Essential Items Every Car Owner Should Have

In the trunk of our car is a plastic storage container, packed with essential items that will keep our cars going whilst on the road or for working on our vehicles at home in our garage.

Upon noticing the box people ask me what I have in there, well I thought I would share it with you, so you can put together your own essentials kit if you wish. I really do recommend you think about getting a storage container of your own and packing it with the items listed below. It may take a bit of space in your car, but you will be thankful when your car breaks down.

• Floor Jack – it’s very important you get this piece of equipment right. You want to look for good quality, it comes with a price but this will be holding up your car while you work under it. To find a good one check out garage floor jack reviews. Learn more about which jack you should choose.
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  Car Jack Stands

  Stands – In combination with the Floor Jack ramps are vital in keeping your car sturdy while you work underneath them. In particular if you are going to have you car raised for any length of time, ramps will help take some weight of your floor jack.

• Ramps – For even better access and for working on your car for even longer periods of time, such as when you are preforming an oil change, Ramps provide and even more sec
• Scissor Jack – Floor Jacks tend to be a little heavy to lug around in the back of your car, so I recommend you get a good scissor jack if your car doesn’t come with one for those roadside tire changes.
• Torch – You won’t believe how many people over look this one, it’s an absolute lifesaver if you get a flat or your car breaks down during the night. Even during daylight hours it’s dark underneath your car!
• Funnel – A simple plastic funnel is one of the most important items you can include in your storage box (see below). Whether you over heat, need to top up your coolant, run out of oil or need to replace you windscreen wiper fluid a cheap plastic funnel will do it all
• Coolant – Another item to add to your box is a bottle of coolant. Springing a coolant leak in your hose or simply being stuck on the road with an empty radiator is a recipe for disaster. Not many people do it, but if you have the space a bottle of coolant can be a life saver or at least an engine saver, allowing you to top up and get your car to the nearest garage for a more in depth inspection.
• Oil – As with coolant, you should regularly check your oil, if your car does leak oil you would be best advised to carry around a bottle of oil in your storage, so you can top up if it gets low
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  jumper (booster) cables

  Jumper (or booster) Cables – If you or someone else has a flat battery, Jumper cables will save the day and get you going again.

• Fluorescent wand light – For dark nights or when working under your car in a garage, a battery operated light wand is great to illuminate dark areas.
• Socket set – A good socket set will allow you to remove any nut or bolt, both internal and external to your car.
• Wheel brace – for screwing and unscrewing nuts on your cars wheels when changing a Tyre.
• Ratchet screw driver – A ratchet screw driver with interchangeable screw bits is an excellent addition to your arsenal.
• Storage box – a storage box that you can fit into the trunk of your car to keep essential items in one easy to get to place is a smart idea for car owners. You will want to select a box to suit the size of your car’s trunk (or boot as it’s called in many countries) and is big enough to hold your tools / items. Make sure you get one that is sturdy, stable and has a lid that locks down tightly so things are not able to fall out while you drive around. If you can, find one with wheels and a handle as this will make it easier to move around.
• Spare wiper blades – often wiper blades go bad over the summer period and it’s not until you need them on a rainy day that you will discover they need to be replaced.
• Tow Rope – Must have inclusion in your storage box

Aside from the essential items above, I also like to carry spare wiper blades, some cleaning cloths, spare fan belt, paper and Windex in case I need to give the windows a clean while away from home.

I know most of you won’t have thought of having a “essential items” box in your car, or may even think it’s a bit over the top, but trust me when you’re stuck on a lonely highway in the middle of the night you will thank me.

Think I have missed some crucial items out? let us know by using the comment box below, we would love to hear your ideas.