Evening Star Newspaper, April 14, 1929, Page 74

CARFIT ADVISED Owner Should Know How {0 Locate Trouble and Take | Care of His Machine. BY CLIFFORD BROKAW. + Automobile Technical Adviser. Modern motorists have less trouble with, their cars, as a rule, than they do with' their business problems or house- hold affairs. Yet once in & while a mo- torist’s vehicle will develop some slight abnormality and need some uttention out of the ordinary. Of course, service stations are now so thickly scattered over the country that one'is usually not far away. It is al- ways well to consult an expert when the auto is sick. But if one isn't right handy, something has to be done in the meantime. Folks ought to know some- thing about how to locate troubles when they arise. One trouble with trouble is that it is often hid away in a most inconspicuous \place and, therefore, not readily located. For, instance, it may lie hid in a tiny plece of carbon lodged ungder the valve or between spark plug points. or in a ‘wire that has jarred loose, or mn an in- terrupter joint, or a piston ring, or a gas pipe. In spite of that, most trou- bles may be located quickly if some systematic search is made instead of aimless wandering about. The best way to locate trouble is to start out without any definitely preconceived ideas as to where ‘the trouble may be and iollow & procedure which is in reality a process of elimination. For instance, recall that three things are necessary Lo start a gasoline engine—a mixture of gaso- line and air in the cylinder, compression of this mixture and a spark at the right time. To keep an engine running Te- | quires water for cooling, oil for lubri- cation and gasoline which has been va- porized and mixed with air for power. Time to Use Crank. ‘When the engine stops and the self- starter fails to start it, or it some of the cylinders miss fire, take the crank 2nd use it to turn over the engine. If the engine cranks very hard, the gears being in neutral, there is probably a lack of lubricating oil, or lack of water | may have allowed the engine to over- = heat to a point where the lubricant has failed to do its work. If the en- gine cranks over without sticking the trouble probably is somewhere else. If lubrication is not the trouble, it may be in connection with the gasoline. First inspect the gasoline gauge to see if there is a quantity on hand for use. Next depress the float in the carburetor #nd notice if the gasoline €rips from the float bowl. If it does not, see if the shut-off valve in the line leading to the carburetor is open. If the gasoline reaches the carburetor, drain the bowl to get rid of water or possible dirt ‘which may- have collected. It is usually better not to try to adjust the carburetor. If the engine has been running it is almost sure that the carburetor is not out of adjustment. Inspect the intake pipe or manifold to see if it has been loosened by vibration. ‘The next procedure should be to determine if & spark is being obtained in each cylinder. Crank the engine over until the interrupter points are open, then short-circuit the fixed point with a screwdriver or other metal tool to see if there is a spark. If a small spark results it may be assumed that the current has reached this far. Examine the points for dirt and see if they come together and open properly. If no spark can be obtained by this test, check the condition of the battery and test it to determine if it is sufficiently charged. Look at the connections on the battery; these some times jar loose. Examine the wires leading to the interrupter and switch to see if they are loose or broken or by chance short-circuited. Next note the condition of the dis- tributor, for moisture or dirt may have collected on it, or possibly the wires may have become loose. The wires leading to the spark plugs may possibly be short-circuited or burned. If the spark is good, the compression O. K. and a mixture passing into the cylinders, the trouble may be in the spark plug. To determine this it will probably be neces- sary to remove the plug from the cylinder. If the porcelain insulator is coated with carbon this may well be suspected as the source of trouble. It is advisable to carry an extra spark plug or two for such an emergency. Realm of Troubles. ‘Most of the troubles which motor- ists have will lie in the realm of the topics discussed. 