Before starting out for a ride your first duty is to see that the petrol-tank is full. It is unpleasant to be stranded on the road, miles from anywhere, minus petrol. The petrol-tank is, in many instances, under the seat. Lift the cushions, unscrew the cap and peep in. If it is dark it will be necessary to hold a piece of stick in to see how much petrol there is, but when there is occasion to do this, be very careful that there is no dirt on the stick, [Illustration: _Photo. H. W. Nicholls_ UNSCREW THE CAP AND PEEP IN] or a choked petrol-pipe or carburetter will result. The slightest atom of dirt in the petrol will cause trouble. If you are going for a very long run it is a wise plan to take an extra can with you. It is, perhaps, unnecessary for me to warn you not to take a light near the petrol-tank while it is being filled up. Many cars have been wrecked through carelessness in this direction. Remember it is not actually the _petrol_ that catches alight, but the vapour that arises from it. If your petrol-tank runs dry there is no danger--the car will simply come to a standstill. The chamber in which the petrol and air mix and vapourise is called the carburetter, from which the vapour is carried to the cylinder head by means of a pipe, and is there exploded by the tiny electric spark from the sparking-plug, the explosion forcing down the piston and causing the crank-shaft to revolve. Having examined your petrol-supply, being sure to replace the screw quite tightly, your next duty is to see that the water-tank is full. This tank is situated behind the engine, close to the dash-board. Unscrew the top and if you cannot see without uncomfortably bending over take a twig or stick and poke it in, and the wet portion will tell you how much water there is; though on some cars there is, affixed to the screw tops of both the petrol-and water-tanks, a metal rod which shows the amount of petrol or water in the tank. When you are refilling the water-tank you can tell by the “overflow” when the tank is full--there is a special outlet, so as to prevent the surplus from flowing over the top of the engine. Be sure to screw the top of the tank on again. The next for examination is the oil-tank. This supplies the oil to lubricate the engine and gears. There are several different types of lubricators, force or drip feed, according to the type of car. It is necessary to lift the bonnet to refill the oil-tank. The “bonnet” is the metal covering to the engine. When the bonnet is lifted, metal supports will be found each side to hold it up. It is important that you have plenty of oil, for it is the lubrication that keeps your machinery in working trim. Without oil your engine and [Illustration: _Photo. H. W. Nicholls._ TEST THE QUANTITY OF OIL IN THE TANK BY INSERTING A PIECE OF STICK] gears would overheat and probably “seize.” The lubricating oil is forced, by a small hand pump, to all the different parts of the engine and gears requiring it.