Upon this basis and with this understanding, the automobile owner may safely pin his faith to what follows and plunge at once into its depths without fear.
H. C. B.
C. A. S.
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | —What to Do on Purchasing a Car | [1] |
| II. | —Some Things to Avoid | [7] |
| III. | —What an Automobile Is | [12] |
| IV. | —What Makes the Engine Go | [21] |
| V. | —Equipment and Accessories | [26] |
| VI. | —If well “Slicked” the Engine Runs | [33] |
| VII. | —Where Lubrication is Neglected | [39] |
| VIII. | —Sometimes the Car Smokes | [46] |
| IX. | —The Carburetor and its Failings | [51] |
| X. | —Getting the Most out of a Gallon of Gas | [58] |
| XI. | —Things which Make Gas Bills High | [63] |
| XII. | —Care of the Tires | [69] |
| XIII. | —Skidding may be Minimized | [76] |
| XIV. | —“Can’t-Slip Heels” Lessen Skidding | [84] |
| XV. | —Avoid Newly Oiled Roads | [90] |
| XVI. | —Watch your Brakes | [93] |
| XVII. | —Why the Auto Steers Easily | [101] |
| XVIII. | —The Elusive “Juice” | [108] |
| XIX. | —Putting the Kick in the Spark | [116] |
| XX. | —What’s the Trouble with my Battery? | [123] |
| XXI. | —Why Gears Strip | [130] |
| XXII. | —The Gear-Shifting Bugaboo | [137] |
| XXIII. | —The Muffler | [143] |
| XXIV. | —Your Bearings | [149] |
| XXV. | —Driving the Car | [156] |
| XXVI. | —Where Extra Caution is Necessary | [178] |
| XXVII. | —An Auto Furnace for Winter | [184] |
| XXVIII. | —The Cooling System in Winter | [191] |
| XXIX. | —Overheating the Engine in Summer | [197] |
| XXX. | —Some Other Hot-Weather Tips | [203] |
| XXXI. | —Hot-Weather Tire Expansion | [209] |
| XXXII. | —Guarding against Fire | [214] |
| XXXIII. | —Don’t Run away from a Fire | [220] |
| XXXIV. | —Death in the Gasoline | [224] |
| XXXV. | —Shifting Gears on Hills | [229] |
| XXXVI. | —Keeping the Car Sleek | [236] |
| XXXVII. | —Some Things a Tourist should Know | [244] |
| XXXVIII. | —Little Knocks Are Hardly Boosts | [251] |
| XXXIX. | —Some Other Causes of Knocking | [255] |
| XL. | —Chassis Knocks | [262] |
| XLI. | —Keeping down the Auto Upkeep | [267] |
| XLII. | —Hunting Trouble | [272] |
| XLIII. | —More Trouble | [280] |
| XLIV. | —Don’t Take Things for Granted | [285] |
| XLV. | —Blowing your own Horn | [294] |
| XLVI. | —Women as Drivers | [300] |
| XLVII. | —Miscellaneous Rules | [308] |
| XLVIII. | —The Golden Rule of Motoring | [317] |
| Index | [331] |
ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| Sectional View of a Modern Automobile with Four-Cylinder Engine | [Frontispiece] |
| Chassis Plan of the Same Automobile | [14] |
| Sectional View of a Four-Cylinder Engine with Special Reference to Parts Connected with Lubrication | [34] |
| Rear Wheel and Brake Drum Removed, Showing External and Internal Brake Bands and Mechanism | [98] |
| Then He Went to School to Learn some More about his Car | [125] |
| Diagram of Three Speed and Reverse Gear | [132] |
| Block of Steel, and the Gear Wheel which was Hammered from it | [138] |
| Brake Levers and Linkage, Showing Equalizing Rod and Springs | [246] |
| She is Accumulating Knowledge of an Intricate Machine—and She is Fascinated | [305] |
Putnam’s Automobile Handbook
CHAPTER I
WHAT TO DO UPON PURCHASING A CAR
The man who buys a car will receive from the salesman a certain amount of instruction as to running it. He will be taught how to manipulate the pedals and levers, switches and other devices of the equipment and, if necessary, how to run the car. He will be given, also, certain books of instructions.
It is presumable that almost any man will remember enough of the salesman’s patter to enable him to get home with the car, and that some bits of memory as to the instruction books will remain. But will the owner get out those books and go to school awhile with them? Not if he is the average owner. Probably he looks upon them as mere catalogues for ordering repair parts—well enough when needed. Do not make that mistake. There is no other book printed, no matter how complete, which supersedes or which can be substituted for the manufacturer’s book concerning his own car. It was not printed just to consume paper and ink; the manufacturer had no idea you would cut out the pictures and paste them about the garage. He and his assistants spent a large amount of time and a larger amount of gray matter in preparing those books so that you, Mr. Owner, would know how your car is built, what it ought to do, and why it won’t unless you do certain things. The books contain in a small compass practically everything about your particular car. The owner should master the contents first of all. Nothing can take its place.
If the owner has not read the instructions, lay down this volume right now, go to the garage, and get the books and read them over. If you haven’t read them they are still in the car. The manufacturer made certain that the owner could not claim the books were not received, by tacking them fast under the seat or elsewhere so that they could not get away and so that a forgetful salesman would not overlook this important matter. Get them out and lay the basis of what is to follow.