'There are, of course, other possibilities of annoyance and in- convenience in motoring, but they are not likely to be serious. Whenever pos- sible, it is better for the average motor- ist to take his troubles to the technical expert who is top be found in almost any service station. Here he will get com- petent attention, and whatever the car’s disposition may be, it will be readily remedied. Before starting out on a long trip, however, if the possibility of trouble is to be reduced to a minimunt; the motor- ist should have the gasoline tank well supplied with fuel, the strainers in the fuel line and carburetor cleaned, the manifold free from leaks, good com- pression, all spark plugs functioning, battery well charged, clean timer, no loose wire, spark plugs cleaned, inter- rupter points cleaned and adjusted, brushes making good contact and dis~ tributor cleaned. d The conclusion to all this is that those who take reasonably good care of their automobiles are likely to have very little in the way of troubles to inconvenience them. - Most _troubles occur from njglect and while, of course, some difficulties are liable to develop even when a car is given the best pos- sible attention, this sort of thing repre- sents a rather rare exception. Other things being equal, the driver who treats his or her car with the respect due it will find troubles reduced to minimum. (Copyright, 1929, New York Tribune, Inc.) U. S. TRAFFIC DEATHS AVERAGE 75 A DAY Seven Per Cent Gain in 1928 Over Highest Previously Re- corded Figures. NEW YORK (P).—Motor .traffic deaths in the United States increased 7 per cent last year over the highest vious recorded figures. The 1928 fatality list stood at 27,500. The figures were obtained by an in- surance company in a national survey. If the rate of increase is maintained in 1929, approximately 30,000 persons will meet death in automobile mishaps. ‘The fatality toll for last year aver- aged one death for every 900 motor cars on the hlahwxll. On the average, 76 persons were in motor acci- —By James W. Brooks (Sketches by Calvin A. Fader.): it ‘m‘a,ac .and.fif public Service cover) S1200000 1. 3. ROAD AID 15 ASKED Enlargement of Present Pro- gram Imperative, Says A. A, A. Statement. Road-building needs of the country have advanced to the stage where Con- gress should increase the present an- nual Federal-ald appropriation of $75,- & A:; to & possible maximum of $125,~ > statement was issued by na- tional headquarters of the American Automobile Association, which original- ly sponsored the Federal-aid program and has consistently repelled assaults on this policy of highway construction. “Under the present policy of making these appropriations two years ahead,” says the national motoring body, “the regular session of the Seventy-first Congress will turn its attention to_the appropriation for 1932 and 1933. It is imperative that the present program should be enlarged.” The A. A. A. points out that when the present Federal-aid highway act was enacted in 1916 there were only 3,500,000 motor vehicles registered, while today the number has increased to 24,731,600, . Expenditures Are Cited. In support of its proposal that the Federal Government increase the ex- tent of its participation in road build- }ngé the A. A. A. cites the following acts: 3 1. State and local governments are now expending the stupendous sum of $1,500,000,000 annually for construction of roads. To this amount the Federal Government is contributing only $75,~ 000,000 or approximately 5 per cent. 2. Under the war excise tax, which was the last hang-over war levy re- pealed, motorists paid into the Treas- ury $1,100,000,000, while the Federal Government has expended approxi- mately $660,000,000 under the Federal- aid highway act. This leaves a balance of nearly $500,000,000 still due the car owners of the Nation. 3. The present Federal-aid highway system of approximateley 200,000 miles of important interstate roads has been only one-third completed, and under the present program it will require at least 10 or 15 more years to complete this important program. 4. There are 40 motor vehicles reg- istered in 1928 to every mile of im- proved highway, while the ratio 10 years ago was 17 motor vehicles to every mile. This clearly shows that highway-building agencies are not keep- ing pace with the increase in number of motor vehicles. Government Beneficiary. 5. The Federal Government, through the use of the highways for mail and parcel post delivery, for military pur- poses and other governmental activities has been one of the principal bene- ficlaries of improved highways. It should, therefore, assume a greater part of the burden of building them, and this would in turn help toward the solu~ tion of the farm problem by facilitating the distribution of agricultural prod- ucts. The statement continues: “While the Federal-aid is do- ing much toward giving the Nation an adequate system of highways, the fact cannot be ignored that our car manu- facturers are crowding our road build- ers. Moreover, congestion is increasing at a greater rate than our roads are expanding. This means that the time has come to enlarge the present pro- gram and look even beyond the com- pletion of the system already designated. “Predatory interests, ever anxious for