Document KJb3LQJv43XaojqGGLzzm0K80

Washington Hotline By Ted Orme PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT CHR-230 Asbestos Rules In response to a petition by the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Court of Ap peals has ordered OSHA to consid er tougher rules on asbestos to bet ter protect the nation's 540,000 workers in the automotive brake and clutch repair industry. The OSHA standard is now de signed to protect all industrial us ers of asbestos, which causes lung cancer and other lung diseases. But the maximum permissible exposure level allowed by OSHA is about twice that found in most brake and clutch repair facilities. The Appeals Court said that the effect of more lenient standards "is to deny OSHA protection to those in the automotive repair sector who work in shops with higher-thanaverage exposure levels. We see no basis for this in the [OSHA] act." The court noted studies that indi cate stricter regulations for asbes tos can be set forth, and it ordered OSHA to consider more selective regulation of industrial users where it is "technologically feasible." But OSHA said that would "dras tically alter" the practice of setting regulations for all industrial users of a hazardous material. It could also delay regulations and create a backlog. The agency said it may ap peal the ruling. Alternative Fuels Just about the time he hit the Iowa primaries, Vice President George Bush announced the ap proval of regulatory guidelines to the states on the use of alternative fuels, such as natural gas, methanol and ethanol--of which there is plen ty in Iowa. The guide is the final product of the President's Task Force on Reg ulatory Relief, headed by Bush. "In effect, it wall allow cities to clean up their air by using alternative fuels instead of imposing Draconian re- 60 OSHA asbestos rules leave automotive brake and clutch workers at risk. Also, the trials and tribulations of product liability and health benefits bills. strictions on the amount that peo ple can drive," said Bush's office. It would also be an economic boon to hard-hit agricultural states. The report concludes that reduc tions of ozone-forming emissions of up to 80 percent are possible with the use of pure methanol and up to 40 percent w'ith compressed natural gas. Carbon monoxide reductions of up to 35 percent are also possible with the use of gasoline-oxygenate blends, such as mixtures of gasoline and ethanol (gasohol), methanol or methyl tertiary butyl ether. Increases in the use of methanol and natural gas also could lessen the problem of acid rain by reduc ing NO. emissions. However, data on fuel blends show a potential for increases in evaporative hydrocar bon emissions, specifically those that raise volatility. All in all, the report should add to the momentum of several bills in Congress aimed at increasing the use of alternative fuels as an anti pollution measure and as a possible solution for CAFE problems being experienced by Ford and GM. Product Liability Bill Hope springs eternal for a prod uct liability bill (H.R.1115) that re cently rnaae it out of its subcommit tee to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee. That's a big step for manufacturers and whole salers who have been working for this long-overdue legislation in one form or another since the mid1970s. The very controversial and emo tional legislation contains several compromises designed to reduce the vehement opposition by con sumer and trial lawyers' groups, who have contended in the past that product liability legislation w'as nothing more than an attempt continued on page 62 Enclosure equipment for brake cleaning slips over the brake assembly and forms a tight seal. A vacuum system then sucks up the brake dust and exhausts filtered air. Motor April 1988 What's News------------------------------- Wallet-Thinning Measure The Justice Department just gave its OK to Petrocredit Corporation to issue a universal gasoline credit card through banks and oil companies. The card would carry a $10-$20 annual fee and be good at any station. Carry And Cash Most exhibitors at trade shows offer deals on display equipment to avoid paying to ship the stuff back. At the APAA show in Chicago last month, exhibitors don ated leftovers to Project TEAM (Training and Educat ing Automotive Mechanics). Project TEAM sold the merchandise and used the money to train low-income Chicagoans to become entry-level mechanics. Engineers Dispute Asbestos Ban The American Society of Mechanical Engineers urged the government to hold off on its proposed ban of asbestos products. The society questioned the safety of substituting non-asbestos materials in brake systems that were designed for asbestos. Non-asbestos friction materials are being used safe ly in new brake systems specifically designed for the materials. The EPA, however, has proposed a total ban on the manufacture and import of asbestos prod ucts, which means that the asbestos brake linings and pads on existing cars and trucks would be replaced with non-asbestos friction materials. Aftermarket friction materials manufacturers are Audi Futures INGOLSTADT, West Germany--Along with its redesigned 80 and 90 models that will replace the aging 4000 and 4000 Quattros late this year, Audi is planning a variety of new products to reaffirm its slogan of "advancement through technology." While the projected cars are part of the normal multi-year development cycle of an automaker, the advance publicity is unusual for a German compa ny. It was provided, according to insiders, to bolster Audi's sagging image, damaged in the United States from unintended acceleration charges that to date remain unproven. At an exclusive session for North American jour nalists, Audi vice-chairman Dr. Ferdinand Piech skipped over the new 1988 80 and 90 compact sedans and spoke instead of cars and components that will not reach the U.S. market until 1989 at the earliest. On a turntable in Audi's research and develop ment center was a bright red styling mock-up of a two-door coupe based on the new 80 platform. The car, which takes some of its shape from the round ed styling of the 5000, will not be released in Eu rope until sometime in 