Always Be Prepared for Car Issues With These 5 Tools
If you’ve been driving long, you know that road emergencies occur when you least expect them. A flat tire, a dead battery, or a loose belt can be annoying, but if you’re ready, they can be easy to fix. You don’t need to be a skilled mechanic to improve your chances of making it to your house or the nearest repair shop. But, you’ll definitely improve your chances of staying safe if you have a modest set of necessary car repair tools.
Here are the top five tools you should always have in your car if you encounter trouble or danger when driving.
FIVE TOOLS TO ALWAYS KEEP IN YOUR CAR
Spare tire and jack
Tire issues are a leading cause of vehicle breakdowns. In any case, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel with a tire that’s damaged in any manner, including but not limited to wear and tear, cracks or punctures. Having the means to fix a flat tire is a useful item to have in the trunk of your car if it should fail while you are on the road. If you have an older car that you inherited or bought, it may not include a spare tire or jack. You should also inspect your spare tire regularly to ensure it is in good working order in case you need it.
Jumper cables or automatic battery charger
A flat battery is another common reason for breakdowns. Jumper cables in this situation could save your life, especially if you’re stuck on the side of the road. Although using jumper starters to jump-start a car is quite simple and something all drivers should be familiar with, you must be cautious when attaching the black and red clamps to either vehicle. Do not forget that the color red represents the positive charge, and the color black represents the negative charge. You’d also need to stop another friendly driver so you could attach the jumper cables to the second car’s battery. Select robust, heavy-gauge cables with premium clamps on each end as opposed to the smaller, less expensive kind.
Digital tire inflator
All tires lose air pressure, whether rapidly due to a puncture or a reduction in ambient air temperature or gradually due to the natural seepage of air through the rubber. Underinflated tires can pose a safety risk by impairing your vehicle’s handling, making it more difficult to maintain vehicle control when swerving to avoid an obstruction on the road or causing a tire to fail (and potentially blow out) because of overheating.
Additionally, underinflated tires consume more energy, which reduces your vehicle’s fuel economy. Having a digital air inflator in your vehicle is the easiest and quickest way to inflate your tires properly.
Basic toolkit
It’s also a good idea to maintain a full set of simple tools like pliers, screwdrivers, and a hammer in your car, as they may be needed in the event of car trouble. Invest in a screwdriver set with a range of tips and socket sizes for a wide range of applications, and keep them in a convenient location like the trunk or the glove box. Although it may seem implausible, your car’s components could become loose because of vibration, aging, or other factors. Problems under the hood could be as elementary as a disconnected battery connector or as evident as a loosened hose clamp. Even if you are not an automobile expert, opening the hood and searching for obvious issues is simple.
Flashlight or headlamp
It’s the single most important thing to keep in your car at all times. Sure, your phone probably has a flashlight app, but what if your battery dies and you’re in the middle of nowhere on a dark highway?
These days, high-quality torches typically have a strobe light feature that can be used to signal for help from other drivers. You could also use a headlamp, which would free up your hands. Ensure the batteries are in working order and have a backup set handy.
THE BOTTOM LINE!
You can never tell when you’ll encounter trouble while on the road. Not only will being ready for anything save you time, but it could also save your life. You won’t have to stress about not having the technical expertise necessary to fix your car because many of these tools don’t require any technical experience. You may rest easy knowing you’re prepared for anything if you have these five crucial tools.