I’ve been thinking about investing in some repair kits for my car, you know, just to be prepared for those inevitable roadside emergencies. But here’s the thing – with so many options out there, how do I know which ones are worth the money?
I’ve seen everything from basic tire repair kits to comprehensive tool sets, but I can’t shake off the feeling that some of them might be more gimmicky than useful.
Are there any brands or specific kits you swear by?
And what essentials should every car owner have in their repair arsenal?
Your other thread says you are on a budget so why would you buy something you might never use.
A tire shop will fix a flat for 10 to 20 dollars or even free if you bought the tires there .
Unless you are in the repair business you will not be investing because if you sell these socalled repair kits you will not get your money back.
1 Like
You have to remember, you’re limited as to what kind of repairs you can do on the roadside due to the design of today’s vehicles, unless you carry a complete repair shop in the back of your vehicle.
I would enroll in a road-side service like AAA and carry a phone.
Tester
4 Likes
This is probably the best and safest option but I’d also add that basic, regular maintenance is the best way to avoid the need for roadside service.
Stay current on all your scheduled maintenance with a competent mechanic, regularly check your tire inflation (including the spare) and tire wear, have an emergency jack and know how to use it, regularly check all your fluid levels (gas, oil, coolant, brake fluid) and aside from an accident you’ll probably never need emergency service.
5 Likes
If your vehicle is in good shape and up to date with repairs etc, then about the only thing that will stop you in your tracks while driving down the road is a flat tire or the fuel pump, alternator, crank/cam sensor (maybe a few other things), so put your spare on and drive to a tire shop for repair, unless you are keeping a trunk full of spare parts and tools, not much else you would need tool wise…
Like others have already said, keep some tow company’s in your smart phone and or AAA… A lot of insurance company’s have free towing already…
No, I have never bought, owned or had a comprehensive tool sets…
2 Likes
Other than making sure you have a workable spare (including checking the pressure on occasion), jack, and appropriate lug wrench - I’d just make sure you have a working worklight stashed somewhere. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A headlamp would do.
If you don’t have a roadside service, check out Good Sam - very affordable (like $100/yr covers the whole family - the people, not the cars, so I’m told you can even use it if it isn’t your car). I’ve had to call on them a few times and had good service. They even towed a van with a blown head gasket to the scrap yard for me.
1 Like
I carry a few tools in my tool box but rarely have they been used on the car. Usually for other non car uses. I just suggest that if you need to ask what to bring, it is not likely you should attempt the road side repairs.
3 Likes
The best repair kit for you depends both on your particular car and the sort of repairs you are prepared to do. For my older cars (90’s Corolla, 70’s Ford truck) I carry (in roughly this order of priority):
- 25 in long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar w/ 1/2 inch drive socket sized for the vehicle’s lug nuts
- 6-8 inch long slip joint pliers
- Volt/ohm meter
- 6 & 10 inch Crescent wrenches
- Pocket knife or box-cutter knife
- Assortment of zip-ties
- 50 feet of strong rope
- Mechanics gloves
- Assortment of fuses
- Disposable surgical masks
- Blanket ( to kneel/lay on while working on a roadside surface )
- Larger grooved pliers (commonly called waterpump pliers).
- 10 inch locking pliers (mole grips)
Your best repair tool would be to take a class in diy’er auto repairs.
1 Like
I carry a bungee cord too. If the car is packed and I have to change a tire, I likely would not have a place to put the tire I took off without using a bungee to hold the trunk or hatch closed enroute to a tire shop.
Don’t buy an all-purpose kit, or a general purpose assortment of stuff. Buy what you need.
A real jack.
I prefer a lug wrench: it’s cheaper and fits 4 different sockets so you can stop to help others. I always do.
A foot pump. It’s slower than an electric or a hand pump but doesn’t run down the battery and it’s easier to use in bad weather: you can keep your hands in your pockets. My cheapo takes 10 strokes to add 1 pound; at a stroke per second that means about 5 minutes to inflate a completely flat tire. I bet better pumps work faster.
A pressure gauge.
Buy a plug to fix tire punctures. It was much easier to use than replacing the tire. In tough weather you want it to be easy. The one time I used mine it lasted for years. Only when I had a persistent leak years later did I figure out that it was the plug had finally failed; I had forgotten it. I put on the spare and took it to a shop where the guy put on a patch for $10. I probably should have done that earlier.
A strong LED light, even a headlamp.
Screwdrivers: at least Yankee and Phillips, but Torx and Allen and Robertson too if your car needs them.
I prefer fixed wrenches. I’ve never broken the cheap junk I’ve bought at Mallwart or AutoZone, so it’s easy to have a full set.
Look at the fuses you have and buy a spare for each.
Jumper cables, or a jumpstarter.
A strap strong enough to tow your vehicle.
This may not apply to you, but I’ve spent a lot of time on dirt roads in remote areas, even lived in a cabin up one in the mountains. AAA, Good Sam, etc., won’t come out there.
