CHAPTER V

TROUBLES--HOW TO AVOID AND TO MEND THEM

The Battle of Motor Woe--Various Troubles which may happen at any Time--How to diagnose each Trouble and how to repair it--Prevention better than Cure--In spare Time, Practice in Repairing is Valuable--Simple Instructions from the Tightening of a Nut to the putting on of a Tyre

Your troubles with a car may be _nil_--they may be a-plenty. You may be at fault, and again, the trouble may simply be one of ordinary misfortune or due to the idiosyncrasies of your car: but to whatever it is due, learn quickly to mend matters and laugh at them rather than weep. I well remember the first time I started out alone without a chauffeur. Somehow or other the car stopped (cars in those days were not so reliable as they are to-day--and the one I had lent me had done good service). For several hours I could not make out what was the matter, wept bitter tears and was so down-hearted that it took me a day to get over it: but most of the little troubles that arise are easily overcome on a modern car, when once one understands how to locate them. Train your ear to distinguish the slightest sound foreign to the consistent running of the engine. A single misfire means that there is some little thing needing attention; but always remember to switch off the electric current before touching anything--if you do not you will get a shock.

There is only one trouble regarding which you are really justified in feeling angry--that is a punctured or burst tyre. It _is_ possible for a woman to repair a tyre, but I am sure I am correct in saying that not one woman in a thousand would want to ruin her hands in this way. Nowadays there is a repairer in nearly every village, and the best plan is to drive very slowly on the rim to this nearest repair-shop. With a small, light, single-cylinder car it will do no harm, but if you drive too fast, or far, the inner tube may be damaged. However, it is advisable to carry a “Stepney” wheel. These wheels are really indispensable and should have the place of honour on a woman’s

car. This “Stepney” wheel is an ordinary wheel, fitted with flanges to fix on to the existing wheel, and carries a tyre already pumped up--and can be affixed to your car in less than ten minutes. No strength is required to put it in place.

In regard to tyres--there are several good makes, such as Dunlop, Continental, Michelin, and several others. The stock car you buy from the maker will probably be fitted with one of these makes, but will have plain or corrugated treads. As there is such a great danger through skidding it is advisable to pay a little extra and have non-skid tyres fitted. In addition to preventing the car turning round on a greasy road, being steel-studded they will obviate puncture to a great extent. I use them winter and summer, for although the country roads in summer are dry and the danger of sideslip very small, when you reach a town you will nearly always find the tramlines (if there are any) have been watered, and it is really in towns where the non-skid tyres are a necessity.

There are a dozen little things that may occur to you at any time, and which you can easily remedy yourself, but before starting on a lonely ride it would be well for you to practise the remedying of the troubles, in fact, give yourself lessons in them. As I have already stated, you may go almost a year without troubles of any kind; still, you should know all there is to know about them.

_Sooted plug._--This is caused by the engine getting too much oil. If the plug is “sooted” it will appear to be very black and oily-looking. It is a matter of a minute to loosen the sparking-plug with a spanner, and replace it with a new one; but if you are not carrying a spare plug, and are not in a hurry for a few minutes, the dirt is easily washed off with a little petrol.

_Faulty plug._--If the engine misfires it may either be owing to the above-mentioned trouble, or may be caused by the porcelain becoming cracked or loose in its seating. As this cannot be repaired a new plug is necessary.

_Gap on sparking-plug badly adjusted._--If the engine is not pulling well it may be owing to the fact that the two tiny points across which the spark leaps are either too wide apart or are set too closely together. If you get a good spark with the points in a certain position it is a good plan to insert the blade of a small pen-knife before finally replacing the plug, making a mark on the knife where it was inserted. On a future occasion this will be found useful, as if the knife is again inserted between the points of a new plug and the points either opened or closed, to meet the marked portion of the blade, the correct adjustment will at once be arrived at.

_To test battery._--It is necessary to do this periodically, as if the battery is not showing a sufficient number of ampères the car will run badly. The test is made with an ammeter (provision for which has been made in the list of spares), the positive points making contact with those corresponding on the battery, the ampèrage being registered on a small dial. It should always show four or over. When it gets below this point it is advisable to carry a spare battery, as a stop on the road through a battery giving out is annoying, and a battery cannot be procured at every repairer’s.

