Being stuck on the roadside and waiting for help is far from ideal. Sure, major repair jobs require professional help, but if you want to dodge some common issues and keep your wheels rolling, having these tools in your car is essential.
Portable Jump Starter
A dead battery will not crank your engine, leaving you stranded on the roadside. A portable jump starter is a prime pick to prevent this since you no longer have to ask another driver to pull up and use a jumper cable on your ride. Just get your starter from the trunk, connect it to your battery terminals, and call it a day.
OBD-II Scanner
Want to know what’s wrong with your car’s engine and electronics on the go? An OBD-II scanner can be of great help. Just slap it in your vehicle’s diagnostics port and gain insights into error codes. Some modern scanners can even connect to your smartphone, offering real-time data and details about the detected issues.
Tire Pressure Gauge
Why bother going to the tire shop to monitor pressure when you can do it yourself? Ensuring the right air in your tires means better grip and gas mileage. For this reason, a tire pressure gauge is one of the essential on-the-go gadgets.
Tire Inflator
Like the pressure gauge, this is also a trunk treasure. Powered by your ride’s 12V outlet, a tire inflator can quickly bring the tire back to work, making it convenient, especially in emergencies.
Jack and Jack Stands
A tire deflated by a nail or sharp object must be replaced. Then, you need a jack to lift your vehicle. A quality jack, such as a hydraulic one, takes less effort to lift, while an additional jack stand can act as a support just in case your car slips off.
Lug Wrench
Done lifting your ride? Those lug nuts aren’t going to loosen on their own. Get a cross-shaped or telescoping lug wrench for better leverage to set your vehicle free from a flat tire. It’s better than the small wrench, which is standard in every vehicle.
Car Charger
It also takes power from your 12V outlet. A phone charger inside the cabin ensures you have enough juice in your phone throughout the whole journey, making it a must-have if you are a frequent road trip enjoyer.
Work Gloves
Emergency repairs can make you hasty, and cuts and burns are just a slip of a hand away. However, covering your hands with durable, non-slip work gloves will ensure a safer repair job. Better keep it in your ride.
Emergency Flares
Your broken stand-still vehicle could invite high-speed collisions, especially in a fast lane. This can worsen a bad situation, but an emergency flare is a warning sign for upcoming drivers before they reach you. So, it’s wise to keep one in your ride.
Fire Extinguisher
Another safety must-have is a fire extinguisher. Finding oneself against fire is uncertain, whether on your vehicle or near its premises. A fire extinguisher in the car will help you blow out a rising flame, eliminating the need to call a fire crew.
Multitool
This compact device can be helpful for quick fixes. Get the one with pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, and a knife. Although it cannot replace a full toolbox, it is still a worthy addition to the storage compartment.
Torque Wrench
You can always invest in a torque wrench if the lug wrench isn’t enough. It helps tighten or loosen the joiners of your vehicle in a way similar to your manufacturer’s specifications. In other words, having a torque wrench means all bolts and nuts are safe from over or under-tightening, leaving no room for damage.
Tow Strap
In case of a complete breakdown, you have no choice but to remain patient and wait for professional assistance. A durable tow strap can be a lifesaver in this scenario by becoming a firm handshake between you and the fellow driver’s car, who is happy to tow you to the nearest workshop.
Duct Tape
Keeping duct tape in your ride is essential, of course, not for sealing the mouth of your chatty passenger but to perform various quick fixes. Duct tape can serve you well by temporarily securing a loose bumper, patching a hose, or closing a cracked window.
Cleaning Gear
Paper towels, glass cleaners, fresheners, and portable vacuum cleaners can be really useful for keeping windows and interiors shiny. Add these to your trunk for a more pleasant driving experience.
Ice Scraper
This one is for our buddies who live far from the equator. Windshield wipers can’t help remove ice from your windscreen, and going back to your house to get a suitable tool to remove the ice on a freezing Monday morning is a big no. To dodge this problem, simply keep a car ice scraper in your vehicle and say goodbye to the snowy parts.
Window Breaker & Seatbelt Cutter
We genuinely hope nobody rolls their ride or finds themselves sleeping with the fish. But if fate decides you to become part of this tragedy, a window breaker and seatbelt cutter can help you escape the totaled vehicle before things become completely out of control.
Radiator Pressure Tester
Keeping a radiator pressure tester in your vehicle is a sensible choice to ensure everything works as it should. By looking for pressure drops, you can easily detect leaks in the hoses or coolant reservoirs.
Flashlight & Spare Batteries
You must have a flashlight with you for night-time emergency repairs. However, remember to keep a couple of spare batteries, as a flashlight that has run out of juice when needed is useless.
Rust Penetrator
A wheel nut stuck and refusing to loosen? It’s not a problem; just spray some rust penetrator on it and see the magic. Also, frequently spraying the liquid on a rust patch can decrease the chances of future accumulation, so it’s worth adding this item to your tool list.
More From Driver’s Drift
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15 Used Cars to Avoid Like the Plague
Zainab Noor is a motoring journalist. Childhood rides in Nissan Almera fueled her love for cars. After graduating from AIOU in 2021, she steered her passion into freelance writing. You can find Zainab on LinkedIn.
