Must-Have Car Tools

Here is for you a list of the five must-haves, life-savings, "thank-God-I-had-them" tools.

Adjustable wrench

Your best bet is a medium size adjustable wrench which will enable you to do just about anything on your vehicle. With it, you can do many things; for instance, change your battery. In the eventuality of a pole coming loose, you could find yourself completely paralyzed by generalized power shortage.

Your fingers just won't cut it to tighten it all back up. Hence the adjustable wrench.

Tire pressure gauge

Your tires are to your car what your shoes are to your feet. You need to take care of them. Did you know that an under-inflated tire will wear out quicker, and, rather more subtly, bump up your fuel consumption? Nowadays, you can buy easy-to-use small digital gauges, perfect to monitor your car's shoes. Also, if you can, check pressures in the morning, when the cold air gives a more accurate reading of the situation.

Penetrating lubricants

Having problems with a stubborn nut or bolt? Then be sure to have a can of penetrating lubricant of some sort in your kit. It will help you take off that rusted wheel nut which refuses to let go, in the eventuality of a flat. Stuck door lock, noisy door hinges? Make it easier for you with a dash of lubricant.

Spare wheel assembly

You know it's there, in your trunk. You've never touched it ever since you bought the car, so it must be fine. Except maybe, just maybe, rust has gotten in there. Or maybe somebody borrowed one of the tools in the kit and misplaced it. Have you ever check if you can even pull the spare wheel out of its hole? Better see for yourself now before it happens to you on the side of the road.

Mini-compressor

You can use one almost anywhere. In the car, to pump air into a flat, just to give yourself time to make it to shop; or at the home, to bring your bicycle back to life after the winter. Plus it plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, so it's easy to use. Maybe you'll never need it, that's why we call it a "mini" compressor - it doesn't use too much space -.

That covers the basics. You could add to the list a small pack of various fuses and some light-bulbs in case your headlights go and you want to change them yourself. A screwdriver too, can be pretty helpful at times, and deserves a spot on your list. Some fluids also might be a good idea - engine oil, pre-mixed coolant and brake and power-steering fluids -.

All stuffed in a neat box, you're sure to impress your friends!