Weekly
Column
Click & Clack Talk Cars
By
Tom and Ray MagliozziDear Tom and Ray:
I have a 1994 Volvo Wagon that
is drinking all of its coolant. I can’t
drive more than a few miles before all the
coolant is gone. Then the heater gives out and
the car overheats. I haven’t noticed any
leaks anywhere from the engine. I think it’s
all coming out of the exhaust. What is the
problem? - Keith
RAY: Are you sitting down,
Keith?
TOM: You might want to just
close the newspaper right now. You know, just
turn the page and pretend you never saw your
letter in the paper.
RAY: Well, if you’re still
reading, the coolant is definitely coming out of
the exhaust. That means the
church-and-state-style separation that is
supposed to be enforced between combustion
chamber and coolant has been breached in your
engine. And it sounds like it ain’t a minor
breach.
TOM: You’re probably not
losing ALL of your coolant every few miles; if
you were, your engine would seize. But you might
be losing all of the coolant in the overflow
container. And even that’s enough for us to
conclude that your problem is serious.
RAY: If it’s just a blown
head gasket, you should expect to pay somewhere
in the $1,500 range to get it fixed.
TOM: If it’s worse than
that, and you’ve cracked the head or the
block, then you’re into home-equity-loan
territory.
RAY: So, screw up your courage
and ask your mechanic to find out what’s
going on. He won’t know for certain until he
takes the head off and gets a look inside. While
you don’t need to take the plates off before
you drop it off at the shop, you might want to
check the screws that hold the plates on and make
sure they’re moving freely. Good luck,
Keith.
RACING
By
Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive
Grand Am: A New
Take on Sports Car Racing
The Grand American
Road Racing series is a relatively new series.
The sanctioning group presented its first-ever
race at Daytona in February of 2000, notably the
24-hour event. The last couple of years have
proven very successful for Grand Am, thanks to
excellent management, new rules, new cars and a
list of "name" drivers.
As president of
the Grand American Road Racing Association, Roger
Edmondson is responsible for all aspects of the
organization, including competition,
sponsorships, marketing and media relations. When
asked why he established Grand Am, which looks
somewhat similar to the popular American Le Mans
Series, Edmondson was quick to note the
differences.
"That’s
a fair question," he said. "The world
didn’t need another ALMS. The ALMS was doing
fine. And there was absolutely no reason to
create another series that was identical to what
was out there. Our feelings were there was a need
for a road-racing program that was more in tune
with the American racer marketplace and spectator
fan base than had been presented in the
past."
"We created a
plan for a new car that we presented to the teams
as the next logical step. And it’s been very
well-received in the last few months."
Senior News
By
Pam Madole
Sponsored by Generations
According to FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency) the first thing
everyone should do to prepare for the storm
season is develop a plan of action in case of
inclement weather. Every member of your home
should know what this plan is and you should try
a practice drill to make sure the plan is
workable.
FEMA suggests your emergency
Plan include the following:
Disaster Plan Decide
where to go if at home, work, outdoors, or in a
car when a flood, severe thunderstorm, or tornado
warning is issued. Update these plans every year.
Disaster Supply Kit Be
sure everyone in the family knows where your
Family Disaster Supply Kit is located. During
extreme heat, be sure to include extra water or
juice, sunscreen, and wide brimmed hats.
Communication Plans
Designate a friend or relative outside your town
or area as your family contact in the event you
are separated from family members during a storm,
or in case the electricity is off. Agree upon a
place where the family members can meet if
separated.
Evacuation Plans Get a
good map and plan various evacuation routes,
avoiding low-lying areas. This is especially
valuable in the event of flooding from rivers,
streams, or flash floods. Do several test runs of
different routes. In the event of a flash flood,
remember that you will not be able to evacuate.
Instead, immediately seek higher ground. For
times of extreme heat, identify locations where
you can escape sweltering conditions for hours at
a time: a mall, a movie theater, or the home of a
friend or relative.
Your Family Pet Plan
Make sure all dogs and cats are wearing collars
and up-to-date identification. Have a safe place
to take your pets if possible; most disaster
shelters cannot accept pets.
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