Casper Daily Tribune

The Casper Sunday Tribune

CARE AND CAUTION
NEEDED IN DRIVING
DURING HOT DAYS

Tough on cooling systems.
Hard on tires.
Rough on dispositions.
But glorious just the same
What?
Hot weather!

No driver should have trouble in getting the most from his car during the warm summer months, provided he exercises extreme care and observes a few simple rules. While a motor car often seems to operate better during the warmth of the summer, this season of the year is really the most dangerous and the most trying of all to the inexperienced driver.

In the winter, the danger from freezing may be easily overcome by alcohol or glycerine and a heated garage. Skidding has been practically done away with by chains. The closed car banishes all discomfort from winter motoring.

But in the summer--it all depends upon the driver. The radiator should be kept full of water all the time. If your radiator leaks, don't chance even a short trip without dropping into a radiator shop for repairs. In the summer, the grade of oil used must be carefully watched. It must be of good body, so that it will not thin away to nothing and still it must not be a heavy oil. A motor or most motors require a lighter oil in summer than in winter, and it is imperative that the crankcase be kept full all of the time and that the oil is not allowed to become dirty or filled with grit and tiny particles. This necessitates comparatively frequent draining during the warmer months.

The fan must be running all of the time. Broken fan belts simply will not get by during the hot weather. Refrain from idling the motor with the spark retarded as this has a tendency to heat the motor. In making long mountain climbs, it is well to make frequent stops that the motor may cool, as a little patience may save a set of bearings and considerable money.

Now as for the tires. Heat expands the fabric of tires and the pores of the tubes and makes them readily susceptible to blowouts, slow leaks and easy punctures. It is well to keep the tires inflated to the poundage prescribed for them and not to allow a casing to run "soft" for even a single block. The heat of the sun on your spare tire will do much to shorten its life as the fabric becomes weakened, and it is therefore an excellent investment to purchase a tire cover and use it constantly during the summer.