_Empty petrol-tank._--If the car comes to a standstill after a few misfires, it may be caused through the petrol-supply being exhausted on account of the tank having sprung a leak or the petrol merely being used up. The former is a very unusual occurrence, rarely occurring on a car with the petrol-tank under the seat. Where the tank is placed at the back of the frame of the car it is often punctured by a sharp stone striking it. Always, if going any distance, carry a spare can of petrol and a funnel, and before filling the tank be quite sure that there is no dust in the funnel or on the top of the can, as the smallest quantity of dirt will choke your petrol or carburetter, and this takes a long time to remedy.

_Choked petrol-pipe or carburetter._--You may possibly believe at first that this trouble is caused by the petrol running out, so look in the tank, and if it contains petrol you may be sure that the flow is checked in some way. “Agitate” the float of the carburetter and it will most likely be found that there is no petrol coming through, therefore there must be a stoppage between the tank and the

carburetter. At the bottom of the carburetter there is a little joint, connecting the carburetter with a small tube through which the petrol is carried. See first that the petrol-supply is turned off, then loosen the joint and take out the pipe, then turn on the petrol and see if it comes through as far as that. If it does, the trouble must be in the carburetter jet. It is a simple task to remove this with the carburetter jet spanner, and an ordinary hairpin would then remove every obstacle.

_Water in carburetter._--This may sometimes cause the engine to run badly, and is not an unusual occurrence. On the top of the carburetter being removed the water will easily be noticed. It is heavier than petrol and the little drops of water in the petrol look like drops of lead. In order to guard against suspected water you can filter the petrol through a handkerchief laid in the funnel.

_Sticking valves._--With the inlet valve this trouble may be caused by oil and dirt. If this is the case it can be taken out and washed in petrol and replaced. The car may not run as it should do on account of the inlet and exhaust valves being pitted and needing grinding in. To grind in use a little emery-powder and oil, and plenty of “elbow grease” until you succeed in eliminating all the little pits and making the surface quite smooth. (Be careful to clean off all traces of the emery after grinding.)

_Platinum point and screw adjustment._--The platinum point on the trembler blade or screw occasionally gets worn uneven. When contact is made, if the adjustment is not correct, the point will get worn down on one side and the engine will probably develop a “knock” and you will not be getting the maximum horse-power out of it. It is a simple matter to smooth the points, but a delicate touch is necessary. The filing must be done with your finest file, and a very few touches are necessary. Should you not happen to have a very fine file with you, the points can be smoothed with emery-paper, but care should be exercised in its use.

Again let me warn you to have the electric current switched off before making any of these repairs or adjustments, and particularly before removing the trembler blade, screw or plug. When the trembler blade and screw are replaced they will require readjustment. When you think they are set at the proper point, switch on, and give the starting-handle a few turns as if to start the engine, at the same time hold down the inlet valve, by pressing down the small button on top of cylinder. While turning, watch the spark between the two points. If it is feeble the adjustment is not correct, the screw is either tight or too loose. After a few attempts you will be able to adjust very quickly and almost unerringly.

See that the points are kept free from oil.

_Loose terminals._--The car may run badly on account of a loose terminal of the wires on the sparking-plug or battery. This is simply a matter of thoroughly tightening up the various little nuts with a spanner. It is a good plan to just look over these occasionally, for when the terminals once begin to work loose they will gradually get worse and you will probably have a stop on the road.

_Irregular petrol-supply._--If the carburetter is getting too much or too little petrol, it should be remedied by readjusting the needle valve in the carburetter. When once it is properly set it will sometimes go for years without readjustment.

_Punctured float._--I mention this trouble as I have personally experienced it, but it is very rare and may not occur in the whole life of a car. The float is a hollow cube, for the purpose of regulating the height of petrol in the carburetter. The float, if punctured, allows the petrol to enter, causing it to remain at the bottom of the carburetter, gradually taking in more petrol. The effect of this is that the float does not perform its office, as it becomes weighted with the petrol, and this holds open the petrol inlet, which overflows out of the carburetter.

I believe I have now enumerated all the troubles that you are likely to meet with, and which you can look after yourself, but because the list is long do not think for one moment that every time you go out in your little car you are going to experience them. You may drive for weeks, months, almost years, without

a tiny bit of trouble, if you are careful. The looking after the little things saves a heap of trouble. The testing of this thing, the dusting of that, the tightening of a nut, the loosening of a screw--all these may be commonplace trivial matters, but if attended to will pay in the long run.

Prevention is better than cure, and the careful motoriste who looks after her car as she looks after herself will have little use for the hints in this chapter of mine.

Above all, whatever may arise, try to forget to weep and remember to laugh. Then you will have won half the battle of “Motor Woe.”