Two pairs of Sister Trucks are being recalled by Volvo and Daimler in order to repair the fifth-wheel assembly in one pair and an overheating air conditioner in the other. One recall involves the 2004-06 Dodge Sprinter and the 2001 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Both are commercial delivery vans.

Transport Canada says the rear interior lights for both trucks are installed in the air conditioning ducts and that the lights can overheat causing the lens to distort and lead to a short circuit, which can start a fire. Dealers will replace the rear interior lamps with a modified version that contains lower wattage bulbs.

Volvo’s sisters are the 2007-08 Volvo VHD, VNL, VNM and VT models and the 2006-2008 Mack CHN, CL, CT, CTP and CV models. Volvo acquired the Mack line of trucks about 10 years ago. Those vehicles, says the recall division at Transport Canada, need some work on their fifth-wheel assemblies to prevent towed trailers from breaking away from the tractor.

A lever arm on the assembly may have been incorrectly installed during the manufacturing process. Its pivot bolt may have been overtightened, which could distort a spacer sleeve preventing the fifth-wheel latch jaw from latching securely around the Trailer king pin. Dealers will replace the pivot bolt and sleeve with a hex head shoulder bolt and washer.

Kawasaki is asking the owners of more than 5,000 of its motorcycles to make a stop at the dealer before putting the bikes up for the winter. The company is concerned that a bolt holding the muffler was insufficiently torqued at the factory and that it could loosen and allow the muffler to fall off the bike. Dealers will tighten muffler mounting bolts to the proper torque on the 2002-08 KLR 650 motorcycle.

Recall notices are mailed to vehicle owners and may take several weeks to arrive. If you do not receive a notice, contact a dealer.

Jerome Thiessen signed over the title to his 1932 Model B Ford truck to the Sauk County Historical Society on Saturday after restoring and caring for the locally owned and operated truck for more than 40 years.

“The great thing about the truck — we are not out to collect cars — is that the Truck is such an integral part of Sauk County History,” said Paul Wolter, SCHS president.

Thiessen is the third owner. The Ford was purchased originally by Oscar Altpeter, a local businessman, to deliver soda from his bottling plant to businesses in and around Baraboo.

Altpeter sold grape, cr�me soda, orange, and the most popular, Thiessen said, ginger ale. That is why the truck says three star ginger ale. “The door has three stars on it,” said Thiessen

When Oscar died, his son John took over the business and the Truck.

Thiessen acquired the Truck upon John Altpeter’s death as he had told his brother he wanted. Thiessen believes that John wanted him to have it as a token of appreciation for all of the times that John had brought it to Thiessen to have him knock out dents and straighten fenders after minor mishaps. John was a drinker and I was a shade tree auto body man, said Thiessen.

Thiessen refurbished the truck but not immediately after acquiring it. He waited until after he had built his first airplane to spend time on the truck’s restoration.

“The first thing I did was tear the engine apart. I rebuilt the engine first, then the frame,” said Thiessen. “I sandblasted it. I painted it. Nothing went to anybody else except the machining. ”

Thiessen chose to donate the truck now instead of later because he knows what happens when a person leaves this world without putting his material and financial matters in order. His father was an, “I don’t care about the money, I care that the food is in front of me” kind of guy, he said. Thiessen doesn’t want his children to have to deal with the truck.

Thiessen is upbeat about the transfer of ownership. “I feel this is a big boost for them (SCHS). There is no truck around here that matches this. It was bought in Baraboo, used in Baraboo and except for trips, has never left Baraboo.”

“Everything he is doing in my opinion has a clear appreciation for history,” SCHS Executive Director Orris Smith said. “(The truck) is not just an old vehicle. It is an old vehicle with history. That truck delivered that soda to all of Sauk County. We hope some day it will be the centerpiece of the new Sauk County History Center.”

“There are not many around. In ‘32 there were only about 570 of the Model B made. It had a commercial box. After ‘32, you could buy a commercial box, but in ‘32 it was an oddity,” said Thiessen.

“Of course I’ll miss it,” he said.

Chris Weissensee used to consider sweepstake contests something of a joke, but the Sacramento auto repair shop owner changed his opinion after winning a $50,000 Ford truck Sunday.

