Five Tools Every Auto Owner Needs

Everyone needs to have a great team on their side. An accountant for handling taxes each year. A painter for painting you home inside and out. An auto mechanic to rely on for regular maintenance as well as emergency repairs.

Yet in addition to your team, chances are you’ll do things on your own as well.

While you’ll probably bring your car into your reliable auto repair shop for most issues, there may be the day when you have to pop the hood and handle a few things on your own.

For those moments, here are five tools you should have on hand for the “just in case” moments.

Jack – While every car owner may have the desire to handle situations by driving to the nearest repair shop, there may be a time when you have to do things yourself. If you are running around town and walk out to the parking lot to find a flat tire, a jack might be just the thing you need to fix it yourself.

Oil wrench – The most common form of car maintenance is an oil change.  For best results, car manufacturers recommend you should change the oil in your car every 3,000 miles.  But for some car owners, 3,000 miles can last a long time. In some cases, owners change out filters on their own at a more frequent interval. An oil wrench is just the tool for the job.

Funnel, rags, buckets – A funnel can come in handy for accurately filling all fluids within the car. And extra rags and buckets can always come in handy, no matter if you’re checking your oil level, or washing the car.

Jumper cables – Even if you maintain and regularly change out your battery, things happen. You may forget to turn off your lights, or the cold weather simply sets in to your battery. Asking a friend nearby for a quick jump will be much less costly than calling in a tow truck.

Vice grips – Sometimes it is almost impossible to get something tight enough or loose enough for proper functioning.  A good vice grip will help you get leverage for tightening and loosening bolts and other elements on your vehicle.