As nice as it would be to pay a mechanic or your service
department for every single item of work on your car, unless you are a
millionaire, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to afford it. Keeping on top of
routine repairs and maintenance helps keep your car in tip-top condition and
while avoiding excess repair bills. Of course, it pays to be prepared, so here
are five tools that you should keep on hand in the event that you need to a
little DIY car care.
Ratchet (socket wrench)
A ratchet is a very handy gadget to have around you for a
variety of different auto DIY purposes. A ratchet allows you to rotate or move
bolts in one direction, while preventing any movement in the other. You will
almost certainly need a ratchet if you want to change a spark plug or replace
an oil filter.
Set of wrenches
Wrench sets come in a host of different sizes and designs.
Wrenches are used to provide grip and torque to turn objects like nuts and
bolts, and there are plenty of places where they are going to come in handy
around your car. You’re likely to use a variety of different wrenches when
working on the engine, and the different sized nuts and bolts all require
different sized wrenches.
Funnel
In the midst of a car’s mechanics, it’s easy to overlook the
importance of the humble funnel, but you’ll regret it if you don’t have one.
The funnel makes it easy to pour liquids into a narrow opening, without causing
a lot of mess that subsequently needs to be cleaned up. You’ll need a funnel if
you’re replacing coolant or engine oil.
Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers come in a variety of sizes, and with a number
of different sized blades, but car mechanics generally rely on two different
blades. A flat-head or straight screwdriver is the most common screwdriver,
consisting of a simple, single head blade. A Philips screwdriver has a
cross-head blade, and is also commonly required when removing a variety of
different parts in a car. A flat-head screwdriver is also useful for prising
objects apart, or for lifting something up or out carefully to allow inspection
underneath.
Hammer
A hammer may sound like a relatively crude object to use
during car maintenance, but it can be very useful in a number of different
ways. The Ball Peen hammer was designed specifically for working on your car.
The hammer’s head has one flat end and one rounded end. This enables you to
make measured, well-aimed taps and blows if you need to make repairs to a
damaged body panel. The flat end of the hammer can, of course, be used for a variety
of purposes, making this a surprisingly useful tool to keep around.
