Whether on the road or at home, you need to be equipped some
basic survival items and tools that can make driving and living with
your car easier, safer and more convenient. Here are some
suggestions as a starting place, divided into two categories:
Emergency Road Kit and Basic Maintenance Tools. You can customize
the list according to your needs and your ambitions.
Emergency Road Kit
- Jumper cables
- Cellular phone, charger power cord, along
with a list of emergency numbers
- Ice scraper and snow brush (winter
months)
- Flashlight or spotlight with extra set of
batteries
- Rain suit or poncho (brightly-colored)
- Safety goggles or glasses
- Pair of disposable work “coveralls”
- Emergency flares, warning triangle or
cones
- Fire extinguisher
- First-aid kit
- Hose-patch kit for emergency mending of
coolant hoses. These kits are usually available at auto parts and
discount stores.
- Pressurized can of tire inflator and
sealer for emergency filling of a flat tire.
- Battery-powered air compressor
- Bottled water and snacks, such as
crackers or energy bars (in sub-freezing temperatures, remember
that bottles may burst if they freeze).
- Blankets
- Roll of duct tape
- Wheel chocks (placed under the wheels to
prevent the car from rolling)
- Basic tool set including an adjustable
wrench, pliers, screwdrivers, and wrenches. Many auto parts and
retail establishments sell compact “tool kits”, perfect for
storage in the trunk of your car.
- Mini shovel (winter months)
- Bag or container of sand for traction
(winter months)
- An extra pair of gloves, a scarf and hat
- Extra windshield washer fluid that can be
used in cold weather driving.
- Funnel for pouring liquids
- Extra fuses (refer to your owner’s manual
to determine amperage sizes needed)
- Mechanical or elastic tie-down straps
- Roll of heavy-duty paper towels or rags
- Pair of work gloves
Basic Maintenance Tools:
- Oil filter wrench (there are different
types, including cap wrenches and strap wrenches). You will have
to decide which provides best grip of the filter, based on
accessibility.
- Catch pan (for capturing used oil and
coolant)
- 3/8” basic socket wrench set, including
sockets (SAE and metric sizes) ratchets, extensions, adapters, and
5/8” and 13/16” spark-plug sockets
- Torx® sockets or bits
- Combination wrench set (SAE and metric
sizes)
- Hex-key wrench set (commonly referred to
as Allen® wrenches)
- Flare-nut fitting wrenches (most commonly
used to help prevent the rounding-off of brake line fittings and
bleeder fittings)
- Fender cover (to protect the finish of
your car while working under the hood)
- Basic screwdriver set
- Test light (for checking the availability
of voltage and ground in circuits)
- Multimeter (a more advanced electrical
checking tool that provides readings of voltage, ohms, amps and
sometimes more)
- Slip-joint, groove-joint, needle-nose,
and locking pliers
- Torque wrench (a wrench that indicates
the “tightness” of nuts and bolts)
- Air pressure gauge
- Radiator hydrometer
- Penetrating oil (used to help free and
lubricate seized or frozen fasteners)
- Soldering gun & solder
- Electrical pliers
- Jack stands
- Ramps
- Hydraulic Jack
- Battery charger
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