, and the quicker the latter will start. 2. You do not mesh two gears to- gether when you shift to “high.” The sliding gear that is used to mesh with the second speed gear on the counter- shaft of the transmission is merely locked against the main driving gear of the transmission. The counter- shaft gears revolve while the car is in “high” but actually play no part in the gear combination at that time. 3. A universal joint permits the r tating motion of the final drive of the car to “go around corners.” 1In other words, whether the car is bobbing up and down or running on a smooth road the universal transmits the power from transmission to differen- tial. A straight shaft without joints would break. Did You Know— That the use of calcium chloride in the cooling system to prevent freezing is undesirable, not merely because of its corrosive action, but because it forms short circuits when it gets on the ignition wires or the spark plugs? Should the radiator boil over and some of the solution reach the engine, trou- ble is likely to follow. This t does its evil work when cold, for then it absorbs molsture and forms a sbort. By the time you start to look for the trouble it melts and defles detection. That while a six-cylinder engine is supposed to be inherently free from vibration because of the ideal arrange- ment of the crank throws on the crankshaft, it does, however, develop a peculiar vibration of its own because of the length of its shaft. The front pistons, being so far from the drag- EIng fiywheel get a lead on the engine when the driver accelerates quickly. The front of the shft thus tends to twist. It is belng minimized by many manufacturers through the use of front end vibration dampeners, tandem flywheels and very much heavier crankshafts. That & six-cylinder engine that will start on compression (starting by switching on the ignition without using starter when warm) Is usually out of balance? Sometimes incorrect timing of the valves will enable a six to do this. Usually, however, the en- gine will not perform sgtisfactorily otherwise. Well, of All Things! The Cadillac car was Henry Ford's first auto venture. A year later, in 1902, he organized the Ford Motor Company. Bulck’s first car was a failure. W. C. Durant put it across. The Plerce-Arrow Company, merly George n; for- STAR, to make refrigerators, bicycles and bird cages, Elwood my‘p-- built his first car with the aid of the practical Apperson brothers. The steering tiller of the first Pack- ard looked like & coal shovel. Views of the News. .-The faithful Ford is sald to have been chagrined recently when a Kan- sas man discovered that the ba terfes of his electric car could be used to thaw out frozen water pipe: but conclusions were a bit too hast: Another motorist has discovered that if the Ford engine is allowed to run during the night while parked in the side yard the pipes can’t freeze. The theory of it has something to do with vibration, According to the news report the newest name for garage is autoria. The story goes that a woman motor- ist coined it as a speclal name for the neat little structure in the back yard that houses the family sedan. Garage, to her way of thinking, sug- gests a mess of oll, cotter pins and whatnot. So tonight don't forget to lock the autoria. The commissioner of plants and structures of New York City has asked for the co-operation of the police and fire departments in an ef- fort to lessen the number of auto- mobile fires on the bridges spanning the East River, A bridge fire is viewed as a serious hazard, owing to the blocking of traffic and the possibility of panic. Some regulations may be forthcoming holding drivers respon- sible for any invitation to fire such as a leaking gas tank, defective wir- ing or careless smoking. A bridge fire is a new version of an old story, “Water, water everywhere and not & drop to quench.” Lessons From Accidents. Climbing a steep hill that was cov- ered with ice, a driver got rattied and lost control of his machine when finding it necessary to shift gears and try fancy steering because he had caught up to the car ahead, which suddenly started backing. The acci- dent that followed could have be avolded had he shifted into “second” at the bottom of the hill and kept a reasonable distance behind the other car. There s a lot in knowing enough to appreciate that other drivers have the same hazards to look out for. Points to Remember. Always examine the oil that has been drained from the engine. It will give you some idea of the condi- tion of the engine. If it is very thin, and you have not excecded the 500- mile limit on the one filling of oil, either the engine needs new rings or you are using the choker too much. If the car is fairly new you can usu- WASHINGTON, D. O, FEBRUARY 15, 1925—PART 3. THE OLD MECHANIC SAYS Too much system doesn't pay In takin’ care of a car. I know it for a fact because I see what happens to a lot of cars that are serviced mc- cordin’ to logic and system. You can carry a good thing to ex- tremes same as anything else. It's all right to make it part of a system to inspect the spark plugs ever so often, but you go @ step too far when you try to save labor by takin' the condition of one plug as an indica- tion of what shape the rest are in. There's a car that {llustrates the ally discount the first possibility. Excessive choking, If that appears to be the more logical cause, Is the re- sult of an improper carburetor mix- ture. There is also the possibility that you are not using the right grade of oll, or good ofl, If you have run the car a littls too fast In “second,” so that it will be difficult to shift to “high,” try speed- ing up the engine while going through “neutral” The clutch should be engaged while giving the engine gas, but it should be disengaged as usual before completing the shift. This will usually save a clash of gears when starting away down a grade. The easler your clutch works the less chance there is for having a wheel spin around on the ice or snow when trying to start away without chains. The clutch needs to work smoother in Winter than in Summer. What's the Answer? 