Cars were not only made to move from one place to another! I mean, anyone who drives knows that sitting behind the steering wheel, starting the vehicle, hearing that vroom sound, and driving the car to all your favorite places makes the experience of driving an unforgettable one!
And because almost every car owner enjoys this experience, you really want to make sure that your car is working probably before hitting the road, and that it has everything it needs to stay confident on the road and avoid many troubles.
However, anything can happen when you’re driving for many hours, traveling, or taking long road trips, and you don’t want to get stuck in the middle of the road not knowing what to do.
I know how frustrating it is to stop your trip when your vehicle decides to break down suddenly or run into trouble, just don’t panic! If it’s really damaged, you should consider selling your car, but if it has only minor damages, you can handle them by yourself.
Today, we’re gonna cut down reasons that might make you stressed on the road, prepare you to be always ready for any sudden surprises and circumstances, just keep these inexpensive tools in your car to kill any misfortune!
Table of Contents
1. Jumper Cables
How many times were you driving to your work or college and saw a car parked on the roadside because of a dead battery? Frustrating, right?
This is a very common issue that can happen to any car battery for many reasons like leaving your headlights on, it’s extremely hot or cold outside, or simply your battery is old, and many other reasons, it’s a minor failure, yet can ruin your journey.
Sometimes, it’s really hard to flag down help, and other cars that might see your car and want to help you may not have jumper cables and therefore nothing can be done about it.
So, keep jumper cables in your trunk, to boost your battery anytime anywhere, and get back on the road as quickly as possible.
Get heavy gauge cables, at least 10 feet long, 4 or 6 gauge wires with durable, high-quality spring-loaded clamps. This tool is essential to keep in your car, not only for your own advantage but also for others, because you don’t know when someone might need them!
2. Windshield Sunshade
A windshield sunshade is a really important item to keep in your car, it’s gonna save you from the burning sun in summer, reduce the overall temperature of the car, and keep it warm during the winter months.
Some of them are reflective and can reflect the sun’s harmful solar rays, and some are non-reflective, so they absorb UV light, and both options are good.
Additionally, you can rest assured if you had to park your vehicle in the sun, because the windshield is gonna protect your interior, electronics, and car furniture from the damaging sunlight, and therefore, you’ll maintain your car value as well.
3. Tire Inflator
Car tires might leak for many reasons like small stones, dry grass, and more. What you can do to save yourself when your tire becomes flat is to simply inflate it using a tire inflator (I know it has a hole, but this would give you some time to arrive at the nearest auto repair shop to fix this problem for you).
How to inflate your tire properly? Well, each brand has its own specific instructions, but in general: Hook up the tire’s valve stem to the can of tire inflator and let the stuff inside fill the tire until it reaches the proper pressure.
In case you have a spare tire, (almost all nowadays cars come with one), and you know how to replace it, don’t hesitate, replace it because this is the ultimate solution for this problem.
However, having a spare tire doesn’t mean that you can use it the moment you need it because sometimes it might not be inflated to the right pressure.
4. Toolkit
Having a tool kit in your car means you can easily get tools when you need them. These can be useful if you have problems with the car, or if you need a tool to help someone else who has a problem.
That’s why you should always carry a basic tool kit with you while driving because you never know when you’ll need it, plus it doesn’t take up much space. This includes many items that you will need in the case of a breakdown or emergency.
And the tool kit should include a jack, hammer, wrench, flashlight, pliers, can of air, flat head screwdriver, Phillips head screwdriver, and wrenches.
5. Warning Triangle
The bright orange color is visible at night and the reflective surfaces during the day.
Carry two reflective warning triangles, so you’ll be able to place one at the front and back of your vehicle to alert drivers behind you that you’re stopping, in case you had to stop the car for any reason.
They fold down flat so they don’t get in the way when not in use.
6. First Aid Kit
Bad things that might happen on the road are not specifically related to car damages, because sometimes you or one of the passengers might get hurt too, so you really wanna make sure you have everything needed to handle the situation.
There are many different types of first aid kits available, some contain only a few items, they are designed for specific uses such as treating minor wounds and burns, while others may include many dozens of different items for emergencies, (it’s always recommended to go to the nearest hospital in case of serious injuries though).
In general, here are some of the things that you should keep in the car:
- Antiseptics: They are usually applied to wounds before treating them, and also used to prevent infection, and can be applied to burns.
- Pain Relievers: They can be applied to relieve wound pain.
- Bandages: You can place them around the body to stop bleeding.
- cotton balls.
7. Spare Tire and Jack Lift
Driving for long distances on afflicting roadways, and taking ways you don’t usually take not only has many risks but also can really wear and tear your wheels, and sometimes things might have dramatic turns, especially when it comes to wheels which are usually the most common reason for a car breakdown.
Assuming that you already have a spare tire in your car (and it’s in a good condition of course), you should keep a jack lift to be able to change the tire once you need to.
8. Duct Tape
This simple and small item will save you a lot of hassle, it does actually work really well for temporary fixes until you can arrive at an auto repair shop.
You may come across loose or dangling wires, or broken things inside your car, so you can use duct tape to mend them temporarily if necessary until you can reach your nearest repair shop. It can also be used to cover up damaged items such as fender benders, bumper repairs, and broken windows, bodywork, door handles, and many other things.
Buy a roll of silver 3M duct tape from any hardware store, they are cheap and can fix a lot of things, or a quality one online.
Even if you are not a mechanic, know nothing about how cars work, or it’s your first time facing these problems, it does not mean you can’t fix these damages by yourself.
You don’t need much experience or skill to give yourself the chance to survive this trouble or to get to the nearest repair shop you know to ask for help.
Make sure to keep these tools with you and if the worst scenario happens and you have no idea how to handle it, just grab your mobile and ask Google how to fix this issue with the help of your small kit of essential tools, or you can keep a minimal mechanical handbook in the car.
Enjoy your trips and have a safe drive!
Author: Mohamad Omari from CarWise.ae