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Yes that’s right! It is time to turn over the keys to the CarClub. At December’s Meeting, I will officially hand over the keys to Pete. I will then move off the stage and reflect on many things. I was the First President of our CarClub and still remember the thrills and excitement. I have met and become friends with many people because of the CarClub. But I feel that I have failed some of you and I want to apologize for that.

My training plans were changed and I did attend the November meeting. I was pleased that we ended up with a couple of NEW faces as officers. I was really surprised that my son wanted to take over as Editor of this Newsletter. It is a very time consuming job and normally all you hear are complaints (speaking as the first Editor of this Newsletter, not the current editor). Hopefully, the changes he plans will meet with YOUR approval. In next month’s Newsletter, he will have his email address and hopefully it will be one that can be used by all FUTURE Editors’ as well. I also want to welcome Bob Bond as a NEW officer! Our money will be in GOOD hands!

Those of you who attended and participated in the Holiday parade, a BIG thank you!! We had 5 cars and seven walkers.

Finally, I would like to thank those who made this year possible for me. The Board members, Saturn of Columbus (our Sponsor), The National CarClub and YOU the members. I believe that any good person surrounds themselves with a GREAT support group. I have had one of the Best. I plan to attend as many meetings and events as I can but my NEW job requires more of my evening and weekend hours.

Remember, you are not just IN the Club, you ARE the Club!

Al Clapsaddle

Do you like to sing in the shower! Do you get criticized by others, because they do not recognize your Elvis sounding voice? Do you want to be rich and famous?

If you answered YES to any of the above, then join us on December 13^th at St. Angela’s. We will be entertaining the guests with our Songs of the Season.

St. Angela’s is located at 5700 Karl Road, on the East Side of Karl Road, just South of 161. This is where we help with Bingo each month. The plan is to have a very short meeting at 6:30 p.m., carol from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and then go to "Smokey Bones BBQ and Sports Bar", located very close to St Angela’s at 1755 East Dublin Granville Road.

We will have songsheets and great voices. We only need YOU to complete this picture. Call our Hotline 614-470-3517 to let us know you are coming!

Your Xmas Elves!

Come join the CarClub for the last social event of 2001 – the wondrous adventure of the Columbus Zoo Lights. On December 14^th, at 6:30 p.m., we will meet inside the gate at the Columbus Zoo and then proceed to the food court for a quick bite to eat. If you come a little late go to the food court to catch us there.

We will then walk the Zoo and take in all of the beautiful lights. There is hot chocolate to drink and even cookies to ice, if you so desire.

Remember, your Columbus Zoo pass will get you free parking and into the Zoo free.

It is a fun evening and we invite you and your family to join us.

Here’s wishing each of you a wonderful holiday season.

Becky

What a Day and what an event!

12 CarClub members volunteered their time to make this Holiday Parade in Delaware a great time.

The day was PERFECT and the crowd was large. Five Saturns were in the parade supported by seven walkers who distributed candy and Saturn mints, to the parade watchers.

The five vehicles included a modified 1998 Pearl-White Saturn, a 2001 3 door SC2, a 2002 L-200, a freshly repaired 1999 SL2 and a 1996 Classic coupe, complete with holiday decorations! We received many compliments from the on-lookers and even a few thumbs up!

Twice we passed announcement booths that recognized us and encouraged the crowd to buy a Saturn and to join our Club. A special thanks to the planners of the Parade.

After the Parade, we all dined at Damons and ended the day, full, tired, but filled with the Christmas Spirit.

We look forward to NEXT year’s Parade and maybe we’ll decorate ALL our cars next time!

Don’t forget Bingo, December 20^th at 7:00 p.m., at St Angela Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located at 5700 Karl Road.

(South of Rt. 161 on the East Side of Karl Rd)

CarClub members have a lot of fun and the residents of St Angela really look forward to the Bingo games!

Note:
The name on St Angela’s may be changed by the time the December activities occur there.

(CarClub meeting/Caroling and Bingo)

They are in the process of changing owners and the facility may be renamed but the physical location and address will be the same.

If your car needs a tune up or is due for regular service, get it done now. Bad hoses, belts, water pump, spark plug wires, distributor cap, etc. can leave you stranded in the winter. Better to fix them at your convenience.

Make sure your battery and charging system are up to snuff. Your mechanic should check the battery, charging system and belts. If you find that you need a new battery, get the biggest battery recommended for your car.

First, the battery that started your car easily in the summer may not have enough juice to do it in winter, when the oil isn't as "fluid" as it was last July.

Secondly, batteries lose power as the temperature drops. So, not only do you need MORE power to start the car in winter, you also get LESS power from the same battery. Batteries are rated by a measure called "cold cranking amps" (CCA), the maximum number of amps that the battery can deliver at zero degrees (F) for 30 seconds. Good, powerful batteries are rated at or above 600 CCA. For more information on batteries take a look at the October 1997 issue of Consumer Reports to get the ratings of the really good batteries.

Check the cooling system, making certain the antifreeze will protect your car to the winter temperatures you'll experience in your area. For most areas, you'll need a 50-50 mix of coolant to water.

You can check this yourself with a little device that you can buy in auto parts stores for a couple of bucks. You suck up a little of the anti-freeze from the radiator--or the overflow container and see how many of the little balls float. It's cute. If this is beyond you, most real gas stations will do it for you in a couple of minutes.

If your coolant hasn't been changed in several years, get the cooling system flushed. The rust inhibitors in antifreeze break down over time and need to be renewed. Plus, draining out the coolant and refilling the system removes dirt and rust particles that can clog up the cooling system and cause problems in winter and summer.

