Car Care Tips
Ask Monique
Sometimes when 1 go over humps in the
road, the steering wheel turns to the left
by itself One day, I was about to apply
the brakes when the car started leaning
toward the right. I had to fight to keep it
straight.
I had the shocks replaced two months
ago and an alignment done. I even bought
new tires two weeks ago.
Mv mechanic doesn’t seem to under­
stand what I am talking about.
Help!
is designed to fit comfortably in a socket,
with just enough play to provide a smooth
ride. If the joint gets damaged, the ball
will move loosely in the socket, and that
can cause a bumpy ride.
Another area to consider are brake cali­
pers. If only one of your calipers is work­
ing, that would cause your car to pull to
one side when you brake.
Fortunately, you can to do some check­
ing yourself. Roll down your car window
and drive the car in a circle or turn cor­
ners. A clicking noise suggests possible
Marcus, Headiveeble@aol.com
problems with your bearings. If your car
feels like its wandering when vou apply
ounds like you did everything you
the brakes, you may want to have your
were supposed to do. Bumpy rides usu­
ball joints checked.
ally signal the obvious — worn shocks or
Again, take your Honda to a mechanic
tires, or unaligned tires. This one is diffi­
for a closer inspection. Now, you have a
cult to assess without seeing your vehicle,
little more information from which to ask
as there could be damage to some not-so
questions.
obvious areas.
Vehicles that travel daily over shoddy,
M cG ill is a certified technician at Antwerpn
bumpy roads may experience wear and
Toyota in Glarskville, Md.
tear over time on the ball joints and the
control arm. Both are very important to
Q u e stio n s m ay be e -m a ile d to h e r a t
your steering and suspension. A ball joint
AAOW2@aol.com or faxed to (313) 255-1321.
For the first time in history,
Mercedes won Motor Trends Truck of the Year Award.
For the first time in history -
we entered.
S
have a 1993 Honda Accord with about
74,000 miles on it. Recently I’ve no­
ticed that it's giving me a bumpv ride.
I
LCTTCRS AND
C-M AIl
I greatly enjoyed
participating in your
re ce n t
G olden
Wheel Awards cer­
emony in Detroit re­
cently. At 89, it was
a crowning moment
in a long life.
In the way of
some history; I was
the only member of
the Patterson fam ­
ily to have worked
in the fa c to ry at
G re e n fie ld , from
1935 to its closure and the only woman there
with a mechanic's license.
I remember that toward the end. we found
it impossible with so little money to compete
with Henry Ford. That's when we made the
decision to build buses, delivery trucks and
moving vans.
The trucks were made for the Baby Bear
Bread Company in Manchester, Ohio. The
vans, which received much acclaim, were
made for a company in Dayton. The buses
went to the government of Haiti
Kathleen Patterson
Dayton. Ohio
Editors ' note: Kathleen Patterson is a de­
scendant of C.R. Patterson, a black automaker
in the early 1900s AAO W s Company o f the
Year A w a rd is na m ed a fte r P atterso n-
Greenfield Motor Car Co.. and Mrs. Patterson
presented the award to this year's recipient.
Ford.
I enjoyed reading your nostalgic look back
at our “Love Affair With Cars" in the Spring
1998 issue. I hadn’t thought about how the
automobile served such a vital purpose for
African Americans in
the early days. After
all, it provided us with
a means of circum ­
ve n tin g the ra cia l
problem s involved
with traveling then.
I also wanted to
g ive your rea de rs ÇSr-FNY» »,
some additional infor­
» -
*
mation about using
“electronic keys" at
the gas pump, which
was highlighted in your “VOICES" segment.
I have been using the Mobil Speedpass for
several months now and I think it is fantastic!
There are two options - a key tag that you
can carry, and a car tag that goes in the rear
window of your car. It does work like a credit
card.
Your gas purchases are autom atically
charged to your Mobil card or a credit card of
your choice. Currently there is no additional
charge for this service.
Thanks again for your obvious commitment
to educating African-American consumers
about the automobile industry.
L. A. Clayton
Centreville. Va.
I really enjoyed the historical piece, “A Love
Affair with Cars.” It made me realize just how
much automobiles have affected the lives of
African Americans. Also, I had no idea that
the Ford Foundation made so many contribu­
tions to the development of African Americans.
As a young African-American male, I can
really appreciate A frican Am ericans On
Wheels. Finally, we have a source about au­
tomobiles that we can trust in.
e-mail:Damon.Redmond@mortgagesvcs.com
I would like to thank you for featuring me
on the cover of African Americans On Wheels'
Summer 1997 issue.
As an A fric a n -A m e ric a n fe m a le in
motorsports. I am positive that people of color
will eventually make our mark in the sport.
Thanks again,
Athina D. Corbett
Clinton. Md.
Editor’s note: Athina Corbett is a 15-year-
old racer in the Junior National Hot Rod As­
sociation.
Please send your letters to:
African Americans On Wheels
2034 National Press Building
Washington. D C.. 20045
e-mail:AAOW3@AOL COM
Letters are subject to editing for
content and style.
Explore our Web site, www MBUSA.com
1998 Mercedes Benz of North America. Inc.. Montvale. N.J . Member of the Daimler Benz Group
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