There’s a controversy among the anthropologists as to whether we stood erect because we had big brains or we developed big brains because we stood erect. You can become the person who doesn’t have to ask by buying tools and trying to use them. If you can fix it you get going a lot sooner if you do and you become more competent in a way which will redound to the rest of your life. @bing didn’t know it all when he was born; he learned a lot by trying. He probably failed often along the way.
The cost of a tool is minuscule compared to the cost of hiring a professional. I have tools I never used and some I’ve used only once. Buying tools saved me money and made me wiser.
Be prepared for cold or wet weather, etc. I see people driving around in their pajamas in winter. If you do, have some real clothes stashed in a thick plastic bag so they’ll stay clean.
I still carry chains for 4 tires.
I have scraps of 2×4s and 4×4s to help get out of times when the road has given way on me and I need to get the axle above ground.
Water, oil, antifreeze, starter fluid, carb cleaner, a gas can (empty).
1 Like
Anthropology aside, yes you are correct. I have had the benefit of working on mechanical things all my life, as were most of the neighbor kids. We also mostly had dads that did things themselves and I have benefitted by others on many projects.
However I have seen the other side. A relative (bless his heart) my age that couldn’t put a deck screw in. A teacher older than me that had to have the hardware store remove a broken light bulb socket from a lamp. A friend from Egypt that had servants doing everything and has no mechanical ability at all. Most of the people I know just prefer to play golf or watch sports and do very little mechanical work. We’re talking changing oil in lawn mowers or snow blowers, but they don’t do that work anyway.
So for the 30 or 40 year old that needs to ask what tools to bring to fix something on the road, it is likely too late, so as you say just bring a phone or a friend.
I’m a little confused about the meaning of “Repair Kit”. Do you mean tools to repair a car? Or tools to repair a specific issue with a car?
If you mean just tools to repair a car…
I suggest you start with basic socket set. You can buy sets of 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" or combination. Then some screw drivers (flat and Phillips), and some Torx.
That alone will allow you to fix many things on a car. The rest you aquire as you need them. Todays cars a far more reliable then they use to be. I have specialty tools I haven’t used in decades.
1 Like
A smartphone, a Bluetooth OBD2 code reader, an app on the phone, an inflated spare tire, jack and lug wrench. (edit) And one more… a jump-pack with a built-in air pump.
While I can fix lots of things that can go wrong on my car myself, I can’t carry all those tools and spare parts along.
The OBD reader can tell me how serious that check engine light is, the phone can search for and call the closest tow truck and find a nearby shop close to a hotel (if I need one).
And bring along a repair manual for your vehicle.
A spare belt for the alternator & water pump portion. Extra oil and a filter. Drinking water that can be used as temporary coolant. Ensure that the screw in tow hooks are greased and ready to be used. Spare headlight bulbs. Same spark plugs if you don’t keep up on the recommended replacement period. A tire patch kit. A small electric air pump. That one ends up being very useful, if not for you then someone else will want to borrow it. A battery powered flashing light in case you have a blackout at night and you’re stopped in the road. A spare ignition coil and/or ignitor if the vehicle just has one. Some small rope to tie up plastic body parts that might drag on the ground after a small accident. Maybe a spare alternator if your brand is known for failure. Spare starter solenoid parts. If your battery has more than 2000 running hours on it, bring a jump starter. Reduce that number for cars driven in hot climates unless the car’s charging system is a more advanced one that reduces the charging Voltage. A fire extinguisher and proper training for how to use it. Don’t aim it at the flames, aim at the base of the fire.
Research any parts that are known to fail without warning on your car. If they are essential to drive, bring spares.
Something like a spare fuel pump just takes up too much room and is too hard to replace to be a practical choice. Maybe a fold up bicycle would be better.
Tools to replace whatever spare parts you have.
1 Like
Well water is one thing, but what about a lunch? I always carried a sandwich or two when heading home in a snow storm. Really though this list is more for a model t heading into the wilderness. Spare spark plugs and coil? Really?
The Toyota coil is the only essential thing that has failed after 22 years on my car in 2014.
Prepare for a failure every 22 years?
I carry a suitcase filled with clothes, a variety of soft drinks in a cooler and a Disneyland map.
I don’t remember ever having a bad coil in a car. Replaced one or two but don’t think they were bad. Had no spark on my lawn mower though. Replaced the coil. The girl at the counter said they are usually lifetime parts but that was the end of its life. A few years later, no spark, so just ordered a new coil. After pulling the fly wheel to get at it, found a smashed ground wire. Replaced the coil anyway and put the good used coil in my spare parts bin.
Getting to be grass cutting season so just for folkx that might have the same issue. Easy way to test the coil is to pull the ground wire and if no spark, it’s the coil. Gotta pull the fly wheel anyway to get at it though. Back to cars.
It’s never too late.
I have spare plugs and cables and distributor cap. I keep the old one around when I replace them. They’ll work for a while in a pinch. If I ever replaced a coil I might keep the old one if it had some life in it.
The sad thing is that I know you’re NOT kidding
3 Likes