The general rule given herewith should be copied and pasted under the hood, or carried in an envelope in the tool box for ready reference. It may save much time and trouble when far from a garage. Carefully followed, it should locate almost any trouble likely to be experienced, and it is the locating, not the fixing, which takes time.
The chart on the next page was evolved out of the experience of years at the school and elsewhere. It will be found a guide in hunting trouble:
| THE Y. M. C. A. GENERAL TROUBLE CHART | ||
|---|---|---|
| Above all remove nothing from the engine except as directed to test rules. | ||
| Needed to Make an Engine Run | 1. GASOLINE | Is tank full? ARE PIPES CLEAN?Is Carburetor clean? If Carburetor needs adjusting, do it, otherwise LEAVE IT ALONE. Does Manifold leak? |
| 2. COMPRESSION | To test—Open all petcocks exceptthe one on cylinder to be tested;crank engine, noticing how strongthe compression is in each cylinder,in turn. | |
| 3. IGNITION at the right time | A. Test for a spark by taking thewire off any plug; hold wire about 1⁄8″from plug; crank engine with switchon. Spark should jump to plug. | |
B. Are the Batteries run down?Does the vibrator (if any) buzz? Istimer clean? Does timer rotor makegood contact? | ||
C. Are any WIRES loose, burnt, wet,broken, or short-circuited? Are sparkplugs clean and are points 1⁄50″ apart? | ||
D. Does MAGNETO armature revolve?Is safety spark gap clean.Are Interrupter points clean and adjustedgood contact? Is Distributor clean?Is Distributor Rotor loose, broken, ormaking poor contact? | ||
E. Check Magneto wires as per “C.” | ||
| NOTE—Loose wires and terminals, neglected batteries, anddirty gasoline cause much trouble. | ||
| TO KEEP A GAS ENGINE RUNNING, cooling and lubrication anda free exhaust are necessary. | ||
CHAPTER XLIII
MORE TROUBLE
“You may have your self-starting 6-, 8-, or 12-cylinder cars if you want them, but give me a four-cylinder motor with a crank on the front end for mine. I’ll get there ahead of you nine times out of ten.”
This was the boast of a chauffeur of a big car, who called at the school to inquire about some action of the motor which he did not understand. His self-starter would not start. A few simple tests narrowed the trouble to the self-starter control, and it was found in the switch, which had become dirty. From repeated arcing the spring had become heated and lost its temper and finally no contact was made, or so little that it would not supply current to start the starter. Which shows that it is a good thing to keep the temper, even in a self-starter switch spring.
This is only one instance where added conveniences have brought new troubles to the motorist. The self-starter has made it possible for many, notably women, to drive cars, who before could not because they were not able to crank the engine. Adding cylinders has made smoother riding cars, which drive easier as well. The greater number of cylinders permits of a much quicker getaway in traffic. It allows the motor to be run at a much lower speed without shifting the gears. The motor has more power and the cars are better hill climbers; there is a better distribution of the same amount of power.
But this has made more work and worry for the chauffeur and mechanic, in that, instead of having eight valves to grind in, he may have as many as twenty-four, and if the double-valve idea is carried far enough he might have as many as forty-eight. In arranging the cylinders to procure a more even torque, in some instances it has been found necessary to locate the valves in positions where they are not readily accessible. In some types it is necessary almost to dismantle the engine, and in others the valves may be reached to remove them only by removing the mudguard.
The self-starter, while undoubtedly a great convenience, has made it necessary to take care of the battery regularly, and to keep the generator and motor commutators in condition; has multiplied the wiring—has added hundreds of wires to the car—and its numerous regulators and other instruments are bound to need adjusting occasionally. The extra care and the unusual troubles give the chauffeur a lot more to worry about.
The electric lights are undoubtedly brighter and better than kerosene or acetylene installation, but they will give trouble occasionally and the average man understands more about filling a lamp with oil than he does about locating troubles in electric circuits. Then there are electric warmers, electric heaters for passenger and driver, electric cigar lighter, limousine lights, and electric horns, which make additional wires until the traditional Philadelphia lawyer would be totally inadequate to unravel the tangle.