personal gain at the expense of the millions of car owners, have used the slow process in road building as argu- ment for toll . While it is true that Congress has been quick to resent attempts to interfere with Federal aid, it is also true that these private m':&- ects, in many instances, have their ad- vocates, There is no room for toll roads in the American scheme -and safeguards must be thrown around the highway program to the end that free highway transportation may not be en- dangered.” . e Rl ; REPORTS ARE APPROVED BY GROUP OF ENGINEERS e Move to Standardize Aeronautic Thermometer Bulbs to Be Taken Up Next. ‘Twenty-seven reports submitted by 13 divisions of the standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers at the annual meeting of the society have now been approved by letter ballot of the members. These include six|ficed new specifications, 15 revisions of for- mer standards and six cancellations of obsolete specifications. All but one of the new and revised itions are contained in the 1929 edition of the 8. A. E. Handbook recently mailed to Fol the revision of specifica- tions for aeronautic propeller hubs and shaft ends, it is now proposed to stan- dardize aeronautic thermometer bulbs and the dimensions for aeronautic in- strument cases. Standards for marine propeller hubs committee | shippin, BEAUTY OF CAPITAL MENACED BY PARKING ___(Continued From Fifth ). dentally, the dust, on the park benches of the Traffic Court Is lusioning. Although Washington's trafic code prohibits the parking of commercial ve- hicles in front of private dwellings or apartments; at the entrance of thea- ters, churcnes and other public build- ings, and parking over 18 consecutive hours, these tions are seldom er- forced, and the authorities appear pow- erless to afford relief to the residents who complain of such nuisances. These' sections of the code apparently were in- tended to prevent residential thorough- fares becoming a gurklnl refuge for trucks and wagons, but a recent ruling of the Traffic Court, is disillusioning. The case of a truck owner who night- 1y and over Sunday stood his vehicle at the curb alongside of a corner apart- ment house was dismissed on the ground that the truck was not standing in | front of the house, but at the side of it. As corner houses face or front on two streets, the framers of the regulations do not appear to have fully safeguarded residential areas against unlimited park- ing of commercial vehicles, if that was their purpose. If a truckman decided to camp each night and Sunday along- side of any of the city’s pretentious cor= ner mansions the occupants could ob- tain no relief from the unsightly nui- sance. The court’s decision stands, however, and 5o does the obnoxious truck—be- tween one of Washington's finest apart- ment buildings and a prominent church fronting one of the city’s small parks. Efforts of residents and church members to dislodge the violator under the sec- tion of the traffic code prohibiting park- ing for more than 18 hours have failed. In front of the Sunday school entrance of this church another commercial ve- hicle frequeritly is parked for hours at a time, sometimes on Sundays when the Md:?flool is assembling and leaving the e ce, Disfigurement of Parks. ‘The small parks that grace the city also are disfigured by commercial ve- hicles parking along the curbs of these open spaces. Coming uptown one Sat- urday about dusk one could have seen & truckman attaching a primitive-look- ing oil lamp to the rear of his fiimsy moving van, which was left for the week end on Connecticut avenue at tl curb of the triangular park a block be- yond Dupont Circle. Such cases are not within the jurisdiction of the traf- fic code. As a result truckmen park in such favored spots with impunity, Commercial vehicles may be parked also alongside of churches and at the curb of vacant iots of te houses of worship and homes of residents. The regulations do not forbid commercial vebicles standing in such places for iess than 18 hours, however unwelcome the trucks may be to the residents. Adopting a choice space in residential side streets for parking each night and over Sunday is a practice of mer- chants and tradesmen whose stores and shops are located on “boulevards” where parked vehicles must be moved with the regularity of the tide from one side of the arterial highway to the other, so that the morning and eve- ning flow of traffic downtown and back may not be obstructed. .This nuisance obtains notwithstanding there may be ample garage space in the neighbor- hood for keeping commercial vehicles overnight. A large public garage in a neighborhood infested with trucks has discontinued business because of lack of patronage. The streets are not the only places that have suffered disfigurement. Courtyards or areas between building