Autos
*Buick has priced the V-8-powered 2008 Lucerne Super at $38,630, without $765 for freight. Super comes with a 4.6-liter, 292-horsepower V-8, magnetic ride control, rear parking assist, a heated walnut steering wheel and a 280-watt audio system with an in-dash CD changer. Sales are scheduled to begin in April.
Recalls
*Volvo is recalling 82,000 2004-06 S40 and V50 models with 5-cylinder gas engines over a rust problem in the fuel pump electronic module, which controls gas flow to the engine that could cause the engine to stall.
*Ford is recalling about 225,000 vehicles repaired in a 10 million vehicle recall to repair the cruise-control deactivation switch. Wiring harnesses installed to correct the problem has turned out to be defective in some cases. They will be replaced on 1992-2003 Ford E-Series vans; 1993-95 Ford Taurus SHOs; 1992-98 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis sedans; 1992-95 Lincoln Town Cars; 1993 Ford Broncos and gas-powered Super Duty pickups; and 1995-97 gas-powered Ford Super Duty stripped chassis.
Probe
*Ford’s 2005 F-150 pickups are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after 10 complaints that a detached vacuum hose caused a loss of brake power. The inquiry may affect 359,605 trucks with 5.4-liter V-8 engines.
River
*The National Weather Service is looking for people who live or work along the Kankakee River to be part of a river-watcher network. The service monitors automated gauges, but the devices don’t always reflect conditions up and downstream. E-mail hydrologist Bill Morris at the National Weather Service office in Romeoville from www.weather.gov/chicago.
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Quick Trips are compiled from the notebook of Rick Popely and from Tribune news services.