1988, with U.S. versions to follow in 1989. At this early date, Dr. Piech ex plained, the company is "still struggling" to decide whether to offer the coupe in front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive versions. To the left of the coupe was a European version of the 5000 (called the 100 and 200 there) with a redone interior. A quick inspection revealed a dash with a large tach on the left, flanked on the right by speedometer, oil pressure and temperature, water temperature, and fuel gauges. The new dash layout, particularly the quality of the wood trim, was reminiscent of a Mercedes. This should answer complaints about the cheapness of Audi interiors. "Instead of living rooms, too often in the past our interiors looked like bathrooms," Piech admitted to Motor Magazine. After all, a Mercedes has never been likened to a single room. If any thing, the expensive sedan has been likened to a house. The aluminum V8 engine on display seemed more original, even though its block is made by The new Audi 4000s due this fall will get away from the "000" name and retain the European designations: The four-cylinder model will be called the Audi 80; the five-cylinder, the Audi 90. Schmidt and Mahle, suppliers to Mercedes and Porsche. The 3.6-liter V6, 32-valve, fuel-injected powerplant will provide a Corvette-threatening 250 hp in its federalized no-lead form. That's about the same power as the 245-hp, 5.7-liter 1988 Corvette but with only 63% of the displacement. Audi's excellent output of 69 horsepower per liter (versus 43 per liter for the 'Vette) is possible be cause of engineering refinements such as two overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder, and a Bosch Motronic engine management system that combines electronic igni tion, knock sensing and port fuel injection. The V8 will power a new unnamed model that will be larger and more expensive (of course) than the 5000 series. Piech refused to divulge more except to say the car will be a four-door hatchback with four-wheel drive. A couple of mornings later at breakfast before a test drive in Algeria, Piech hinted at an upcoming limited-production car. Frankly coveting Porsche's publicity triumph with the 959--it made the covers of Car and Driver, Motor Trendand Road& Track-- Piech promised an expensive custom Audi of about 100 units. He claimed the super-Audi would be an nounced within the next six months. What Piech didn't mention was the production nightmare of building fabulously complex cars. Porsche has managed to build only a few of the promised 250 units since the 959 was announced more than a year ago. We'll have to wait and see whether Audi can whip the production woes. --Kenneth Zino continued on page 72 70 Motor September 1987 FREE DUCT HUNTERS GUIDE. a f, * L`-^*'7W; ?</ ^r- -V <nF lf|h Air lnlt. Cofewlor DtfrOf; Air CondHlOWtg OAd (miikOA Control DuC*i for PotMngftr Con ond UQN tucfcJ O ____ ilmfVfN NWnmrtl S~n:&-" . .: . ;"4sa The good mechanic knows he'd better check out the carburetor air ducts with every tune-up. Replacement needed? The Wiremold Air Duct Catalog quickly guides you to all of them. (Nobody makes a broader line than Wiremold.) Along with the free catalog, we'll send a timely brochure on air quality and car performance. Write The Wiremold Company, Flexible Systems Group, 60 Woodlawn St., West Hartford, CT 06110. Wiremold wants to help make your duct hunting easy-and profitable. W4 Wiremold LOOK FOR WIREMOLD QUALITY DUCT UNDER THESE FINE BRAND NAMES. AMCO-REDEX A&P/EZON AVATAR/RIVAL BOWMAN CAL-STATE COBRALINE COUNTERPARTS CRP/BEACON CURTIS E & M EXCEL FULLWELL G & G GP/SORENSEN/WICKES GATES GEON/BAP GUARDIAN MAXIMOTIVE MECHANICS CHOICE MIGHTY FLOW/MOTORMITE MISTER BUG MURRAY * NAPA/BALKAMP PERFECT PARTS PLUMLEY SPEED TRW/NIEHOFF/BWD WELLS/AMPCO Circle #133 on reader service card. 72 What's News --........ --..--- not required to show that their products meet the fed eral standards, nor are they required to give out test data. Consequently there is little real-world data avail able on substituting materials. Without such informa tion, the society felt it was premature to ban all asbes tos products. "You cannot assume that just any non-asbestos ma terial will work in a braking system designed for asbes tos," said panel member Scott Barber of Battelle. "Nor will a material performing satisfactorily in the labora tory necessarily provide safe braking in a vehicle." Complaints Automobile repair shops ranked third on the com plaint lists of the Better Business Bureau offices across the country. The most-complained-about industry in 1986 was mail order products (15.02% of all com plaints), followed by home remodeling and improve ment companies (10.05%). Auto repair shops triggered 5.99% of complaints, or a total of 28,127. On the other hand, 204,018 people requested infor mation about auto repair shops from the BBB. Since so many people use the BBB to screen shops they do business with, it would pay to resolve any problems with customers and avoid a potential black mark against your shop at your local BBB. Permanent Fixes A tire manufacturer recommends following up an emergency external plug tire repair with a vulcanized inside patch as soon as possible. "The externally applied plug may allow air to seep from a tire, causing underinflation," said Fred Fuest, consumer affairs director with Armstrong Tire. "This, in turn, can result in excessive flexing of the tire and heat buildup, which increases stress and can cause tire failure." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Schedule of Events National Automotive - Stoutfer Inn Radiator Service Assn.- on the Square Central Regional Conference Cleveland, OH Sept. 25-28 Automotive Parts Rebuilders Assn.Convention & Exposition Various Hotel/ Salt Palace Salt Lake City, UT Sept. 27-30 Paint, Body & Equipment Assn.Conference Alameda Plaza Sept. 27-Oct. 1 Kansas City, MO Hand Tools InstituteMeeting Sheraton Grand Hotel Washington, DC Sept. 29-Oct. t Engine Service Association,-- San Diego Hilton Oct. 4-8 Meeting San Diego, CA National Automotive Radiator Service Assn.Regional Conference Americana Dutch Resort Lake Buena Vista, FL' Oct. 8-11 Motor September 1987