line and sidewalk are used by some public garages as storage space for au- tomobiles. Vacant lots in residential sections in the heart of the city arc littered with discarded automobile bodies and other parts which salvage operators throw in such places, and these unsightly dumps are augmented by accumulations of other rubbish t.hrownwmere. Iti ngge':n n?l hypocritical polic; compel iway compa- i J”ms,m a mile in order to eliminate unsightly trolley poles and overhead wires when highways, yards and vacant lots are allowed to be used in this manner. Decency and Order, In few other communities would such conditions be countenanced. = Other cities may not be wealth of classic th and plendid ghfares that - ize the Nat Capital, but the aver- age American city would a civic pride that finds - street an the shadow of impos- ing mansions, some of which are occu- pled as & warehouse Surs. for dents daily. and recommended for marine York State, which, for several 7 e bas ahiown saor vehisle fatality [Sorc: onEMEs |80 ler shatts | oy d of the sutémobile has mam:tfl.m%mmdby g:trnt orn:lm‘“N" Illinois in 1928, ‘Wi A persons kers, 5 5 ‘would consent to the con! gl e 0 | STILL SEEKING. RECORDS. it By St ~m,'¢qg,,mflm.mm,mm Wmmwmwmmwmwlnmm.m an increase of more than 25 per cent in | interest in long-distance races. The ks accom- the number of persons killed by motor annual 24-hour race at Le Mans draws.| modate automobiles of peo- lehlc!adurlnl&heyeq.mu” ieflfl'l&l!tmwmflyeverymntry Phwhnmzv&nmmma: m::,‘mhult.he"1 -ust“mm,wfl’: mmmmmm-mmmmm Texas and Souf also exceeded mzmmbflphnudamm to an extent that their 1927 tolls by more than 50 per| Junior Car Club Great: tain veyances must pay cent. Only t States, Arizona, Arkansas, o Nevada, New H. in an event that calls for 12 hours of hours of rest and ‘haszards will be miners are em- fuel 3 sbiomobie maguaciuring 8 New Features in Road Designs Held Due To Increase in Motor Sfieed on Highways By the Assoclated Press. The average speed of motor cars on the open highway, computed to be 20 miles an hour faster than it was 10 years ago, is dictating the employment of many new features in road design. Special treatment of intersections on heavy traffic highways and banki curves are being by high- way engineers as necessary to insure the safety of high-speed motor cars. A. G. Bruce, senior highway engineer in the Bureau of Public Roads’ division of design, says State and Federal en- gineers are focusing their attention on the problem lrl.ll.nfl out of the inevitable boos‘;.:llx_\; of speed its throughout the country. ‘The banked or super-elevated curves, which were stormed with criticism when first used, now are solving one of the most important problems in road design to meet increased speeds. Bruce says that the users of horse-drawn vehicles on rural roads objected to super-eleva- tion, contending that the highways were being converted into motor speedways. Accidents nm.{ intersections are pointed to as t imperative that some new means be devised to make NEW LOW PRICES Prices are as much as $600 lower than previous Franklins of similar type. With the perform- \ ance and quality offered by Franklin, these new establish sensational car valves. Prices begin at $2160 r.0.s. right and left hand turris easier, as well as to provide the driver full vision in all directions. ‘The two designs most effectively used are’ widened pavements with nearly right-angle inf or right-angle cross| with wide curves connecting the intersecting routes. In the widened ivement design two additional traffic es are added for 500 feet on each side of the intersection, and the curves are about 30-foot radius. ‘The rotary and paved intersections are favored by some highway engineers, who claim they eliminate confusion of traffic and cut down the possibilities for accident. Ten fill’l only three States had speed limits of 35 to 45 miles an hour. Today, 36 States fall into that class, with 3 other scrapping all speed laws. . Will Put New Car on Speedways. Harry Miller will campaign the speed- ways again this year with a new car. He is building & new- rear wheel drive Job in which he is incorporating several innovations, including a water cooled supercharger. The driver for the has not yet been nominated. HIT-AND-RUN RECORD SCORED BY OFFICIAL Conditions in Baltimore Are In- tolerable, Says Safety Director. BALTIMORE, April 13.