13 Best Tools For Fixing Your Car At Home
Cars,  Auto Parts

13 Best Tools For Fixing Your Car At Home

needs a good bit of your attention when it does not have a major issue. Think of a situation when you are in a hurry to move out by car, and it does not start. The problem can well be fixed at home if you have the required tools to set it right. Below is the list of the best tools with which you need to be equipped to avoid any undesirable eventualities.

1. The Master Tool

Essential Automotive Tools

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The Car Owner Manual is the Master Tool that eases you out of using the other tools correctly. Most manuals contain tutorials for common jobs such as adjustment of the carburetor, changing headlights and brake lights or replacement of brake pads, and many others.

2. Assorted Sockets

Flexible Sockets

A set of sockets includes the standard metric sizes of 3/8”, ½”, and ¼” sizes of drivers as well as sockets. For meeting certain special situations, you can additionally keep thin-walled and extension. You can advantageously use locking extension bars for holding on the sockets. They come in sizes of 3”, 6” and 10.”

3. Wire Cutters & Pair of Pliers

wire cutter

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You may be required to undertake some electrical jobs such as wiring headlights, reconnecting the battery terminals, installing a unit of the stereo head, and much more. For meeting different kinds of jobs, you need to keep different sizes of wire cutters, pliers, and wire strippers. Always go in for the full range of these tools

4. Torque Wrench

torque wrench

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Applying more than the required torque to a nut may cause it to break and the bolt to shear off. You will be in a fix in such situations. Therefore, you should use a clicker type of wrench and make it easier to tighten to the required specifications. The specified torque is printed on the tool.

You just need to adjust the torque by turning the bottom handle and aligning it to the desired torque. To make things still easier, the wrench makes two clicking sounds after the job is done. For removing a lug nut, always use a torque wrench instead of an impact wrench or a breaker bar.

5. Pressure Testing Kit

It includes a vacuum pump and bleeder and can perform a number of tests and operations. You can test your vacuum-controlled motors and sensors. You can also detect a leaking vacuum line if you plug each one and then apply a vacuum.

If you want to bleed your vacuum yourself, then attach the vinyl tubing and the fluid transfer bottle to the pump. You can use the refill adapters to keep the master cylinder entirely filled. You can then suck out the fluid out of the bleeder screws. Use the pump for flushing out power-steering fluids

6. Ratchets

Instead of having the normal shorter ratchets, keep longer ratchets that can fit well below the hood. Keep a Gear Wrench that has a flexible head ratchet and is bent to reach tight places. The bent handle will make you keep a distance from the engine.

Have a set that comes with two spark plug sockets and a flexible extension. You can also keep a finger ratchet for unscrewing tight spots.

7. Screwdrivers

Screwdrivers

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The screwdrivers should have hexagonal bolsters. You need it when you need to apply more torque. The bolster is the meeting place of the handle and the shank. You should have stubbed screwdrivers for tight spaces and removed sensors. The Torx Screwdrivers have star heads and are used for sensors. Other categories are heavy-duty flathead and small flathead.

8. Screw Pitch Gauge

You can measure both the metric and British screw gauges. With this tool, you do not have to put the square peg into the round whole to unscrew a metric thread or British thread bolt. You can perfectly match the Teeth per Inch (TPI) with this gauge.

9. Hammer

Claw hammer

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You need this for knocking a stuck rotor or other components of your car that have got stuck. Ball pen is the general type. You need to have a rubber mallet for beating a surface that is required to be kept nice and dent-free.

10. LED Flashlights and Head Lamp

You may need more light, even during daylight, to scope out bolts tightened at remote or covered locations. Headlights suit you most if you are working at night or in emergent situations. You will be eased at using both your hands while working, particularly if you are required to work underneath a car.

11. Multimeter

Multimeter

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Instead of going in for a cheaper one, go in for the one that can measure the amperage of your battery and other electrical connections.

12. Jack with Stands

Car Jack

You need an automotive jack to take the wheels off or to get underneath a car. To ensure the utmost safety, you must have jack stands because a jack is hydraulic, and there is every possibility of its failure.

13. Automotive Scan Tools

An automotive scan tool is the latest in the electronic tools. Besides interfacing, it diagnoses the controlling component of the vehicle and can reprogram the module. It is connected to the Data Link Connector (DLC) of the vehicle. It reads codes of diagnostic troubles or DTC. They have bi-directional controlling capabilities. The scan tool can display live data streams such as inputs and outputs.

There are a number of brands under which the automotive scan tools are sold in the market. These are Autel, Launch, Snap-on, OTC/SPX, Bosch, and Vetronix. There are some companies that manufacture different kinds of scan tools, covering code readers to highly advanced programming capabilities.

  • The Enhanced Scan Advisor-MD 1072: It has the capability of linking the chassis controllers and Power-train body on Toyota, GM Ford. If you have any fix in your vehicle, the Enhanced Scan Tool enables you to see the real-time parameters of your engine. It allows greater coverage of the brake component system and airbag. It can be used to read all the PCMs on the top Asian vehicles sold in the US. It features displaying of freeze frame. The unit comes with adapters, cables, and heads and is updatable by the internet.
  • Heavy Duty Scan Kit- MD 3417: In addition to reading and clearing the heavy duty codes, this model of scan tool can display live data and the speed of the engine. Moreover, it displays the pedal position of acceleration, ECU temperature, coolant temperature, intercooler temperature, alternator volts, battery volts air inlet temperature and ambient temperature. Class 4 covers 14, 00 lbs. and Class 8 covers over 33,000 for the trucks. The Heavy Duty is J1587, J1708 and J1939 CAN

The above is essential automotive tools that can take you a long way in fixing your car at home. You need to make the minimum investment in these tools for meeting any emergent trouble with your car.

You don’t know when your car will not comply with your instructions, because being mechanical in characteristics; it is subjected to uncertainty and unseen eventualities. But you can always overcome some issues if you have the knack, basic skill and preparedness to Do It Yourself (DIY). The scan tool is essential for you because it diagnoses and displays the problem points.