Considering that the average age of a passenger vehicle in the U.S. is 12.5 years, you should think twice before you upgrade to a new car with monthly payments over a five-year term. The COVID-19 lockdown and shutdown of factories producing vital car tech caused supply-and-demand issues that drove up the cost of new and used cars.
That’s one reason many consumers are keeping their old cars longer than usual. But if you retain your existing car longer to get more out of your investment and avoid getting fleeced for a new car, you’ll want to learn DIY car maintenance tips or pay a mechanic a fortune to do the work.
Should you wish to learn how to do some maintenance and repairs independently, consider getting these six tools. You’ll find it easier to do the work needed if you have the right equipment.
The tools discussed below are just for starters. You can add more tools and equipment down the road.
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Floor Jack and Jack Stands
You need a floor jack and jack stands to raise and secure the vehicle. These pieces of equipment must be rated to accommodate the weight of the car you’re working on. If you need to do oil or transmission fluid changes, a jack and jack stands may be necessary. That’s especially true if the vehicle lacks sufficient ground clearance for you to work underneath without being jacked up. Check your owner’s manual for the proper jack and jack stand position points under the car. And never rely solely on the floor jack. You must use jack stands to secure the car in the raised position.
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Torque Wrench
It’s also vital to have a torque wrench. Whether you rotate the tires to ensure even wear, swap winters for all seasons or vice versa, or do maintenance or repairs that require removing tires, you’ll want a torque wrench to properly secure the lug nuts. Check to find out the appropriate specs for your specific vehicle. A torque wrench isn’t just for lug nuts, either. It will come in useful for other maintenance and repair tasks you’ll tackle while working independently.
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Socket Set
Get yourself a quality socket set. It’ll make vehicle maintenance easier when you have a set that covers the various bolt and nut sizes on your vehicle. Without a socket set, you’ll find it difficult to do many tasks a DIYer needs to do when working a car. You can either buy a complete set or build your set in stages by getting the most frequently used ones first and purchasing more as the need arises and the funds become available.
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Screwdrivers
You also need a set of screwdrivers if you’re going to be a DIYer. There are many tasks that will involve using a screwdriver of some sort, so screwdrivers will help you work independently.
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Spark Plug Pliers
Getting spark plug pliers is also a good idea. It’ll come in handy when the time comes to perform a tune-up on your vehicle. You’ll easily be able to remove the old spark plugs and replace them using spark plug pliers.
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Magnetic Tray
It’s annoying when washers, nuts, bolts, and screws get misplaced. When they fall, they have a way of evading detection, and that can be maddening if you can’t reassemble something due to lost small parts. A magnetic tray makes sense. It will hold these small parts in place so your washers, nuts, bolts, and screws won’t get lost.
These are just a few things you need if the plan is to do some or all the maintenance and repairs on your car. When working on your vehicle for hours at a time, you’ll want to know when to take a break. Watch some TV, take the dog for a walk, or eat some pizza from your favorite joint or cook it yourself. Taking time out to refuel can make all the difference when working on your car.