The 36-year old owner of Capitol City European was one of 10 finalists flown to the NASCAR race in Florida last weekend to take part in the contest. Each contestant was told to pick a Truck key and try to start the ignition of a new
Ford F-150 limited edition pickup. Weissensee had the lucky draw.

“It was amazing,” Weissensee said by phone Monday after arriving back home at the Sacramento airport.

“I was shaking when I was trying to put the key in the ignition. Then the truck started and I was jumping up and down.”

The odds were against him.

Ten thousand people entered the sweepstakes. The contest was open to people who do business with Ford by purchasing engines or transmissions. But Weissensee’s shop focuses primarily on foreign cars. He says he only bought one engine from Ford last year as a favor for a friend, and that made him eligible for the sweepstakes.

Commercial vehicle manufacturers are touting enhanced safety features, additional cargo storage capacity and cleaner burning diesel engines in their 2008 model year offerings. Here is a look at what is new for 2008 from six major manufacturers.

Dodge
Dodge’s all-new Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs feature a standard 6.7 L Cummins turbodiesel engine with 305 HP, 610 lb.-ft of torque and a 6-speed automatic or manual transmission. The engine uses a diesel particulate filter to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an adsorber catalyst to reduce nitrogen oxides by as much as 90 percent.

The Trucks have a commercial-grade frame (50,000-psi steel) to maximize strength and reduce weight. They also come with flat, clean frame rails to facilitate aftermarket upfits or retrofits.

The manufacturer’s full-size Sprinter van has been “super-sized” for 2008. It is available in three vehicle lengths of 233, 273 or 289-in.; on two wheelbases of 144 or 170-in.; and three interior roof height options that include a “mega” option of 84-in.

The Sprinter includes the choice of either a 3.0 L V6 turbodiesel or 3.5 L V6 gas engine. The diesel engine boasts 154 HP and a maximum torque of 280 lb.-ft., while the gas engine distributes a maximum output of 254 HP and maximum torque of 250 lb.-ft.

The van has a cargo capacity of up to 600 cubic feet, a maximum payload of 5,649 lbs. and a rear-door opening of 270-in. Its pallet-friendly cargo sliding door offers a loading width of 51-in. The mid-size Dodge Dakota pickup now offers new interior and exterior styling, a bigger cab and longer bed, more towing capacity and more power. The truck features a new 4.7L V8 engine with 290 HP and 320 lb.-ft. of torque.

The 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan cargo van features upfitter and storage capability with the manufacturer’s “Stow ’n Go” body and tubs. New features include dual glove boxes, multiple storage bins and a variety of glass and panel configurations to provide space and durability.

Standard features include a 3.3 L V6 engine with 170 HP and 205 lb.-ft. of torque, a 4-speed automatic transmission, commercial-tuned front and rear suspension, electronic stability program and four-wheel disc brakes. The van also has 144.4-cu.ft. of cargo capacity, a payload capacity of 1,500 lbs. and a towing capacity of 3,800 lbs.

Isuzu
Isuzu Truck introduced an entirely new N-Series for 2008 with more cab room, additional safety features and more power. The trucks’ new 5.2 L 4HK1-TC turbocharged, intercooled diesel engine boasts 205 HP and 441 lb.- ft of torque. The engine can be mated to the new Aisin A465 heavy-duty, sixspeed automatic with double overdrive or a six-speed manual transmission.

The engine uses an exhaust gas recirculation system and a variable geometry turbocharger to reduce nitrogen oxide levels. It has a diesel particulate filter to capture sulfate particles and soot. N-Series models with the diesel engine also feature a new 10,000-mile oil and oil filter interval to reduce operating costs and increase vehicle uptime.

Isuzu’s NPR and NPR HD models are available with a Vortec 6 L V8 gasoline engine with 325 HP and 360 lb.-ft. of torque. The models are mated to the Hydra-Matic 4L80 4-speed automatic transmission.

Increased safety features for the NSeries include a new seat belt design, low-cut side windows for added visibility and larger side mirrors with integrated convex sections.

Additional cab improvements include more room and higher seatbacks covered in a Tricot cloth that stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The front of the cab also features an easy-to-remove panel that provides access to the wiper motor and linkage, electrical connections and air intake filters.