1. What State has the highest gas- oline_tax? 2. Why does a gasoline engine stall despite the fact that You may give it & generous amount of gas? Why doesn’t a steam engine stall? 3. How old is the electric self- starter for automobiles? (Think these over during the week and look for the answers in this de- partment next Sunda (Gopyright, 1925.) whole point. The owner spends & lot of time on it, but he's gone too far with system. Whenever he sets out to inspect the plugs he makes it & rule to examine two of them before divin’ into the job. He is systematic about this, and up to a certain point he is sensible, For {nstance, he looks at the plugs of one of the end cylinders and then at one of the plugs toward the cen- ter of the engine block. The fden of this is to make sure that {n judgin’ all the plugs by the one he examines he fsn’t makin' the mistake of over- lookin’ the difference in fuel dis- tribution. Sometimes the center cyl- inders will get & richer mixture than the end ones or more ofl, dependin’ upon the motor, the adjustment of the carburetor and other matters. His little system helps him up to this point, but then he makes the mistake of carryin' it too far, T've just towed his car over here because it would not run right. He ®aid the trouble couldn’t be due to the plugs, but when he told me about his system that was the first place I looked. He forgot that rings, cylin- ders and pistons do not always wear evenly, and that any one of four, six or eight cylinders may foul its spark plug quicker than the rest. His system cost him a repair bill, a lot of trouble and worry. Some- times it's best to do a little more work on the car than you think it needs. ‘WORTH REMEMBERING. Sudden gusts of wind will throw the car off its course as quickly as an uncharted hole in the road. When it's windy keep a firmer grasp on the wheel, particularly when meeting an- other car. Always throw away rags used in process of cleaning spark plugs. Bhould these rags carry a bit of car- bon and be used for polishing, the body would be badly ecratched. Newspaper Test! HILL-CLIMBING POWER. Advice Given in Matter of Cool- ing Process. A cool mixture is invarfably a pow- er increase in hill climbing, but if you are using.an aytomatic shut- ter device on the radiator core do not make the mistake of keeping the engine running so cool that the shut- ters are partly closed when you start climbing, If this happens the shut- ters will not open until-the engine is a little too warm for best per- formance. A trick in this connection s to run at a moderate speed until near the bottom of the hill, then speeding up as soon as the shutters have opened fully. If the increased speed should for any reason tend to chill the engine a little tho thermostat will be a little slow in registering the change and the shutters will re- main wide open, thus helping to keep the mixture cool enough for best per- formance of the engine. On the other hand, If you run fast on the level before climbing the engine will cool down, the shutters will close and they may not open quickly enough to keep the engine at the coolest and most efficlent point when it starts to pull hard on the hill. ENGINES CARRY RESERVE. Practice of Using It, However, Of- ten Harmful to Machine. Some cars are equipped with a re- serve gas tank, but all engines carry a reserve power supply. It is for this reason that a large percent- age of motorists keep going day in and day out without realizing that they are running on the engine's reserve power and that suddenly the engine is geing to give out altogether. Reserve power is such an impor- tant point in the design of soms engines that it is possible to climb steep hills in high gear with tho cylinders hitting on only five or seven, depending upon whether the engine is @ six or an eight. This may bs due to faulty spark plugs or, which is more likely, to a valve not seating properly. Compression in the par- ticular cylinder approximates nll, and contributes hardly anything to the work of the engine. The other five or seven cylinders carry the burden, and do it exceptionally well But suppose a second cylinder grows weary? When you run on the reserve, you skate on thin ice. AT Folding planos have been perfected. NDIVIDUALITY Custom Built Exclusiveness Without Excessive Cost N\ CASH 10 YOU and any one who wishes to take advamtage of this offer! We are testing the advisability of advertising our HURLEYIZED USED CARS in these columns instead of the classified section, and at the same time we will ascertain from what medium we will get the best results. TESTING “USED-CAR” ADVERTISING T}{E custom-built line by Cadillac and Fisher includes a Two-passenger Coupe, passenger Coupe, Five-passenger Sedan, Seven- passenger Suburban and Imperial Suburban, and is available in many strikingly beautiful color and upholstery combinations. Five- I.