Despite the growth in ridesharing and taxi-on-demand services, owning a car is still a thing of pride to many. After purchasing your dream car, timely maintenance is crucial to retain its brand-new looks and performance for a long time.
However, as you might already know, car maintenance isn’t cheap. As the electronics and mechanics in modern cars have become, well, “modern”, the scope of “DIY” maintenance has reduced for many owners!
There are several maintenance tasks that you can do on your own without visiting the service center and paying for labor. While attempting to perform car maintenance tasks on your own, it is essential to have all the necessary tools in-hand.
If you’re a new member of the “car guys” club, then today we are here with a list of essential tools that’ll help you perform regular car maintenance tasks with ease.
Essential Tools to Perform Regular Car Maintenance
Impact Driver
An impact driver, also known as impact gun, is one of the essential tools you need to work on a car. Several components of your vehicle will have nuts, bolts, and other parts that need to be screwed tightly and to the correct torque for smooth functioning. With an impact driver, you can easily loosen/tighten the nuts, bolts, etc… Also, make sure not to confuse an impact drill with a hammer drill when purchasing.
Oil Change Accessories
Prompt oil changes are essential for the smooth functioning of your car, and it is also one of the most manageable maintenance tasks you can do in your vehicle.
Accessories such as an oil filter wrench, drip pan, funnel, oil drain plug, and a jack (depending on ground clearance of your car), and will ensure that you do not create any mess while changing the oil.
Wrenches & Screwdrivers
In places where you an impact gun isn’t required, wrenches and screwdrivers will do the job. There are different types of wrenches you can use, such as torque wrench, ratchet wrench, socket wrench, etc. depending on the task.
Phillips and Standard are the two types of screwdrivers generally required for car maintenance. The Phillips screwdrivers, also known as “star” screwdriver is used for cross-shaped screws, whereas the Standard screwdrivers are used for linear (straight line) screws.
Car Fluids
If you didn’t know already, your car requires a lot of fluids. Apart from engine oil, other essential car fluids include radiator fluid, windshield washer fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and AC coolant.
Battery Carrier
Most people choose to carry around car batteries by holding the handles that are usually provided on top of the battery. However, car batteries are hefty, and the handles are often not designed to carry that weight for a long time.
The best way to avoid an accident while carrying around your car battery is by using a battery carrier. As the name suggests, this tool is designed to fit car batteries comfortably and will also make it easier for you to carry them around with comfortable handles and grips.
We hope that you found the above article informative. Apart from the tools mentioned above, safety gear such as gloves, eyewear, etc. are also essential while working on your car to stay away from any hazard. Also, always ensure that you read the owner’s/maintenance manual carefully before attempting any repair or maintenance work.
Florence Brown is a passionate blogger, nature lover and a foodie. She generally writes on topics as diverse as home décor, travel, lifestyle and e-commerce and recently started working for a tools project that includes woodworking, electrician & plumbing, gardening, electrician, welding & cutting tools. For more details about tools, visit: toolspatrol.com.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Photo attribution: Robert Couse-Baker licensed under Creative Commons 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).