General Motors
GM rolled out an all-new Chevrolet and GMC W-Series for 2008 that includes a number of improvements such as a more spacious cab with more side-to-side and front-to-back room.

The series also features a new dashboard with easy-to-see gauges and warning lamps. It includes an opening for such optional equipment as radios, GPS systems and rearview cameras.

W5500 and W5500 HD LWB models are powered by the overhead cam 5.2 L 4HK1-TC turbocharged diesel engine. It delivers 205 HP and 441 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a new Aisin A465 heavy-duty 6-speed automatic with double overdrive.

The W5500 now is available in 22- foot models with a 200-inch wheelbase. The W5500 HD comes in 22- and 24-foot models with 200- and 212-in. wheelbases.

W3500 and W4500 models now are available with the Vortec 6.0 L V8 gas engine. These models are mated to the Hydra-Matic 4L80 4-speed automatic with lockup torque converter and overdrive.

The manufacturer’s 2008 Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick models also offer more power and torque as well as a new 6-speed Allison transmission on most models.

C4500 and C5500 models boast the Duramax 6.6 L engine. The base diesel models feature 300 HP with 520 lb.-ft. of torque and 330 HP with 620 lb.-ft. of torque.

C6500, 7500 and 8500 models are available with an optional Caterpillar C7 (7.2 L diesel I-6) that delivers horsepower ratings from 207 to 250 and torque ratings from 520 to 800 lb.-ft.

Kodiak and TopKick customers also may opt for the Vortec 8.1 L V8 gas engine with 295 HP and 440 lb.-ft. of torque in C6500-C8500 models and 325 HP and 450 lb.-ft. of torque in C4500 and C5500 models.

GM’s 2008 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana commercial vans both have new safety features and driver information centers. The vans now come standard with a tire pressure monitoring system, new flat and convex exterior mirrors with a wider field of vision and shoulder belts for the center seat positions on all passenger models.

The expanded driver information center provides instructions to replace the diesel fuel filter, clean the diesel exhaust filter and service the air conditioning system. It also provides warnings that the transmission is hot, traction control has been disengaged, the fuel level is low and a vehicle theft has been attempted.

Toyota
Toyota expanded its Tundra full-size pickup truck lineup for 2008, adding 13 new model variations. The 2008 Tundra now offers a choice of 44 model variations in three cab styles. The pickup has a new four-dour CrewMax full-size option in addition to its Regular Cab and Double Cab models.

The Tundra is available with 4×2 and 4×4 drivetrains and offers three cab styles, three wheelbases, three bed lengths, three engines and three trim levels. It features an available 381 HP 5.7 L i-Force V8 engine with 401 lb.-ft. of torque and a new 6-speed automatic transmission. Other engine choices for Regular and Double Cab models are a standard 4.0 L V6 with 236 HP and 266 lb.-ft. of torque and an optional 4.7 L i-force V8 with 271 HP and 313 lb.-ft of torque. The 4.7 L engine is standard on the new CrewMax.

The trucks also feature technology such as an optional navigation system with a wide-screen rear backup camera and Bluetooth cellphone capability. The Tow Package for units with V8 engines gives the truck a towing capacity of up to 10,800 lb., depending on the model and drivetrain.

Toyota’s Tacoma line of midsize trucks offers a choice between two engines: a 2.7 L DOHC 4-cylinder engine that produces 159 HP and 180 lb-ft. of torque and a 4.0 L DOHC V6 with 236 HP and 266 lb-ft. of torque. The V6 engine can be teamed with either a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic transmission. The 4-cylinder models offer a choice between a 5- speed manual and a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Tacoma also features an integrated trailer hitch and bumper design, and when properly equipped, the V6- powered models can tow up to 6,500 pounds.

Ford
Ford’s F-Series Super Duty was overhauled for the 2008 model year. The trucks now offer a maximum payload of more than 6,000 lbs. and towing capacity of more than 24,000 lbs. Also new are an integrated tailgate step and stowable bed extender, a PowerScope power-fold and power-telescoping trailer-tow side mirrors.

Joining Ford’s 5.4 L Triton V8 gas engine is a new 6.4 L Power Stroke diesel that delivers 350 HP and 650 lb.-ft. of torque (on F-250 and F-350). Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual with overdrive or a TorqShift 5-speed automatic.

