Essential Tools You Need To Start Working On Your Own Car

How many times have you experienced your car broken down? One random morning, your car decides to stop working for some reason. And even though you know what’s wrong, you still cannot fix it without a mechanic because you are not adept at it, or maybe you do not have the right tools. Do you know how much it would save you if you could fix it yourself instead of taking it to a mechanic?

Cars are not invincible, no matter how reliable they are. Things can and will go wrong at some point, whether it’s a Toyota Corolla, a Mazda CX-3, or a Honda Odyssey. Here, we have a guide to some of the most useful tools you must own to start fixing your car. Of course, you need to know what you are doing, lest you mess it up even more. Some of the must-have tools include the following:

Socket Set

A socket set is a bundle of toolkit accessories that include different sizes and shapes of fasteners, in order to fix and fit a different number of nuts and bolts. You can find all of them inside one single set.

This tool is a must-have for everyone. You can find 3/8 inch, ¼ inch, and ½ inch drivers and sockets. You can fit any type of nut or bolt with these socket sets, or maybe a socket wrench. For starters, you can buy a DeWalt socket set.

Pliers and Wire Cutters

We already know what these are and what they do. Inside a car, there are a lot of electrical components and wiring. Sometimes, you might need to fix a wire or tape it together and for that, you definitely need pliers and wire cutters. Also, if you want to install new wiring for a new part, you will also definitely need these. Check out Craftsman and Milwaukee Tool.

Torque Wrench

A torque wrench is used to fasten nuts and bolts to a specific value of torque. This is especially useful when you have to tighten something according to a predetermined value of tension, to avoid overdoing or undergoing it. Over-torquing can lead to shear and stress, while under-torquing can lead to it being too loose. Remember, this must only be used with some specific parts.

Wrench

Obviously, a mechanic needs his wrench. Without a wrench, you cannot expect to fix your car. A regular wrench is used to tighten or loosen the nuts and bolts on your car and different sizes of wrenches can be used to fix different sizes of nuts and bolts. You can look up Craftsman for this one too.

Screwdrivers

We all need screwdrivers not just to fix your car but anything and everything. Screwdriver is the must-have. There are a lot of places in your car you need to use it. You should get a whole screwdriver set, which includes screwdrivers of various shapes and sizes for different screws.

Dead Blow Mallet

A dead blow mallet will be used by you when you have a nut or bolt that is stuck. In certain situations, it can be very frustrating. In such cases, you need to use a dead blow mallet in order to beat the bolt, repeatedly, and eventually, the but will make it come loose. Sometimes, you might also need to apply a little heat to achieve the desired effect.

Work Light

Of course, without a source of light, you cannot work during the night or in spots where there is no light. The best solution is to get a work light. Nowadays, you can find LED floodlights, or you can also find a helmet with a light attached to it. This will especially be useful when you have to slide underneath the car to find something and fix it. Milwaukee Tools floodlight is a decent choice.

Latex Gloves

Obviously, you will be needing gloves when you need to clean parts of your car or touch something you shouldn’t be touching with bare hands. A box of latex gloves will be your best friend. They are disposable and as soon as you are done, you can just take them off. Next time, you can find a new pair of gloves to use.

Zip Ties

Zip ties are another part that will especially be useful for electrical components, such as wires and cables. With zip ties, you can bundle these cables together so that they don’t float around and instead, stay organized and in one place. Also, if something were to go wrong, finding that one specific cable will be rather easy. Zip ties are inexpensive and easy to come by.

Multimeter

A multimeter is a device that is used to measure voltage, current, resistance, and other electrical values. You will be needing one when you will be working on the electronics of your car. It is essential to measure the voltage or the current through a wire and fix it accordingly. Also, it can be used for fixing any other electrical appliance in your home. You can look for the Klein digital multimeter.

Impact Wrench

An impact wrench is a device that is fully electronic and just with the push of a button, can easily remove lug nuts as well as drive them in. These are very handy in a lot of situations and saves a ton of your time. All you need to do is just press the button. Impact wrenches from Kobalt’s brushless series can be considered.

Lubricants and Cleaners

Apart from the electronics, don’t forget that your car also has mechanical parts. Mechanical and moving parts are constantly in contact with each other, causing friction and heat that causes wear and tear. If you want them to last and perform longer, you must regularly use lubricants and cleaners to make sure that they are always well lubricated and never too dry. The silicone lubricant will lubricate the moving parts. Brake cleaners can be used to clean brakes.

Duct Tape and Electrical Tape

Of course, we weren’t going to end the article without mentioning duct tape. This might seem the most obvious, but duct tape has a myriad of useful applications in our day-to-day lives and even more so in your car. Electrical tape can be used to cover up electrical wires and connect them together.

Drip Pan

A drip pan is very simple, just a pan. When you are fixing your car, there will be liquid and other fluids running down from your car. In order to keep the garage clean and hygienic, you must use a drip pan. Just place it under the car and it will collect all the fluids. Just toss them over carefully later.

Factory Service Manual

Last but not the least, this is what most people ignore, but shouldn’t. A factory service manual from the company itself will offer you the best guide to repair and troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Do not follow any generic manual or don’t try anything by yourself if you don’t know what you are doing. Just read the manual and you will figure everything out.