Field artillery materiel

by Unknown

To Stop the Car.

To stop the car, the throttle should be closed, the clutch released, and the brakes applied, all being performed at the same time. The amount of pressure applied at the brake pedal depends upon the distance in which the driver desires to stop the car. Before allowing the clutch to engage after the car has stopped, move the gear shift lever to the neutral position. If the car is to stand apply the emergency brakes. If the engine is to be stopped speed it up by opening the throttle just before turning the ignition switch to the position “off.” If the weather is cold use the choke when stopping the engine or set dash adjustment to give a rich mixture. This will make starting easier if the engine is started in a reasonable length of time.

Driving Suggestions.

In operating a car it is always best to alternate the service and emergency brakes rather than to use one continuously, to equalize the wear on them. When approaching a very steep down grade it is safest to move the gear shift lever to a lower speed position, closing the throttle and permitting the car to drive the engine. When the grade is not excessively steep the engine can be used as a brake with the position of the gear shift lever remaining unchanged. This will save the brakes and tend to cool the engine. The brakes should never be applied suddenly enough to slide the driving wheels except in cases of emergency. When a stop is to be made apply the brakes soon enough so that the motion of the car will be gradually diminished and brought to a stop at the point desired.

To avoid accidents on the road all rules and regulations governing the driving of motor vehicles on the road should be observed. When turning corners or approaching cross-roads warning should be given to avoid collision with other vehicles which may be hidden from the view of the driver. Before backing the machine the driver should be sure that the road is clear. In manipulating the car the front wheels should never be turned by moving the steering wheel when the car is not in motion. This puts undue strain on the steering apparatus and will cause lost motion in the steering gear. If it becomes necessary to move the front wheels of a car while it is standing still, they should be moved by applying force not only to the steering wheel but also by pulling the front wheels around.

When a car skids, the tendency is for an inexperienced driver to apply the brakes and turn the front wheels in the opposite direction to that in which he is skidding. This should not be done as it only accentuates the skidding and the car may be ditched or skid into another vehicle or the curbing. When the machine starts to skid turn the steering wheel in the direction in which the car is skidding and partially close the throttle but not entirely, or it will have the same effect as applying the brakes. When the car straightens out the power may again be applied gradually, and the machine brought back to the center of the road. When skidding on narrow roads it is best to apply the power and steer to the center of the road. This will aggravate the skid for a moment but brings the machine around at an angle with the front wheels in the center of the road. The momentum of the car will cause the rear wheels to climb back onto the road again.

ENGINE TROUBLES.

If the machine will not start the trouble, can only be located by a systematic search. It is always best to look over the ignition system first, then see if there is any gasoline in the carburetor. It will often take some time to find the trouble. However, if the engine once starts there is little difficulty in locating the trouble as there will always be an indication which should point to the source of trouble. The great difficulty with inexperienced drivers is that they do not reason out the matter carefully before attempting to remedy it. Also an inexperienced man usually looks for trouble in the same place no matter what the indication may be. Nearly all difficulties arise from one of three sources, ignition, carburetion, or engine. These are outlined in the following table. The trouble is located by the trouble it gives the driver.

I. Engine misses:

A. Ignition.