Some new drivers might not realize this, but you’ll be spending a surprising amount of time in the garage. Odds are you’ll need to perform maintenance yourself every now and then, checking on various parts and inspecting the undercarriage. Without the right tools, it will be hard to pull these things off—at least not to a satisfactory degree.
It’s important to stock up your garage with the basic tools and equipment to conduct minor repairs and maintenance. To get a better idea of what you need, here are some of our top recommendations.
If you want to protect your garage’s floor, investing in floor tiles is a good idea. Floor tiles, also known as garage tiles, are typically made of tough materials like polypropylene and PVC.
Not only do these tiles keep the floor safe from scratches and scuffs, but they also won’t get damaged when exposed to oils and chemicals.
Another item all new drivers need in their garage is a floor jack. This is a handy device used to lift vehicles during repairs.
It’ll be difficult to inspect or conduct repairs on components underneath the vehicle without a floor jack. They’re also incredibly durable and designed to lift tremendous amounts of weight.
A good alternative to floor jacks is a car ramp. This lifts your vehicle simply by driving over it, making it arguably easier to use than a jack. They’re also cheaper, though they take up more space to store. Just like floor jacks, car ramps are used to help you access your vehicle’s undercarriage.
Every driver, new or experienced, needs to keep at least one pair of gloves in their garage. Wearing gloves not only keeps your hands clean from dirt and grime while doing maintenance work but also protects your skin from irritation or burns when working with harsh chemicals.
Another must-have item to keep in the garage is safety glasses. This prevents foreign objects, dust, metal shavings, oil, debris, and other hazards from getting in your eyes.
It’s important to keep a flashlight on hand if you’re going to perform maintenance or repairs yourself. Even in a well-lit garage, there will be dark spots that your overhead light can’t reach.
No garage is complete without a tool kit in an easy-to-access location. Though the tools inside vary from kit to kit, a basic set should at least have wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. Some will have hex keys, wire cutters, ratchet straps, and zip ties as well.
An on-board diagnostic tool, also known as an OBD scanner, is a device that connects to the vehicle computer to determine electrical and mechanical faults in a vehicle.
The device retrieves the stored diagnostic trouble codes, which help drivers identify which vehicle system or component may require diagnosis and repair.
Your car’s battery is responsible for powering all of its electrical systems. Not only does the battery start your vehicle, but it also powers the air conditioner, the heater, and the radio. Because of this, it’s important to make sure it never runs out of charge.
Parking your vehicle for a week or two can drain the battery’s charge and make it difficult to start. Battery chargers allow you to recharge your car battery when storing your vehicle for an extended period.
Every driver must havejumper cables in their garage if they want to jump-start a dead battery.
Jumper cables come in pairs: one positive cable and one negative cable. The red cable carries the positive voltage and the black cable carries the negative voltage. These two cables are attached to their respective terminals.
Another item every driver needs in their garage is an engine degreaser. This handy fluid is used to clean your vehicle’s engine by getting rid of the grime and build-up of gunk. It’s not recommended to use engine degreaser to clean anything else — especially not rubber. This is because the chemicals are potent and can degrade materials not designed for use outside of engines.
Multimeters are a must-have item and belong in every driver’s garage. This electronic tool is used to measure various electrical properties in a vehicle. This includes properties like voltage, current, and resistance.
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.