Page:Dorothy Levitt - The Woman and the Car.pdf/78

 lever. In this chapter I shall only deal with the first four.

It is the gear-lever that sets the gear in motion—practically puts the "muscles" of your car into play. It is imperative that it be in neutral (or central) position when starting the engine, or when applying either the hand- or foot-brake. This gear-lever, when in neutral position, disconnects the engine and gear, thereby allowing the road wheels to be brought to a standstill. When first learning to drive there is a tendency to suddenly apply the brake without bringing the gear-lever into neutral position, consequently a great strain is put upon the entire mechanism, as rival forces are brought into play, viz., while the engine is pulling, and through the driving-shaft turning the gears and propelling the wheels, the action of the brake is to make the back wheels stationary. As an example, the shock on the mechanism in the event of this happening can be compared to taking a watch and banging it on the ground.

With regard to the other levers, always