It’s critical to prepare for roadside emergencies. However, your vehicle cannot fit every tool and piece of equipment that you want. You must prioritize the tools that you often use. Here are our friendly guidelines on recommended emergency car tools.
It’s not an efficient use of space and weight to bring a complete set of combination wrenches, especially when you barely use most of the collection. Instead, you can use an adjustable wrench with a suitable ratchet and socket set to loosen and tighten most fasteners.
Choose an adjustable wrench with a handle of sufficient length to apply enough force while being short enough to fit within the various cramped spaces in your car.
Our Top Picks For Adjustable Wrenches
You don’t have to bring a complete set of screwdrivers every day if you can get a bit driver with a sufficiently large selection of bits. If you need to work on a fastener with a different drive on its head, fit the compatible bit to the driver and continue the job.
Choose a high-quality bit driver with tight-fitting bits. You don’t want the bit to fall from the driver’s tip into a tight space out of your reach.
Our Top Picks For Bit Drivers
Cables and wires run through various parts of your vehicle. While some parts have clips and fasteners that hold them in place, others need to be secured with cable ties. You want a cable tie that can withstand high temperatures.
Our Top Picks For Cable Ties
Are you trying to figure out if a part has power running through its circuit? A circuit tester can show you if the part still works. However, if you also need to measure the voltage of the part, spend a little extra and get a larger but more versatile multimeter.
Our Top Picks For Circuit Testers and Multimeters
If your vehicle breaks down when it’s dark, you’ll need a dedicated flashlight to work on it. Go for a long, thin device that can fit in tight passages. The flashlight should emit enough light for you to see clearly. It should also weigh as little as possible to avoid tiring your hand.
Additionally, consider getting a headlamp that you wear on your head. It frees up your hands to work on delicate or heavy tasks.
Our Top Picks For Flashlights and Headlamps
Most vehicles come with a scissor jack. However, the manufacturer-provided jack barely meets the minimum requirements for bearing the vehicle’s weight safely.
It’s recommended to get at least two heavy-duty jack stands that can support the weight of your loaded vehicle.
Our Top Picks For Jack Stands
Never leave home without a jump starter. A dead car battery is one of the most common roadside emergencies, yet it still takes many drivers by surprise. If the battery dies, you’ll be thankful for the jump starter in the back of your vehicle.
If you keep a tire repair kit in your vehicle, consider going the extra mile to get a jump starter with an air compressor. The compressor will make patching a punctured tire easier.
Our Top Picks For Jump Starters
When one of the warning lights on the dash glows ominously, the OBD-II scanner can tell you what went wrong with your vehicle. If you know the trouble code, you can determine whether you can fix the issue with what you have or call for a tow.
Our Top Picks For OBD-II Scanners
Pliers come in different types and sizes. Linesman pliers are good for general purpose jobs, but some tasks require specialized pliers like needle nose and groove lock pliers.
Our Top Picks For Linesman Pliers
Our Top Picks For Needle Nose Pliers
Our Top Picks For Long Nose Pliers
Our Top Picks For Groove Lock Pliers
Together with an adjustable wrench, a ratchet and socket set lets you handle any fastener you might need to remove or install in your vehicle. A ⅜ drive ratchet and socket set covers most fastener sizes, and you can get adapters and sockets for the outliers.
Our Top Picks For Ratchet and Socket Sets
While modern vehicles have tire-pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), a tire pressure gauge is a good backup. If you drive an older model, the gauge is the primary method of checking tire pressure.
Our Top Picks For Tire Pressure Gauges
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.