Believe it or not, it’s already December. Yikes. The cold, chilly, brisk, sleety, and otherwise skuzzy weather is here with more on its way, so now is the time to engage in proactive auto maintenance to protect your vehicle and your family on the road. Here are some tips.

 1. Consider upgrading your tires to winter tires.

If you spend the winter months in the Bay Area or in another mild climate, you might not need special winter tires. But if you go on skiing trips or venture out into areas where snow and ice might be a problem, now is the time to make the swap for the better tires.

 2. Check that battery!

There is perhaps no worse feeling in the world: after tramping about in the freezing cold, you return to your car, yearning to feel the warm blast of heated air. But then you turn the key – nothing. Your battery is dead, and it’s 50 below outside. Ugh. No worse feeling. Just think about it for a second. Imagine the coldness on your skin, the coldness inside the car, and your mounting frustration as you realize it might take hours or longer for AAA or some other service to show up to fix your battery. Save yourself the headache: check your battery now.

 3. Toss in an emergency kit.

If you don’t already have an emergency kit in your car, make it happen. As the Boy Scouts will tell you: be prepared. You can purchase kits ready made, or you can compile your own. Include things like a lighter, razor blade, plastic bags, whistles, flashlights, supplies, tools, car battery charger, jumper cables, flares, a space blanket and disposable camera. Especially if you plan to make trips out to places like Nevada and Wyoming and Idaho, where your car can break down hundreds of miles from the nearest gas station, pack your kit with lots of stuff.

 4. Get your car inspected, and replace key parts now.

 Rock and Roll Auto Recycling is your source for top quality recycled used car, truck, van and SUV parts. We carry everything from ready to install engines to accessories like hoods, tires and trunk lids to new aftermarket body parts like lights, mirrors, sheet metal, and glass. We sell CAPA certified parts, and we are happy to talk to you about your needs.

Call us at 888-550-9944, or explore our website, www.rockandrollautoparts.com.