Cars can be an expensive thing to run, what with the price of gas, insurance, and the inevitable emergency repair. Many Americans might be tempted to save their money and fix the car themselves, but according to a 2018 survey nearly half of all American car owners weren’t confident they could even change their own oil. But maybe you want to turn that around. You’re reading manuals, you’re learning how cars tick, and you think you might be ready to work on your own vehicle. But before you start, there are some essential tools you need to kit yourself out with first.
Wheel Ramps and Jack Stands
Wheel ramps are a crucial tool in the arsenal of any DIY car tinkerer – without them, getting underneath to change oil becomes an impossible task. Wheel ramps are the safest way to get your car lifted enough to work under without damaging your driveway or garage floor – and jack stands keep your car in place so you can work beneath in complete safety.
Screwdriver Set
You likely already have a screwdriver set in hand, but a full set of screwdrivers will be an absolute lifesaver for you in fixing your car, especially if you’re removing internal fixtures and fittings. Screwdrivers come in many shapes and sizes – and you’ll need the different sizes in order to reach those difficult screws! There are many different head types for screwdrivers, but the three you’re likely to come across the most are flat-head, Phillips and Pozidrive. Having a full set of each will equip you for practically anything – and the larger flat-head screwdrivers can make a pretty handy prying tool, as well.
Socket Set and Breaker Bar
Though you’ll come across screws while fettling with smaller electronic parts and internal panelling, the vast majority of external car parts are held on by bolts. To that end, you’ll need a decent socket set in order to work on the more important parts of your car – especially to remove your wheels. Wheel nuts are notoriously difficult to remove, since they need to be torqued tight for your safety. To that end, you’ll also need a breaker bar to ‘break’ the nuts loose – don’t be afraid to jump up and down on it to get the nut free!
Wrenches
A socket set won’t cut it for every nut and bolt on your car, and there will be many in the engine which are that bit harder to get at. This is why you need a wrench set, including an adjustable wrench. Simple to use, versatile, and in the case of an adjustable wrench, easy to repair, wrenches are vital for accessing and loosening difficult-to-reach parts in your car’s engine bay. There are two size standards for wrench sets – standard and metric. Most modern cars use metric, but if you’re working on something older or vintage you’ll need a standard set lying around.
Multimeter
While you won’t be reaching for this tool nearly as often as you will your wrenches, it is an extremely useful bit of kit – and using it could well save your live. A multimeter can read values of current, resistance and voltage through or between points respectively. Employing this when tinkering around your engine will enable you to find out which wires are live, and to avoid any nasty shocks as a result. If you know a little more about electronics, you can also use it to diagnose any electrical issues in your car’s console. Just remember to keep one hand in your pocket, free and clear from any exposed wires at all times – if you have both hands in a mess of cables, you could create a circuit with two of them and run a dangerous current across your chest in the process.
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