—Investiga- tion of 825 hit-and-run cases in Balti- more in 1928 discloses & “contdition that is. intolerable,” according to John P. Rostmeyer, director of the Baltimore Bafety Council. G “The investigation by the council,” he said, “shows conclusively that the agencies whose job and duty it is to curb this hit-and-run business, which has, judging from appearances, -become a sort of sport or amusement, have failed utterly to apply deterrent meas- ures. The courts have fallen down miserably in this matter which has to do with the life and limb of our people.” During the first half of 1928, Rostmeyer said, there were in Baltimore 383 hit-and-run cases. In.the last half of that year there were 442 cases, an increase of 14 per cent. The outstand- ing details, as disclosed by the council’s statistical committee, are as follows: Of the 825 cases in 1028, arrests were made in only 474 cases. ThePcrcen half of thoy“e:‘.r second half, , 61 The percentage of non-arrests first half of the year was 47 and the second, 39. The average fine imposed on con- victed hit-and-run drivers from Janu- , $33.85. In the killing of eight persons in the last f of 1928, only three hit- and-run dfivers were caught and sen- tenced to a total of 960 days in jail, an average of 320 days for each driver, and an average of 120 days in jail for each of the lives taken in the eight accidents. In the first half of 1928 one driver, who was arraigned for manslaughter in the killing of six persons, was placed on probatior; another was and not yet tried, and three were not “‘l‘:h:.-hg inj f 72 persons in the ury of first half of the year, the fines on hit-and-run drivers convis to- taled $335, an average of $4.50 for each person injured. In the last half the fines totaled $590 in the injury of 93 persons, or an average of $6.34 for each person injured. Of all autos known to have been in- volved in hit-and-run cases during 1928, 77 per cent were private cars driven by owners. —_— P 2317% LAST YEAR First Quarter shows FRANKLIN Sales are increasing faster than any other fine Car . . . GASOLINE ADAPTED T0 ANY CLIVATE Distilling Temperature Is Deciding Factor. BY WILLIAM E. BERCHTOLD, Associated Press Automobile Editor, The Bureau of Standards has com- pleted research which will make it - sible for ofl refining companies to g- nish line especially adaptable for A l‘n‘i‘pl’: Sandard test 1 gasolin lor wdmm-msrmmmwmoofi or 'n"l:n climates has Lo by Oscar C. Bridgeman, motor expert at mu:m bureau, after a seven-year inves- Gasoline’s initial bofling polnt now generally is considered the criterion for its explosive qualities in the motor. Most luounu“bou at from 80 to 96 degrees . Bridgeman and his associates found that this standard must give way to a consideration by the oil refiner of the B:lm at which 10 per cent of any gaso- e is distilled into vapor. This point, varying between 125 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit, has been found to be a true criterion of the temperature at )hlch any n.lolm:l will 1ll_‘ur".'. & motor. low 8 with man: fuels now available in Winter. na§ turn over with ease when gasoline com- lying with specifications drawn up on is of the new data is used. ‘The ultra-modern Eskimo should have a different kind of line for his mo- tor than the Florida sportsman who rolls along highways skirting a balmy sea. ‘The Alaskan motorist, who may have to start his car in temperatures down to 30 degrees below zero, should have a gasoline, according to the new data, which distills 10 per cent of its volume at from 110 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. ‘The TFlorida sportsman will be satis- fled with a fuel, the scientists say, which has its 10 per cent point around 180 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature weil above that considered most desirable for other sections of the country. The Bureau of Standards expert also found that the temperature at which the last drop of gasoline is vaporized, generally considered of great impor- tance, is now without value to the ofl refiner. Instead, it was found that the tem. perature at which 90 per cent of a gasc- line vaporized is important as a crite- rion of the crank-case dilution. The reseacrh was ythe evolved ed b oil and motor indul'.:gm:‘ obtain the most efficient fuels for all seasons and climates. ECOGNIZING the progressiveness of Franklin, America has accepted the new 1929 models with enthusiastic approval. Sales tell the story. Cars last year. low prices new motor- FACTORY SALESROOM—1517 CONN. AVE. N.W. "HARRY W. BURR sold in the first quarter of this year are 231% of the total of the same period Five factors are responsible for this dramatic public acceptance. The Franklin engine is air-cooled —like aircraft engines. The performance of this new car is so different and so thrilling that it attracts youth—it affords the AIRPLANE * FEEL. There is comfort—beyond your demands. Franklin's modish appear- ance and beauty have created a style which is followed by half the motoring world. And new low prices. Franklin is the world’s most modern motor car—Your first drive will tell you that. Drive it—if only to experience the AIRPLANE FEEL. The air-cooled car with the AIRPLANE FEEL - FRANKLIN MOTOR CAR CO. SERVICE—1909 M ST. N.W. s