\l fact, Cadillac invites you to dictate your car’s appearance—to select color and up- holstery, and to obtain a V-63 which reflects your individual taste in style and beauty, just R. McReynolds & Sons’ INC. “60 Years’ Satisfactory Service in Washington” Automobile Painting General Overhauling —Repairing— All Makes of Cars 1423-25-27 L St. N.W. Willys Knight and Overland Specialists—Main 7228-29 as it reflects your ideal of smooth, dependable eight-cylinder performance. The Washington Cadillac Company RUDOLPH JOSE, President 1138-1140 Conn. Ave. Franklin 3900, 3901, 3902 CADILLAC Standard of the World them flat would be to engage in ex- travagance it would be better to buy a few new tires for the Winter and keep the others for hard use in the Summer. On the other hand, if the tires are wery old you might just as well take a chance on having them go flat or blow out during your Winter driving You will not feel obliged to get out and change them. for there would be nothing to lose in cutting them to pleces on your way to a warm | garage. Take any HURLEYIZED USED CAR in our Used Car Room-—they are all marked in plain figures—select your car and use this adv. as $5 cash in paying for it. WHOLESALE FOR ALL WHEELS Rundlett Rim Co. 1336 14th St. N.W. 19323 Ford Sedan.......s30 B Hu Too Much Gas Harmful. A common mistake in cranking a ©old enginc is in setting the throttle too wide. This is particularly risky 1f the engine has just been filled with fresh oil. The “drag” of the oil and the sudden racing of the engine (even if momentary) may break the oll pump. Qur Reputation Is Your Protection rley_Molor Co. rews 1522 14th St. Nerth 6483 Before You Buy—See STUDEBAKER for your pocketbook’s sake JEWEIT It Took a Jewett to Do It It took a Jewett to do it. That's what made the Fours scamper 'to cover, and they have scampered fast. Today only two makers sell many Fours in Jewett’s price class. And to be safe, they have recently brought out other cars with more cylinders. How About “Light” Sixes? And what has become of “Light” Sixes? You hear of them no more. Folks wanted a sturdy Six with ample power. Sixes that would last like Fours. Moderate-priced, mod- erate-sized, economical Sixes that would per- form like big, high-priced Sixes. It took a Jewett to do it. Jewett was built " to prove these things possible—to give the public what it wanted. So Jewett literally ran away with the field In three short years the public has invested nearly one hundred and fifty million dollars in Jewett cars. years ago we built the first Jewett car—a Six. It was revolutionary—in two ways. It had about one-third more power than was ever put into a car of its size. It was sturdier by hundreds of pounds than other cars of its size. And it was a Six—remember that. Three years ago it was a sturdy, big-powered Six. It could outperform and stand up with cars of far higher price. That was when other makers in Jewett’s price class—$1000 to $1500 —offered dependable but sluggish Fours, or Light Sixes, underpowered and short-lived. “Sixes Do Beat Fours” You remember when we advertised “Sixes Do Beat Fours.” It caused a lot of talk. Fours were then still considered best in our price field. Folks admitted a Six was “nicer to handle” but said: “These Light Sixes don’t stand up.” No wonder you ceased hearing about “Light” Sixes. No wonder millions in equipment have been sent to the scrap pile to make possible new cars to compete with the Jewett. But run them on the coal scales and you will still find them “Light” Sixes—hundreds of pounds lighter than Jewett. Check up on the piston displacement of their motors. You will still find them underpowered —20% to 30% less power than the Jewett. Now a New Jewett And to make sure of Jewett's leadership— to keep the Jewett the finest car we know how to build — there is now a New Jewett. Imagine all we have told you about the old Jewett. Magnify it with all the superlatives you can think of. And still you will come short of getting a picture in your mind and eye of what this New Jewett is and does. Without enlarging the motor, without speeding it up, we have yet increased Jewett's power 20%! We have introduced new spring consuruction for balloon tires, which makes the Jewett ride like a car with 125-inch wheel- base—this without sacrificing Jewett's con- venient-size wheelbase. New Smoothness—Silence—Beauty With a counterbalanced crankshaft, chain front-drive motor, we have reduced vibration and noise as near zero as will ever be reached. And finally, with new bodies, we have dressed the Jewett up as beautifully as any car you have ever seen. Let us show you a New Jewett either in our store or at your front door. We want you to take one for a long drive. Handle it yourself. Only then will you realize why Jewett will retain its lead for many years more—why it is the first choice amongmod- erate-sized cars today. 16th and You Streets—Potomac 772 Ricketts Garage Rockville, Md. ’ WASHINGTON-VIRGINIA MOTORS, Inc. DEALERS Rhode Island Ave, Garage 900 R. I. Ave. N.E. ‘Wash.-Westcott Co. Conn. Ave. Alexandria Motor Company 117 N. Fairfax Street Alexandria, Va. ERMANENT PERFECTED PERFORMANC E. B. Frazier Motor Company Frye Motor Co. 518 10th St. N.E. 2015 14th St. N.W. Athey & Harrison Laurel, Md. 1022