If you have leaks in the cooling system, get them taken care of now. While many people think of overheating as a summer problem, cars can overheat in winter, too, if they run low on or out of coolant. And overheating can cause expensive engine damage whenever it happens. Plus, if you have no coolant--or low coolant--you have no heat!

Make sure your rear window defroster works!

Make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape. Winter wipers--with the rubber coverings that keep ice from collecting on the blade--have become very popular. They're great in the winter, but make sure you take them off in the spring. Winter wipers are heavy, and if you use them all summer, you'll eventually wear out the wiper motor.

Make sure your windshield washer reservoir is full. On a snowy or messy day, you can easily go through half a gallon of fluid trying to keep your windshield clear. For that reason, it's also a good idea to keep some extra fluid in the trunk in case you run out. And make sure you get the good stuff--stay away from the half-frozen blue stuff outside your local gas station! Even though it may say "Good to Minus 30!" some of these cheap blue fluids freeze around zero degrees.

Keep your gas tank close to full, for a couple of reasons. In the summer, you can take a chance and run down to fumes. But, in the winter, if you do get stuck or stranded, the engine will be your only source of heat. And you don't want to have to worry about conserving fuel and saving the planet right at that moment... you want to stay warm. (And make sure you keep a window open a crack if you’re sitting there with the engine running. We can't afford to lose CarClub members from carbon monoxide asphyxiation.)

The other reason for a full tank is that warm daytime temperatures will fill the empty space in the tank with moisture, which will condense during the cold night. This water will sink to the bottom and, sooner or later, rust out your tank.

One frequently asked question is, "If I have a front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive car, do I need to have snow tires?" The answer is yes. If you really, truly need to get around in the snow, four snow tires are the single best thing you can do. And the reason you'd still want them on a car with decent traction is because they not only help get you started, they also increase your traction when you're braking and turning. Don't bother with sandbags in the trunk. An enormous weight, the engine, is already over the wheels that are powered.

If you really have to drive in the snow--that is, if you can't call in sick or tell the boss you'll be in later--and if you live in an area where it snows a fair amount, you should get four--count 'em, four--good snow tires. Nothing will make a bigger difference than four good snow tires. Because it's such a pain to get your snow tires remounted and balanced every year, splurge and get yourself four steel rims while you're at it and mount the snows permanently on those rims. That'll make the changeover in the fall and spring a snap.

Make sure you have some basic supplies in your car in case you do get stuck. Invest in a substantial snowbrush and an ice scraper (using your jacket sleeve and credit card isn't all it's cracked up to be). It's good to have a shovel, a bag of sand or kitty litter (unused) to help with traction, and the aforementioned extra windshield washer fluid. A blanket is a good idea--just in case. If you have any winter clothes you don't wear anymore, especially an old pair of boots, throw them in the trunk, too.

Winter driving emergencies are among the few legitimate uses for a cellular phone. So, if you're cellularly inclined, and you promise not to use it to chat while you drive, a cell phone is certainly a plus if you get stuck.

Take some extra time to make sure your car is clean and your visibility is good.

Clear off the entire windshield, not just a little peephole! First of all, you need just as much, if not more, visibility in poor conditions, because you have to keep your eye peeled for every other driver on the road. Make sure every glass surface is clear and transparent by using a snow brush and/or ice scraper. Your side view mirrors and all lights should be brushed and cleared as well.

Now, if you haven't been smart enough to do so already, clean the snow off the rest of the car. Why? Because the rest of the snow will either A) slide off the roof and cover your windshield as you're slowing down; or B) fly off onto someone else's windshield and cause him or her to smash into you.

Know your car. Every car has different handling characteristics. You should know what your car can and cannot do in the snow. You should know if it has antilock brakes and traction control, how they work and how they help. In fact, you should practice using these features in an empty parking lot before you have to use them on the roads. See your owner's manual for details.

When driving in the snow, do everything slowly. Even with good coolant, snow tires, traction control, and all-wheel drive, keep in mind that driving in snow, sleet and ice is very treacherous. And even if you maintain control of your car, not everyone else will. So, don't ever get lulled into a false sense of security. Do everything slowly and gently. Remember, in the snow, the tires are always just barely grabbing the road. Accelerate slowly and gently, turn slowly and gently and brake slowly and gently. To do this, you have to anticipate turns and stops. That means, what? Going slowly and leaving plenty of distance between you and other cars. Rapid movements lead to skids and loss of control. Drive as if there were eggs on the bottom of your feet--step on the gas and the brake pedals so gently that you don't break the eggshell.

Remember that if you are nervous about driving in winter; consider spending some time practicing. Go to an empty parking lot and try sending the car into a little skid on purpose. Slam on the brakes and then practice turning into the skid and see what happens--and practice until you're comfortable regaining control of the car. The more comfortable you are maintaining control and regaining control, the better a winter driver you'll be.

Lowell

This is the theme that Saturn is using. Until January 2nd, Saturn will have 0.0% financing on ALL of its 2002 models. Visit any of the

three Saturn of Columbus retailers and check out the new Saturns for yourself.

There is a Special Edition "L" that is currently available. Current Saturn owners should call to find out how this Special "L" can meet their needs.

If you do not currently have a Saturn Sales Consultant, give Al Clapsaddle a call. He can be reached at Saturn/West at 614-771-9700. He can meet you at any of the facilities and will be glad to go over your options. He has vast Saturn experience both as an Owner (his family has purchased 21 Saturns since 1994) and as a founding officer of our CarClub.