The powertrains use a new unique mounting system that better isolates the powertrain and reduces vibration.

Ford’s F-150 now includes a factoryinstalled cargo management system and rearview camera.

The cargo system, available on any truck with the 6.5-ft. Styleside box, comes with two side rails, a pair of bins, a pair of crossbars and a header bar.

Easily adjustable, cast aluminum cleats are designed to hold more than 600 lbs., and extruded aluminum crossbars hold up to 100 lbs.

The rearview camera system is mounted in the tailgate handle bezel and is activated when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, giving the driver a clear view behind the vehicle. The video image is displayed in the selfdimming rearview mirror.

The manufacturer’s new 2008 E-Series commercial van also received a major makeover with chassis and suspension upgrades to increase capability and improve ride and handling. The chassis and suspension improvements include an increase in the maximum gross vehicle weight rating from 14,050 lbs. to 14,500 lbs. The maximum front gross axle weight rating increased by about 10 percent, from 4,600 lbs. to 5,000 lbs.

The standard E-Series offers up to 236.5-cu.ft. of rear cargo space, with up to 275.1-cu.ft. in extended van versions.

A new front-end design inspired by the F-Series Super Duty helps improve engine capability by increasing airflow, while an all-new exclusive E-Guard Cargo Protection System adds a doublelock design for added cargo security.

The E-Guard design can only be unlocked from outside the vehicle using the key. For example, on vehicles with power lock systems, the key fob or interior switch can be used to lock all doors and double-lock the side and rear cargo doors. While the key fob will unlock the front doors, the cargo doors can only be unlocked with the key.

Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Fuso engineers concentrated on driver ergonomics, environmental impact and safety and performance refinements for 2008. The new cab developed for the 2008 FK-FM models were refined to produce aerodynamics that yield a 4% improvement with van bodies and a 25% improvement with flatbeds and other low-profile bodies. Flush-mounted headlights also reduce drag, and an air dam under the front bumper prevents air from splitting over the front axle, further reducing aerodynamic drag.

The FK200, FK260 and FM330 are all powered by a completely rebuildable Fuso 6M60 7.5 L, 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that generates 243 HP and 514 lb.-ft. of torque. The 33.1-in.-wide, straight ladder-style frame formed from 51,200-psi steel is available in a range of wheelbases and new, longer maximum body lengths.

For 2008, all FE models will offer a standard Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission, cruise control and an onoff switchable exhaust brake. All models have a straight-channel, 33.1-inchwide frame for easy body installation.

All FE series trucks are powered by the Mitsubishi 4M50 4.9 L turbocharged, intercooled diesel engine with twin balance arms. The engine produces 185 HP and 391 lb-ft of torque.

Rolls-Royce Wednesday said that a Latin American carriers, LAN Airlines, has selected the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 to power a new fleet of up to 41 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The potential value of the engine order and service contract to Rolls-Royce is over $2.4bn at catalogue prices.
The order, which is the first LAN has placed with Rolls-Royce, covers engines for 26 firm and 15 option aircraft with deliveries commencing in 2012.
In addition, the engines will be supported under a long-term TotalCare service agreement.
The Trent 1000 is the launch engine for all versions of the 787 Dreamliner, which enters service in 2008.
The engine has, like all Trents before, achieved on-time certification from the airworthiness authorities for all variants of the 787 and continues to set the pace on the 787 programme - first engine to run and first engine to be certified.

An economic slowdown is weighing on U.S. demand for Heavy Trucks, even though big customers have no trouble financing purchases despite the credit crunch, the head of Daimler AG’s industry-leading Trucks business said on Monday.

But Andreas Renschler told the Reuters Autos Summit in Frankfurt that he was sticking to his forecast of a U.S. market rebound by the second quarter of 2008.

“(U.S. arm) Freightliner overall makes with 25 customers 55 percent of their volume. They can finance themselves because they are big companies, so we don’t see an impact on the finance side,” Renschler said when asked about credit market fallout.

“What we see is this kind of issue they have — the housing bubble or whatever you call it — has a negative impact on the economic situation overall, and this has led to the market not recovering as fast as we had thought,” he added.

“If you look to construction that is going on in the United States, the construction business is very low, and they are also depending on trucks,” he said.

