Car maintenance/travel good ideas and suggestions

[bubbatime]

I'd like to use this thread as a "good ideas" thread that we can use to learn from others. Any handy tips/tricks that others might not have thought of? Some of mine below.
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1) Keep a full size 25" breaker bar and correct size deep 6 point socket for the lug nuts in your trunk. I have done this ever since I tried to remove a flat tire and the lug nuts were impacted on and impossible to remove with the tiny little lug nut wrench that the car came with.

2) Keep a good set of jumper cables in the trunk

3) Check and refill the air in your spare tire yearly. I put it on my Outlook calendar with a reminder so that I don't forget.

4) Keep a small portable 12v tire inflator in the trunk.

5) Next time a headlight bulb goes out, replace both headlights and keep the spare good bulb for emergency's.

 

[The_Jeff]

Keep an old wiper blade, or a new spare. Nothing like having metal scraping on your glass due to a sudden failure and no alternative.

Even if YOUR car is in great shape, you can look like a hero by having battery tools or an OBDII code puller... even a cheezeball bluetooth one that works with your smart phone.

I had both low beams blow the same night, so I staggered them and put one new one, and one junkyard one in so it wouldn't happen again. It was a cold night and my alt put out a little extra voltage.

 

[EdwardC]

On parts like my rear diff that has a drain bolt and a fill bolt, remove the fill plug before the drain plug, just in case you can't get the fill plug off.

Keep a big garbage bag, paper towels and rubber gloves in the spare tire well - flats seem to only happen in the winter and when it's raining.

 

[chrisri]

Pliers and screwdrivers. Piece of steel wire.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Keep an old wiper blade, or a new spare. Nothing like having metal scraping on your glass due to a sudden failure and no alternative.


Good tip. I've had that happen before on a old beater and it scratched up the windshield before I could replace it.

 

[WobblyElvis]

When you change a serpentine belt [hopefully before it breaks] save the old one. An old belt is far better than none.

 

[Olas]

Keep a few lengths of wire with spade terminals of the ends, and another couple of lengths with croc clips on the end to diagnose/bodge electrical issues until you get home. Keep a test light handy too.

 

[Dave Sherman]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
I'd like to use this thread as a "good ideas" thread that we can use to learn from others. Any handy tips/tricks that others might not have thought of? Some of mine below.
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3) Check and refill the air in your spare tire yearly. I put it on my Outlook calendar with a reminder so that I don't forget.



I'll add to that and say I use the spare tire when rotating tires. Put it on temporarily, rotate the other tires, and put it back. Good time to make sure it's inflated, no messing around with jackstands, and in the case of my Traverse, it's a good time to grease the cable and winch to make sure it's not stuck when I might need to change a flat.

 

[BigCahuna]

Ok, lets take inventory. 1 breaker bar and socket set, 12 volt tire inflater, 1 spare headlight, old wiper blade. code puller,garbage bag, paper towels,rubber gloves,pliers, screwdrivers, piece of wire, old serpentine belt, more wire, spade terminals, croc clips, and test light. Don't forget to buy a trailer to haul everything you could ever need for any breakdown that might occur.,,

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
Ok, lets take inventory. 1 breaker bar and socket set, 12 volt tire inflater, 1 spare headlight, old wiper blade. code puller,garbage bag, paper towels,rubber gloves,pliers, screwdrivers, piece of wire, old serpentine belt, more wire, spade terminals, croc clips, and test light. Don't forget to buy a trailer to haul everything you could ever need for any breakdown that might occur.,,


And a partridge in a pear tree...

 

[ecotourist]

The exhaust on my Volvo used to break off right in front of the muffler which was hung from the rear (did it 3 times in 18 years, only and always on trips). The result was the exhaust dragging and the muffler hanging from the back end, and maybe dragging too. I learned to carry sturdy wire and a pair of pliers in the glove compartment.

Whenever I replace a soft component (belt, hose, etc) I put the old one in the trunk - in the well by the spare tire. I carry a cross wrench of the correct size. And a disposable set of coveralls (remember the Volvo exhaust problem).

Other than that, my BMW has a pretty decent set of tools.

 

[Lolvoguy]

what Volvo did you have?

I'm guessing a RWD due to the fact you didn't state the usualy shopping list of maint. issues that plague newer FWD Volvo's

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
what Volvo did you have?

