Does cold weather affect the Commutator?
Answer No. 66 It is a well-known fact that in cold weather even the best grades of luoricating oil are apt to congeal to some extent. If this occurs in the commutator it is very apt to prevent the roller from making perfect contact with the contact points imbedded in the fibre. This, of course, makes difficult starting as the roller arm spring is not stiff enough to brush away the film of oil which naturally forms over the contact points. To overcome this, as well as any liability of the contact points to rust, we recommend a mixture of kerosene with commutator lubricating oil, which will thin it sufficiently to prevent congealing, or freezing, as it is commonly called. You have probably noticed in starting your car in cold weather that perhaps only one or two cylinders will fire for the first minute or so, which indicates that the timer is in the condition described above and as a consequence a perfect contact is not being made on each of the four terminals.
