European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 03, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes automotive monday. January 31,1994 the environmental Protection Agency has announced that Ford is recalling 636,000 of its escort Model car because of faulty emissions control devices. The recall \ includes 1988,1989 and 1990 Model year escort exp and escort wagons with 1.9-liter engines. Ford will replace the catalytic converters on affected vehicles at no charge to Consumers. The faulty devices release excessive Levels of Carbon monoxide into Theair. Carbon monoxide a major component of Urban air pollution hurts the body s ability to deliver oxygen to the heart and other organs. The Epa discovered the problem during tests on the Ford vehicles. ,." general motors said it is increasing prices this year on some of its models. The no. 1 car maker said the increases will tack on an average 0.8 percent or $164, to the Price of passenger cars and an average of 0.6 percent or $131, to the sticker of Light trucks. These adjustments when coupled with the july pricing action bring pm s total 1994 Model average Price increase to 2.3 percent for passenger cars and 2.8 percent for Light duty trucks versus comparably equipped 1991 models. Pm said the Price hikes still keep them in line with its major competitors and Are Well below the rate of inflation. Pm says Many models will be unaffected by Price changes. The prices of Toyota cars and trucks will go up an average of 1.8 percent in 1994, and the lexus luxury line will Rise an average of 2.4 percent Toyota motor sales . The Price increases go into effect today. They Are the result of the continued strength of the yen compared to the Dollar the company said. " the hikes amount to an average of $297 per Toyota and $921 per lexus. The lexus division s new suggested retail prices Are is 400, $51,200, up 2.6 percent or $1,300 is 300,$41,100, up 3 percent or $1,200 is 300, $31,200, up 2 percent or $600. Prices for new versions of so 400 Andic 300 sport Coupe models debuting at january Auto shows will be announced later. Hurt by a surging yen that has Cut into their overseas profits Nissan said it will raise prices on 1994 models by a sales weighted average of $321, or 2percent. The Price increases effective today will raise the Price of the popular Altima axe by $295 tcol5�79 for Amodel that includes automatic transmission and dual air bags but no air conditioning or cassette player. The prices for the 1994 models which were higher than their 1993 Model prices were announced in september. Prior to that the japanese automaker raised prices on the 1993 models in january and june. Ford motor co. Says it plans to increase its . And Canadian exports to Mexico beginning Early this year and will retool a Plant in Mexico to construct the Ford contour and Mercury mystique. Ford says these actions will Lead to 5,000 new jobs across the continent and show the benefits of the North american free Trade agreement. From wire reports a chill on air owners of older cars facing hot time4 Over curb on coolant by the new York times Detroit for Many Drivers it s hard to imagine life without air conditioners. But it might become a lot easier in the next few years As the most popular and least expensive refrigerant for car air conditioners becomes scarce. Because that chemical depletes the Ozone layer it will no longer be produced beginning in1996. As a result Consumers with older cars May have to  As much As $1,000 to have a new kind of system installed or Brave the summer s heat with the win Dows Down. That will be especially bad news for the Large number of elderly peo ple on fixed incomes who drive older cars in warm climates. The potential for a shortage As Early As a year from now has become so troubling that last week Federal regulators took the unusual step of persuading one of the main manufacturers of the refrigerant . Dupont de Nemours & co., to continue producing it until december 1995 to service existing air conditioning equip ment. The company had wanted to cease production at the end of 1994, a year earlier than the deadline required by the Mon Treal protocol an International agreement. Dupont acceded to the government s recommendations recognizing that the transition to alternatives has not proceeded As rapidly As we expected according to a company statement. The refrigerant a chlorofluorocarbon known As Cfc-12, is More commonly known As freon the name Given it by Dupont its biggest manufacturer. The product is also made by Allied signal at chem and Imperial chemical Indus tries although a substitute for Cfc-12, called hfc-134a, has been developed and is being used on most 1994 cars As Well As a few models from 1992 and 1993, the problem is the 115 million older cars on the Road that still use Cfc-12 and cannot easily be adapted to use the new substance which is also made by do Point Allied signal and Ici. For example the new refrigerant does t Cool As Well so adjustments need to be made to the car to ensure proper Cooling those measures include the in i toners spallation of a larger condenser or an electric fan that runs across the condenser to provide additional Cooling and the installation of new compressors and of Nylon lined hoses that can better trap the new refrigerant s molecules which Are smaller than their predecessors. Cars More than about 7 years old Are particularly hard to adapt to the new refrigerant. Even with the Price of Cfc-12 