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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1998)
sulting from neglect and not age. McGill says the battery’s sole purpose is to start the car, and that we tend to forget about the battery because it isn’t needed to keep the car running. Batteries are normally checked during routine maintenance and service visits. M e Ask Monique Battery Care / have a ' 92 Chrysler LaBaron. I take it to the dealer for regular maintenance and check ups. In July, m y battery bleu' up when I turned m y car on. No one can satisfactorily explain to me why this happened; not even the dealer. It is the original battery that came with the cart Pat Wheeler, Washington, D. C. First o f all, exploding batteries are not common occurrences, according to Monique M cGill, a certified technician who gave us the info on what might of happened to W heelers Chrysler LaBaron. Battery explo sions occur in extreme situations, largely re ICTTCRS AND C-M AIl Reader Peter Hauer's conclusion that black couples' car buying preferences (Spring ’97) reflect an emasculation of the black male by his own community is self- centered and overgeneralized. Any healthy relationship involves give and take. Car buying represents only one of the myriad of realms in which couples have to render decisions affecting their lives. Black males having the only say in car purchases and other areas will not solve relationship problems in 'our' community or the many crises plaguing black men and women. Binta Robinson e-mail: Del_ Robinson_ CPA@compuserve. com My father used to take our family for rides on Sundays and we would sit outside the gates of Milan Dragway. just looking and listening. I loved the sound of the cars and watching when their tires smoked. I was never quite sure why we never went in. In 1980. I met my husband and we went there on one of our first dates. Looking around. I noticed that we were the only Af rican Americans there. My husband's interest in drag racing be- 8 chanics, when changing the oil and replac ing the filter, should also check the battery. It is absolutely necessary’ to have the right balance ol water and acid for a healthy bat tery. Too little water will cause the acid to build up and eat away the battery. Too much gan with his W illy Strickland of Inkster. Mich., who raced a GTO at Milan. We have been go ing to the track now 17 years, taking family and friends and everyone has returned. There is nothing like the excite ment you feel when the cars leap off the line. Over the years, it has been good to see a lot more of our people rac ing and coming to the races. I was very happy to see your magazine and the story on Athina Corbett (Summer 97) and her family. I wish them the best of luck and will be watching for her at the track. K. Strickland e-mail: Kstrick18l We appreciate the realistic article by Der rick Malachi and Jacqueline Mitchell about the cu rre n t sta tu s of A frica n A m erican s in motorsports (Summer 97). General Motors is the first American auto manufacturer since 1908 to seriously recog nize the added marketing value African-Ameri can motor racing teams can offer. We will keep you posted on our team ’s progress. Lenny Miller, team manager. Miller Racing Group. Inc. Charlottesville. Va. G RANT HILL HAS REALLY water will cause spillage and corrosion. Both instances allow acid fumes to escape from the battery. T h e mix w ith other engine fumes could spark an explosion. M cGill also warned about faulty wires, which could cause sparks, that could ignite the battery’ because o f the acid. A loose con necting wire could also be the culprit, again setting off sparks that could set off an explo sion. You can tell if your battery’ needs atten tion, say’s M cGill, if the vehicle runs slug gish, idles rough, starts rough or if any of the cylinders aren't firing. Damage from exploding batteries is gen erally confined to the battery, which will need replacement, as will the adjoining wires, M cGill explains. But that can be avoided. W hen you change the oil, take a look at the battery’. If something looks wrong, deal with it as soon as possible. GOTTHE DRIVE FOR98. On the court, his drive is unsurpassed. On the road he drives the unsurpassable Jimmy from GMC. Just like Grant, the Jimmy is heavy on performance and rich in style with a spacious interior that gives him room to maneuver. And the Jimmy is built to make the moves, with a powerful Vortec” 190 HP engine, available shift-on-the-flv four wheel drive and trip computer that lets Grant navigate with the same precision on the streets as he shows on the court. Plus, the Jim m y is smooth, with all the touches of luxury a su p erstar could ask lor, including avail able power sun roof, leather seating surfaces, heated outside "mirrors and six speaker CI) Sound System to keep him jamming off the court as well as on. The 1998 Jim m y from GMC. If you’ve got the drive, , • Jim m y’s got the ride. M c G ill is a ce rtified technician a t Antwerpn Toyota in Clarksville, M d. Ques tio n s m ay be e -m a ile d to her a t AAOW2@aol.com or fa xed to (313)255- 1321. As a young African American in the car buying market. I want to say that AAO W is the best, most helpful automotive maga zine out. I use it as a guide to help me in researching cars, as well as an educa tional tool to keep me abreast of what is happening with us in the auto industry. Keep doing what you are doing Mr. Payton. Leaders like you attract those who want to learn, who. in turn, educate others I look forward to your next issue Damon Remond Voorhees. N.J. / I saw a story about your magazine on BET not long ago. I said to myself, “that's great, an African-American auto magazine." As an African Am erican involved in motorsports. I know that racers need a forum to get our issues out. In California we are trying to secure sponsorship for African-American racing 71 teams, but without much success. Lack of sponsorship is a sore point in the black racing community. Many people give up and don't bother to try to get into the professional ranks of the sport These problems need to be addressed Ron Murray Los Angeles. Calif. I I M M Y ( Editors' note: Letters are subject to edit ing for style and content. O I n M 1 O K 1 \ c o m m B I > a n d FOR MORE IN FO R M A TIO N CALL TOLL FRL L i-888-l>8-)iMM> or visi I our w lb s iil ai iviviv.gm c.com ji m m y ^ 9 ^ G j ! ^ r ^ Î H 4 g h t ^ S ^ c ^ ? ^ M C J m î i T Î ÿ a î î d t h e GMC logo are registered tradem arks of General M otors Corporation Buckle up. 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