VERY IMPORTANT - Add a Tool Kit to take with you in your car !!!!

In my BMW M3, it came with a factory tool kit in the car. The one thing I realized we are missing in our mazda 3's is a basic tool kit. You never know when you're going to need a screw driver or a wrench.... and TRUST ME... there will come a time when you need it.


So I devised my own little " traveling " tool kit.


While yes you could just pick up the phone and call the mazda roadside assistance, but let's assume you're in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception. Then what. You need a wrench because... heck I dunno.. the bolt holding your headlight has come loose and your headlight is dangeling by a wire (boom07)

So what do you do? You go to your trusty toolkit and pull out the wrench and tighten that hex head right up. :)

My tool kit. I DID NOT ADD THE FLASHLIGHT BECAUSE ITS TOO BIG BUT ITS ESSENTIAL YOU HAVE A FLASH LIGHT!!!!

ALSO YOU NEED TO HAVE ELECTRICAL TAPE!!! ( i dont have any laying around, I have to go buy some :( )


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AGAIN GET A FLASH LIGHT AND KEEP IT IN YOUR CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Explanation of tools:

20 dollar bill - What if you run out of gas, or get mugged or something.. and you need quick change? Have a 20 dollar bill ALWAYS in your car stashed away for a rainy day. It saved my ass one time when I lost my wallet and my fuel light came on.


Metal Tool Extractor - That long thing has a magnet on the end to pick up tools you drop into your engine bay. 3 bucks at autozone... NO excuse not to have one

Wirecutters / needlenose pliers - one of the 2 you need to have. I have an extra set of wire cutters, so I will hang onto that.


Flashlight - ESSENTIAL YOU HAVE ONE


Electrical tape - I didnt have any in the picture, I will take a new pic once i go buy some more tommorow. But its essential you have some with you..... always comes in handy


Wrench - Tighten everything when needed... good to have on hand

Hex Head Key Set- I had this old one laying around.. so I am gonna use it. Its typically 4 bucks at walmart for one of these. All the hex heads you could need... and trust me they are in the most annoying places, and this thing has come in handy TOO many times.

Tire Pressure Gauge- 99 cents at autozone. You're a moron if you dont have at least 2 of these in your car at all times

Screw Driver- I have an extra screw driver w/head set. It doesnt matter if you have one phillips and one flat head... or do the set thing like I have. A screw driver is a MUST HAVE.

Fuses- Just get them. Get at least 2 of each gauge and keep them in a little plastic bag or something. Dont ask questions, just do it, shut up and thank me later when something blows and you have a spare. :)



If you guys can think of anything more to add, please contribute.


OH.... I am keeping this set right where they have the jack on the hatch backs. We have a little cubby hole that is bad ass for storeing stuff, so that's where I am keeping it.

Hope this helps someone one day!!!
 
good idea:) all my cars have a kit like this. also have a small first aid kit too.
I do a lot of back roads driving and have seen a lot of crashes that have used some of the things in the kit.
keep it safe out there guys
Tom
 
I have tools in the my trunk, electrical tape and taps, and even extra turbo kit parts. I've been saved more than one time by having the right tools!
 
Got mine

I have all the necessary tools to help out strangers...LOL. But, I do agree - perhaps it's dad's lessons... always keep spare tools, some zip ties, and 10 gauge jumpers in the car. As for a flashlight - get one of those Eddie Bauer led lights from Target. It's made of good quality aluminum, looks great and give out a hell-o-va beam with it's 3 leds.

Zoomin' (dance)
 
tkhawaii said:
I have all the necessary tools to help out strangers...LOL. But, I do agree - perhaps it's dad's lessons... always keep spare tools, some zip ties, and 10 gauge jumpers in the car. As for a flashlight - get one of those Eddie Bauer led lights from Target. It's made of good quality aluminum, looks great and give out a hell-o-va beam with it's 3 leds.

Zoomin' (dance)

I keep a Maglite in my car. Provides plenty of light and function as an effective club.... who needs a knife when you have an all aluminum Maglite with 4 D-cell batteries:)
 
I keep a similar set of tools in my trunk.

I also have an extensive first aid kit, because, well..yeah...take a glance at my username
 
Thanks for the reminder - I have nothing in there right now. When I use to drive an old rwd Volvo in MT I use to have a really good took kit as well as chains and a backpackers shovel. Don't think the chains and shovel are as critical where I'm at now lol. I should at least get those tools in there though.
 
great idea ... and everybody should do this.
i keep a few tools in a portable kit that i have. it's nice and compact, so i keep it where the jack is in my trunk.
 
Go to walmart and pick up the 20 pc socket set for like 10-20 dollars cause like the cars bolts are like 6 difrent ones so you really don't need a 390 pc set unless you are stripping stranded cars on the highway(boom08) but yeah that $20 sounds like a nice idea...just not the glovebox...I kept flares gloves reflectors emergency med aid equipt MRE's and other misc things stashed under the spare tire so you have it and still have the full trunk space. I recomend that $20 cause like he said you just don't know.....
 
battery vs heat

brucelee said:
are the batteries in the flashlight able to resist the heat in the summertime?

I think the ones (lithium ion) in the Eddie Bauer will hold up better in the heat than non-lithium ones - although I don't have any concrete data on that... they managed to survive one AZ summer...LOL. Geez that was brutal - glad to be back in HI!!!

Zoomin' (dance)
 
tkhawaii said:
I think the ones (lithium ion) in the Eddie Bauer will hold up better in the heat than non-lithium ones - although I don't have any concrete data on that... they managed to survive one AZ summer...LOL. Geez that was brutal - glad to be back in HI!!!

Zoomin' (dance)

haha AZ to HI? i'd think they were the same brutality...
li-ion huh...the battery busting is my biggest worry. that's why i dont keep the flashlight in the car. but if li-ion can live thru that, i'll have to go get me some of those batteries.
 
the $20 is a great idea. i never thought about that myself, I always carry tools with me, like you said, you never know. But having cash on hand is also an important tool. now i just have to find an EXTRA $20 to put in the car and not spend it :)
 
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