Auto auxiliaries.

* All too many owners treat their cars as if nothing can go wrong so long as normal maintenance is done on a regular schedule. This is all very well until an emergency occurs, whether mechanical or weather-related. Just because you have a jack in the trunk doesn't mean you're ready to cope. A number of small, handy devices now on the marketplace can save future headaches.

Perhaps the most common mishap except a flat tire is a dead battery. Many drivers carry jumper cables without really knowing how to use them safely. Misapplied, they may produce nasty shocks or burns and can ruin a battery. A far simpler, safer solution is the Charge-N-Start ($19.99) from Anex USA Products Inc., West Hills, Calif. Simply plug one end into the disabled auto's cigarette lighter socket and the other, at the end of a 15-foot cord, into the lighter socket of the charging vehicle. A green test light will glow if the proper connection is made. Then, flip the switch to charge and, with the dead car's ignition off, start the charging vehicle. In anywhere from five to 20 minutes, the battery will be revived.

The same cigarette lighter socket comes in equally important for other emergencies. Anex's 6-in-1 Multi Purpose Light ($19.99) serves as an emergency blinker, either single or alternating amber and red, a lamp, or fluorescent light. It thus can provide illumination for repairs, searching for items in the dark, as a flashlight if one has to walk down a dark road for help, or to signal for assistance. This versatile light uses a rechargeable battery or can be plugged into the lighter.

From Hammer-Pac Inc., New York, comes the EZ Booster Cable ($13.50), which functions much like the Charge-N-Start. It comes in a handy pouch with a 12-foot heavy gauge cable and sports two excellent features -- a built-in circuit breaker that will prevent damage to the dead battery if it will not accept a charge and an emergency light.

When Old Man Winter unleashes ice storms, freezing rain, and sleet, all sorts of little, annoying problems can crop up. At the top of the list...