New emissions regulations that pulled forward U.S. Truck demand into 2006 have also helped push the U.S. heavy truck market down by 40 percent this year. But new U.S. clean-air rules that take effect in 2010 will also give the market a boost in 2009.

Daimler recently pushed back the expected timetable for a U.S. market recovery and now sees it happening early in the second quarter.

Renschler reiterated that he expected the U.S. Heavy Truck market to start 2008 off weak, then pick up momentum as the year goes on. Demand in Europe should be “more or less the same”, he said, while the Japanese market “has the potential to stay stable”.

On other subjects, Renschler said Daimler’s U.S. Truckmaking operations provided a natural hedge to the dollar’s weakness against the euro.

Cost savings from using common components across product ranges parts will double in the next couple of years from the 300 million euros ($439 million) it has already saved, he said.

This did not include savings from rolling out a new generation of common engines that will generate huge economies of scale, he said.

Record oil prices were focusing customer attention on fuel, which typically makes up 30-45 percent of Truck operators’ operating costs, he said, but added Daimler was “very well positioned” thanks to BlueTec technology that can cut fuel use by as much as 7 percent.

A pair of Sangamon County vehicle-pedestrian accidents Monday evening left a 38-year-old Riverton woman dead and a 58-year-old Berlin man hospitalized in critical condition.

Michele J. Everhart, 38, was killed instantly when she apparently jumped or ran in front of a car on Old Route 36 in Riverton shortly before 8 p.m., according to Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Barb Freesen.

Everhart had recently moved to Riverton, authorities said.

There is little lighting at the site of the incident, and authorities were unsure why the woman was in the roadway.

A Riverton couple told police the 79-year-old husband was driving east in a Ford Focus when what they initially thought was a deer appeared in front of them at the Fourth Street intersection. There was no way for him to avoid the collision, which caused the victim to be thrown up over the hood of the car, shattering the driver’s side windshield, Freesen said.

It appeared the woman approached from the westbound lane.

Authorities went to Riverton Middle School afterward to talk with a Lincoln man who had been in a romantic relationship with the victim. State police also indicated she had at least one child.

It wasn’t immediately known if the woman was under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance, Freesen added.

Meanwhile, Sangamon County sheriff’s Capt. Jack Campbell said alcohol appeared to be a factor in an accident that badly injured Gary Sheppard about 4:10 p.m. in the 400 block of South Washington Street in Berlin.

Witnesses told deputies Sheppard had been drinking throughout the afternoon before a woman came to pick him up at a friend’s house and take him home.

Sheppard refused, prompting the woman to get back into the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire.

As she looked over her shoulder in the other direction and started to back out of the driveway, deputies said, Sheppard approached the driver’s side door. The car then swung around, striking Sheppard and running him over.

He suffered injuries including a skull fracture and a broken leg and remained in the trauma unit at St. John’s Hospital late Monday.

No citations were immediately issued as deputies continued to investigate.

A 54-year-old employee of a Pontiac car repair shop apparently decapitated himself early Thursday using a cable and the thrust of his Tow Truck.

Authorities in Livingston County released few details of the death and declined to identify the man pending notification of relatives. The man’s employer called the death outside the shop a suicide.

The man, who had worked at S&R Route 66 Auto Center on the western edge of Pontiac for about four years, appears to have tied a cable to a sign in front of the business and the other end around his neck.

Then, at about 4:30 a.m., he got inside his Tow Truck and popped the clutch.

Jeff Semmens, the owner of S&R, said the man usually kept the Tow Truck at his house, but had been sick the last few days and left it at the shop.

“He was a pretty good guy,” Semmens said. “It really freaks me out — I can’t think of why he’d want to do this.”

Semmens had not arrived at the shop by the time police had already found the decapitated body. He said he usually gets to work around 5 a.m.

A bystander in the area called 911 at 4:27 a.m. to report a Tow Truck driving erratically through the S&R and neighboring parking lots along a commercial area off Illinois 116 near its junction with old Route 66.

The truck careened through the S&R parking lot and adjacent Superior Gyros parking lot eastward, then struck a sign and crossed old Route 66. It went down an embankment and came to rest behind a business on the other side of the road.

When police arrived, they found the man’s head in the S&R parking lot and his body inside the truck.