12 Essential Tools to Keep in Your Car

You understand the importance of assembling a tool kit for your home, but do you have a tool kit for your car?

With a brand new car, it is easy to overlook the need for such tools, but if you’re in an accident something as simple as duct tape or a charger for your cell phone can come in handy.

Assembling a tool kit for you car includes those items that will enable you to make repairs to your automobile as well as those things that can ease your wait while help is on the way. Lets take a look at the essential tools you can keep in your car.

duct tape1. Duct Tape

Useful for mending just about anything, duct tape can seal a leaking hose or reattach a light or bumper that comes dislodged from your car. Not the prettiest tool in the tool box, but perhaps one of the most essential and cost effective items your emergency kit can include.

2. Scissors

You may be able to rip the duct tape to get the pieces you need off, but a pair of long nose scissors can do the trick quickly and effectively. Scissors can be put to other uses to including cutting gauze if you are injured.

3. Multi-Head Screwdriver

You don’t have room to carry a set of screwdrivers in your car, but a quality multi-head screwdriver can do the trick. Look for a 10-in-1screwdriver/nut driver set that feature both Phillips and flathead screwdrivers of varying sizes along with nut drivers and torx head drivers.

needle nose pliers4. Pliers

Both needle nose and wire cutting pliers can come in handy if your car breaks down. The needle nose plier can slip into tight spaces where your hands cant reach. The wire cutter pliers can be useful for fixing wiring that works loose such as the connection to your personally-installed audio system.

5. Hammer

An indispensable tool to handle most any repair project, a ball-peen hammer or mallet can be useful in tapping a part that has worked its way loose in your car. That old hub cap on your classic car can stay in place with some careful tapping of this hammer.

6. Work Gloves

Any type of emergency project with your car requires the use of a good pair of work gloves to protect your hands. Not the cheap cotton kind that simply cover your hands, but the padded leather or synthetic leather pair that gives you a better grip of your hand tools.

adjustable wrench7. Adjustable Wrench

Look for a three-piece wrench set for your adjustable wrench. A wrench comes in handy when you need to adjust bolts that have worked loose. Gain access to that nut you otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach with a pair of pliers or a regular wrench.

See Also5 Types of Torque Wrenches (and How They Work)

8. Fire Extinguisher

A car can go in flames within seconds if an oil leak is undetected and suddenly ignites. A compact extinguisher is suitable for your car, one that issues dry powder to handle a variety of fires including electrical. Your car contains a number of combustible materials including upholstery, wood products, cloth and paper. A fire blanket can come in handy too, representing a sheet of fire retardant that can cover small flame ups.

9. Bungee Cords

What on earth would you use a bungee cord for? Lots of things including keeping everything secure on your roof rack and act as a map holder when affixed to your car door. Use a bungee cord to hold something in place where duct tape just won’t do.

LED flashlight10. Flashlight With Batteries

Invest in a high-quality flashlight, one that is water-resistant, discharges a bright light and is easy to grip. Consider a light that can be fixed from the inside of your open car hood or one that has a twistable base and can rest on your radiator or car battery.

A rechargeable light can work wonders or a battery flashlight can do the trick, but bring along several backup batteries for your standard flashlight.

11. Car Charger

You bring your cell phone with you wherever you go. To keep it charged, you need a quality recharger that can be hooked into your car’s cigarette lighter. Look for one with a 20 amp to handle all of your recharges including your cell phone, laptop, iPhone, iPad, you name it.

12. Jumper Cables

Never skimp when it comes to jumper cables. Choose heavy-duty, 4-gauge cables to provide the durability you need. Short cables won’t do, choose 25-foot cables ideal for times when you don’t want to push the car out for a jump.

Additional Tools

If you drive long distances and your trip takes you through remote places, a car emergency kit is ideal too. Such kits should include drinkable water, nonperishable food, an emergency thermal blanket, beacon flares, and a first aid kit.

You can buy these items separately or purchase a kit containing everything that you need.


See Also – You Can Put Together a Car Emergency Kit

Steve Cooper

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