European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes automotive monday december 27,1993 general motors corp. Is recalling 460,000 Chevrolet Geo Metros to fix the Hood Latch. Pm became aware of the defect in the 1989 through 1993 models in a Field report. There was one report of the Hood flying up while the car was in motion but there were no injuries pm spokeswoman Kari Hulsey said last week. Owners Are being notified by Nail to take their vehicles to dealers where the repairs will be made free. A general motors corp., Ford motor co. And american Suzuki motor corp. Recalled nearly 900,000 vehicles thursday to fix engine problems and malfunctions that could pose safety hazards. The recalls cover # about 504,000 1992 and 1993 Model Chevrolet Cavaliers co Sicas and Beretta Buick Century and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciperas with the base 2.2-liter l4 engine to repair torn intake manifold gaskets. The recall is not safety related. But if the intake manifold Gasket is torn a Driver will notice increasingly rough engine operation. Pm said it has redesigned the Gasket to eliminate the possibility of tearing. Owners Are being notified of the recall. Repairs will of made for free # 22,0001992 and 1993 Ford heavy duty trucks and buses that have diesel engines with in line fuel injection pumps. Two Springs in the throttle linkage could break causing the engine Speed to increase and not return to Idle. Braking or disengaging the transmission will Stop the vehicle. No accidents or injuries Nave been reported. # 3,800 1993 Mercury capris with automatic transmissions have a risk of engine compartment fires. A Hose could disconnect from the transmission causing transmission fluid to leak. If the fluid hits the exhaust manifold or exhaust pipe it could Start a fire. Ford said it knows of 17 fires but no accidents or injuries. # 319,000 1988 escorts with 1.9-liter engines have an emissions problem. # 28,699 Swift cars from am Hcan Suzuki. All 1989 to 1992 swifts and 1993 Swift passenger cars manufactured before Early 1993 Are being recalled to install a reinforcement of the Hood Latch striker plate to preclude the Chance of the Hood flying up. A sixty two winning keys a instead of one a have some Chevy dealers spinning their wheels Over the possibility of giving away 62 new trucks. Four Chevy dealerships in Southern Wisconsin sent out 75,000 ignition keys including one that was supposed to turn the winning lock. The dealers say faulty lock tumblers Are to blame for the proliferation of winning keys. State officials Friday tried to broker a comp Roll e Between the winners and the dealers with Little Success. State attorney general a office spokesman Jim Haney said a your concern is with the Consumers. We want to make sure there Hasni to been any violation of Wisconsin a advertising  Thorstad Chevrolet in Madison reported a Winner just Days after the keys were mailed and then winners just kept coming. Keys turned the special locks at Chevy dealers in Madison Verona Portage and Monticello. A thorstad., Chevrolet spokesman said employees knew something was wrong and warned people that their keys might turn the lock but they might not win. A from w ire reports new fuel to drive up Price smoggy cities to see Rise at the pumps of 3 to 5 cents a gallon Washington a motorists who live in the smog Giest parts of the country will pay As much As 5 cents a Gal Ion More for gasoline in 1995 when a new Low polluting blend is sold. They also will pay an additional Penny at the end of the decade for some cities which already Are required to use a new More expensive ant pollution fuel in Winter the Price increase will be less noticeable in Winter than in summer. The environmental Protection Agency estimates that the Price Wilt go up 3 to 5 cents a gallon for the new clean burning gasoline required in the nine smog Giest cities beginning january 1995, and voluntarily adopted by 12 northeastern states and the District of Columbia. T the new gasoline will reduce toxic emissions and smog producing chemicals from vehicles by 15 percent to 17 percent in 1995, and several percentage Points More in 2000, said the Epars assistant administrator Mary Nichols. A a meanwhile concerns have been raised about the Legal foundation for a separate by Ann Marie Job a for the associated press How time flies. Ten years ago Chrysler corp. Rolled out a new form of american transportation the minivan and put thousands of families on the Road in a whole new fashion. But the Road did no to Stop there. For 1994, what one Chrysler executive Calls the a a minivan phenomenon Quot continues to evolve with changes to the company a Dodge caravan and Plymouth voyager minivans ranging from two Standard front air bags to better acceleration. The mini vans this year also Are quieter than Ever and they have door Impact beams to protect better in crashes and an Interior that continues to grow More organized and upscale. The test Van was an All wheel drive version of the Long 119.3-Inch wheelbase Dodge grand caravan. These lengthy grand caravans with two wheel drive Start at $18,178, while a regular 112.3-Inch wheelbase Dodge caravan Model starts at $14,919. While the exterior retains the look of the earliest minivans with a Short Hood boxy body and rear lift up door mechanical underneath certainly have come a Long Way. The first minivans were available Only with somewhat weak four Cylinder engines now Chrysler offers an improved four Cylinder along with three v-6 engines. For 1994, the 3.3liter v-6 gets 12 More horsepower and better torque. A 3.8-liter v-6 is available on some minivans for the first