I'm guessing a RWD due to the fact you didn't state the usualy shopping list of maint. issues that plague newer FWD Volvo's

You're right. I had an '86 740 Turbo, 4MT + OD, in white with black trim. Had it for 18 1/2 years and 285,000 Km. Basically a good car with a few wobbles.

Sold it to friends at a discount price. Their kids drove it for 5 more years.

 

[Finz]

I keep a small cloth shopping bag from one of the grocery stores around here which hangs on the hook in my trunk or the under-seat storage of the minivan

In it:

Small medical kit (gauze, band aids, aspirin,...)
A hat and warmish gloves
A pretty good emergency blanket from Amazon ($20)
A leatherman
Tube socks
A Baggie with a bunch of matches
A small pack of wooden shims that I picked up at Home Depot
A small flash light with batteries rubber-banded to the outside

A different vein of where guys were going with this but... If the bags weighs more than 3 lbs, I'd be surprised

 

[Finz]

Same here... Just remember that you can swAp passenger side to driver in a pinch and just point blameless arm forward if you're ever in a jamb

Funny story behind the time I had to do it... Scared the heck out of some nice cop who pulled over to see if I was ok. Still feel for the guy but laugh every time I think about it

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Some decent tips, I always carry:
Putty Epoxy.

A tire repair kit (patches, glue, plugs, the plug tool).

A coffee can with a roll of toilet paper, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and individually packaged hand wipes. The sanitizer is a good fire starter if you get stranded overnight.

Some kind of flashlight / signalling device, or road flares.

Bear Spray (I drive in black / grizzly bear country). Don't keep in the passenger compartment; in an accident the last thing you need is for the can to be damaged / punctured. I keep mine in a container made of PVC pipe.

A good, small hatchet (can also serve as a hammer, not recommended use for the un-handy, though).

Some kind of blanket (fleece compacts nicely) or sleeping bag.

A roll of tinfoil. Super handy, but one example is you can always make a funnel.

One litre each motor oil, ATF, two litres bottled water.

A tool kit appropriate for your vehicle, which should include both sockets and wrenches.

A roll of automotive wire, 18 GA is fine (you can double / quadruple etc it up, add 3 GA per double run (2x 18GA = 15GA).

If you're not a smoker, a zippo lighter + fluid (disposable butane "bic" lighters are useless in any amount of wind, or rain).

Rope. Parachute cord or small diameter poly.

A tin of hard candy and tea bags (chocolate doesn't keep well in a vehicle). Sugar cubes a possible substitute.

Tow rope.

 

[Malo83]

Sounds good if your Grizzly Adams, all I carry is a small tool kit and duct tape

 

[Donald]

I usually have a "car emergency kit" I bought several years ago. Its got a tow strap, flashlight, spare tire in can, jumper cables, first air, reflector, gloves, a couple of tools. I have used it a few times, mostly to help others. I also have a fire extinguisher.

In the winter I might toss in a blanket and warm gloves.

The last thing that broke on my Jeep (that caused it not to go) was a fuel pump in the gas tank. Not much I could load in the back of the Jeep to help me fix a broken fuel pump.

I also only drive 4WD vehicles if there is a chance of snow.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Keep an old wiper blade, or a new spare. Nothing like having metal scraping on your glass due to a sudden failure and no alternative.


Good tip. I've had that happen before on a old beater and it scratched up the windshield before I could replace it.

And as chrisri suggested, a length of wire. I once had a wiper blade come off, on Thanksgiving Day, in the rain, on a crowded Interstate. I was able to leave the highway, park at a Chevron under the overhang, and wire the blade back in place long enough to find a parts store. (Not easy to do, on T-giving Day!)

Oh, and in case nobody mentioned this above, check the spare and make sure it's aired up. My compact spare requires 60 lbs., in contrast to 34 for the actual tires.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

The first thing to do is to keep the vehicle maintained so it doesn't break down.
I keep an extra windshield wiper in each vehicle-I had one fly off in an ice storm years ago. If I'm on a long trip I'll carry an extra headlight and tail light bulb, and I check the spare tire a couple times a year. On the pickup and Durango I drop the spare tire a couple times each year and lubricate the mechanism, but I consider that part of normal maintenance. I don't normally carry extra tools-I haven't needed them in 30 or 40 years.

In the winter each vehicle has a set of insulated coveralls in the trunk/back seat in case there's an issue in sub-zero weather. There is also a snow brush and a couple of ice scrapers in each vehicle.