Must Haves In Your Vehicle

Your Certified Auto Repair Specialist of Pasadena will try our best to keep your vehicle roadworthy so that you never suffer the inconvenience of breaking down. But even the most well-maintained vehicle will encounter bad luck sooner or later down the road. No amount of preventative maintenance can guarantee that you won’t get a flat tire, or a dead battery. In any case, it’s always better to be over prepared than under prepared for a situation that could be easily remedied.

No matter how often you drive, or how far you stray from Pasadena, there are some basic supplies that you should keep in your car in case of emergency. Whatever situation happens, you want to be prepared for it. Here are some of the basic supplies that every driver should keep in their car so that they are prepared for the worst:

Tire changing supplies

The number one item on our list is actually a collection of items – a spare tire, tire iron, lug wrench, tire jack and some WD-40. If you’ve got these essentials on hand, then you’ve got everything you need to change a tire should one go flat.

Tire Sealant

A shot of tire sealant like Fix-A-Flat or Slime can patch a leaky tire on the fly. This 16 oz. bottle of Slime Tubeless Automotive Tire Sealant is $7.99 at Amazon, the best value we found online.

Jumper cables

A dead battery can take you by surprise, so don’t rely on a good Samaritan to supply jumper cables. We found a set of Everstart 10-Gauge Booster Cables for $14.67 shipped or $8.68 with in-store pickup at Walmart, a price low for this set either way.

Owner’s manual

You know, that book that came with your car that you never looked at? Keep it in your glove compartment. You never know when it might come in handy. Can’t find yours? Most are available online for free. Edmunds.com has a great list of shortcuts to help you out.

Tire pressure gauge

So your tire needs air. Great! You pull up to the air compressor at your favorite gas station, and… wait, how do you know when you’ve added enough air? Did you add too much? How lucky that you’ve stashed a tire pressure gauge in your trunk. While there are plenty of digital options on the market, we opted for this ultra-basic Bell Automotive Standard Pencil Tire Gauge for $4.49 at Amazon. Not only does it cost less than the digital models, it also doesn’t have a battery that might turn out to be dead someday when you need it.

Duct tape

Great for everything from temporary auto repairs to roadside first aid, duct tape is a no-brainer. AskPatty.com gives us 38 ways you can use duct tape to fix your car. Seriously, duct tape is the rock star of your care emergency kit.

Gas can

Sure, you can walk to the nearest gas station when you run out of gas, but then how do you get the gas back to your car? It’s probably not wise to keep a full gas can, though, given that it’s a highly flammable spill risk, and besides, you don’t want to fumigate your trunk. If you don’t have room for a gas can, though, don’t fret too much. You can buy one at the gas station too.

Windshield wiper fluid

I have two terrifying words for you: Winter Splashback. I can say with authority that there is nothing worse than driving on the 210 in a rainstorm with passing semi trucks constantly kicking rooster tails up onto your windshield, and then running out of wiper fluid. Been there, done that.

A pair of work gloves

Save your hands while you’re wrestling with lugnuts, tire irons, hot engine parts, and anything else you’re better off not touching with bare hands. This pair of G & F Heavy Leather Palm Gloves is $5.60 with free shipping at Amazon.

Fire extinguisher

Heaven forbid your engine ever catches fire, or a campfire jumps its boundaries. But if you’re thinking of the giant, heavy wall-mounted fire extinguishers you see in schools and corporate stairwells, you’ll be pleased to know there are much smaller, more portable options on the market. We found a Fire Gone 2NBFG2704 White/Red Fire Suppressant Canisters – 16 Ounce (2-pack) for $19.99 at Amazon, which looks more like a can of bug spray than a fire stopping tool.