time and offers a maximum 162 horsepower at 4,400 revolutions per minute. That a better than the maximum 151 horsepower at 4,800 rpm of the compel Tive Mercury villager with v-6 engine and the 138 horsepower at 5,000 rom of the Toyota Previn which comes with Only a four Cylinder engine in fact Chrysler says its 3.8-liter Power Plant makes its minivans the Best in acceleration and the test grand caravan Lead was quickly responsive right from standstill. Still fuel Economy for most Chrysler models is commendable with the fully loaded test grand caravan be with four wheel drive v-6 and four Speed Auto Rule that Epa is proposing to promote use of ethanol in reformulated fuel. As it finalized its regulation on the Low smog fuel the Epa also recently announced its proposal to require 30 percent of reformulated gasoline be made with renewable fuels namely Corn based ethanol products. Nichols said the Clinton administration believes there is Quot appropriate basis under a clean air act provision for considering Energy requirements in its decision to set smog reduction requirements. Nonetheless Nichols acknowledged the controversy surrounding the Quot novel approach of the Effort to boost ethanol and said the Agency is seeking Public comment on the Legal Issue before making the Rule final. Quot its clearly a Legal stretch for them to conclude that its authorized in the act a said Bill Becker executive director of the state and territorial air pollution program administrators. He was a signatory to the 1991 negotiation that produced this months final Rule on reformulated gasoline culminating what Nichols called Quot one of the most complicated efforts in the Agency a  Raymond Lewis president of the american methanol Institute which represents ethanol a competitors voiced a concerns about the Legal basis and said his Industry will fight the proposal which he said hinders fair Competition. Reaction to the ethanol boosting Effort continued to be mixed in the com Belt. Despite Praise from some quarters other ethanol backers worried that there was no certainty about How the proposed Rule might end up. Ethanol and methanol Are additives that help gasoline meet the new smog reduction standards by adding oxygen which improves fuel combustion. Seven of the nine smog Giest cities already saw gasoline prices go up starting last Winter because they were required to use an oxygenated gasoline in the Winter to Cut excessive Carbon monoxide emis Sions at a Price increase of 1 cent to 3 cents a gallon. The reformulated gasoline will be used year round and will replace the oxygenated fuel in those cities. Thus they will see an increase of Only 2 cents above the increase they already see in Winter but will be paying a full 3 to 5 cents More than they now pay in summer for no oxygenated fuel said Don Zinger assistant director of Epars office of Mobile sources. The seven cities in that situation Are Baltimore Hartford Conn. Los Angeles san Diego new York Philadelphia and Washington. The other cities required to use reformulated fuel Are Houston and Chicago. Thriving 10 years later  caravan be has a u9j.nch wheelbase and a base Pulce or $18,178 for the two wheel drive Model. Matic transmission rated at 15 Miles a gallon in the City and 20 mpg on the Highway. In contrast the four Cylinder powered Toyota Previn All trac which also is a four wheel drive minivan is rated at 17 mpg in the City and 21 mpg on the Highway. In real world testing involving mixed and demanding driving the test Dodge grand caravan Lead averaged just under 18 mpg. Safely a big concern for today a minivan buyers also is improved. Besides Standard front air bags Chrysler has upgraded its seat belts included a one Point electronic crash sensor redesigned its front end for better crash Protection and put knee blockers on the lower part of the instrument panel. The Mercury villager has a Driver air bag while the Previn is equipped with two in front. Ergonomics on Chrysler s minivans Are changed too. The radio is moved up the upholder area is bigger and the company returned to a conventional parking Brake release with a lever that pulls out Frony the lower part of the instrument panel said Chris Theodore general manager of minivan platform engineering. In the test grand caravan instruments were easily visible the radio and ventilation controls were easy to reach and entry and exit were trouble free no matter which of the three seat areas a person wanted to reach. The Coin Holder is quite Low to the floor however. Front bucket seats Are eminently comfortable and rear Bench seats have a spongy feel. There s Good visibility from the higher than a car profile. But in contrast to the Mercury villager there Are no headrests provided Foi the third seat passengers the Village also  third seat on a track so it can be pushed Forward if the Middle seat area is removed. That a not an option in the Chrysler minivans where the third seat must Rema 1 where it is or be pulled out completely. Chrysler a second Row seating also is removable. Chrysler does offer optional child seats built into its Middle Bench seat. They quickly provide a secure and child size resting spot. A Strong reason for minivans popularity is their cargo and people carrying capacity combined with warlike handling. The test grand caravan Lead was a standout Here it did no to handle at All like a truck and it absorbed and dispersed the effects of All but the most punishing Road bumps. On curves it responded Well considering its size. The four wheel drive Model slogged through and Over most terrain a save for sheer ice and particularly Slimy mud when it lost some traction