rising it presents the cheapest alternative for air conditioning repair. According to the Mobile air conditioning society a Trade group representing air conditioning re pair shops based in East Greenville pa., Cfc-12 Sells for $6 to $8 a Pound whole Sale and retails for $8 to $20 a Pound and a car needs an average of 2.5 pounds. Excluding big increases in a Federal tax Oil Cfc-12, the Price has not changed much in recent years. But if a shortage causes it to Rise by Many times it will still be cheaper than retrofitting a car for the new refrigerant a conversion that typically costs $300 to $1,000. When Cfc-12 is no longer available the Choice will be windows Down spend the Money or buy a new car and that won t make the customer too Happy said Ward Atkinson technical adviser to the air conditioning society. M expert puts safety before handling Washington a the author of an annual consumer guide to new cars says safety minded motorists would do better to worry about things such As air bags than the handling characteristics Ofa particular Model. The main reason handling is Over rated As a safety measure is that Auto Mobile collisions Are by nature Acci dents Jack Gillis writes in the 1994 version of the car Book which was being released last month. The key to protecting yourself is to Purchase a car that offers a High degree of crash Protection Gillis 224-pge Book rates each car Model in a number of different categories including crash safety fuel Economy repair costs warranties insurance costs complaint history and the availability of air bags and anti lock brakes. The great est weight is Given to crash test performance. The top rated cars for 1994 were the Hyundai Excel which has no air bags in the subcompact category the Nissan 240sx, which has no air bags in the com pact size the Ford Taurus Wagon which has dual air bags in the intermediate class and the Pontiac trans sport Olds Mobile Silhouette and Chevrolet Lumina minivans. The three minivans All have a Driver s Side air bag and All earned a 10, the highest score Given. The Best car in the Large category was the Mercury Cougar. It has dual air bags and earned a seven. The National Highway traffic safety administration will require All cars be ginning with the 1998 Model year to be a look at safety is Best Rte car s listed in the 1994 edition of tace car Book by Jack Gillis. The rating is based on crash safety fuel Economy repair costs warranties insurance costs complaint history and the availability of air bags and anti lock brakes with the greatest weight Given to crash test performance the number following the Model is a rating based on a scale of one to 10, witn10 being the Best. She Subbot pacts Hyundai Excel-10 Toyota Tercel-9 Mercury tracer-9 Nissan sentra-8 Ford Taurus Wagon-10 Plymouth Acdaim-9 Mercury Sable Wagon-9 Dodge spirit-8 Eagle vision-8 Chrysler concorde-8 Dodge Lntrepid-8 Mercury Opugar-7 Chrysler los new yorker-4 compacts Nissan 240sx-10" Chevrolet Cavalier-9 Plymouth Sundance-9 Chevrolet Beretia-9 Nissan Attima-9 Pontiac trans sport-10 old Mowie Silhouette-10 Chevrolet Lumina minivan-10nissan quest-9 r Dodge caravan grand caravan-9 Plymouth voyager grand voyager-8 data were missing in some categories. For some vehicles not listed Here they were not Given an Overall rating so were not eligible for the Best bet rating. Airbags Are not available in this Model. So circe the associated press equipped with Driver Side and passenger Side air bags in the front seat. Gillis cautioned that minivans sport Utility vehicles and pickup trucks the fastest growing automotive segments do not have to comply with the same fed eral safety regulations As cars. But such is Susan Harris protections Are being phased in for those vehicles As Well. Air bags will become Standard in the 1999 Model year for the Light trucks. Many manufacturers already install them though they Are not yet required to do so by the government. Japan s automobile exports decline sharply Tokyo a japanese automakers battered by the High yen have re ported a Steep 23 percent drop in no vember vehicle exports compared with1992. The Strong yen makes japanese products More expensive overseas Ana has Cut deeply into the earnings of japanese companies that Are heavily dependent on foreign sales. November marked the eighth straight month in which worldwide vehicle exports fell compared with the same month last year and the fourth month in a Row in which exports to the United states fell. Worldwide exports of cars buses and trucks in november totalled 330,633 units the automakers said. Exports to the United states stood at 136,443, Down 16 per cent. The Japan automobile manufacturers association which announced the figures Friday said the Strong yen probably will Lead japanese automakers to step up for eign production in a bid to keep Cost Down. Major automakers already have begun moving More production overseas a trend that has caused concern in Japan about the nation s Auto Industry. Early last week Nissan motor corp. Predicted its yearly exports in 1994 would fall 20 percent. It has said it will increase overseas production. Japan s Export of cars to the United states is a crucial Issue in ongoing Trade talks. Jeffrey Garten an undersecretary of Commerce was in Tokyo for informal talks with japanese Trade negotiators Early last week. But he said the positions of the two countries were still far apart even though the two nations Are seek ing to reach an agreement by mid february