From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Customer complaints regarding high oil consumption and clutch issues in certain car models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 130\2\ scan0046 | |
| Date | 13th July 1936 | |
| X1113 W/P - Mr. Hancock. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/KW.13.7.36. Many thanks for your notes, which are most informative. As I mentioned to you on the 'phone, I think for cases of defective work the correct solution is to summarise the information and have a conference with the necessary Works officials here so that we can get the matter put right at the source without slinging mud in public. My chief anxiety now is to get a balanced impression of the two major complaints on the big bore cars; i.e., (1) high oil consumption on the 20/25, (2) clutch trouble on the Bentley. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} will be here on Thursday and I should like to be able to quote figures as to the number of complaints which have actually been received, and what sort of complaints they are. Usually at these meetings vague statements are made, such as that the 20/25's when they leave the Works are not fit to be taken on the road, and that all the Bentley clutches are hopeless. You will have heard from Bellringer the experience of the customer's car which we tried at Cricklewood last week. It was oiling plugs up etc., etc., but after 100 miles fast running on the road, all the symptoms of overoiling disappeared though the consumption was not good. We are sure, if the only evidence of high oil consumption was the amount of oil used, we could convince a customer to run his car 1,000 miles, and that then he would have a good oil consumption. We want to know if there is a case where the oil consumption has not improved in 1,000 miles. The figures we have had from Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} on the Trials cars show that they are both now reasonable. The two engines which we have had in 22-G-V show the same thing. I know that if we are not very careful we are going to be jumped into fitting highly efficient scraper rings, and in the middle of next Winter everybody will have seized pistons. I therefore want a balanced view of the situation. My own recommendation is that cars should run 500 miles before they leave test until we have completed our tests on the modification to make the rings bed in more quickly. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||