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5 Tools You Should Always Have Ready in Your Car

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As a car owner, vehicle maintenance should be right up there as one of your top priorities. However, car breakdowns and minor mishaps can happen to even the most well-maintained of cars. Luckily, you can troubleshoot common car issues pretty easily if you have the right tools.

Here are five essential tools you should always have ready in your vehicle.
 

1. Jumper Cable

Car batteries become dead for a variety of reasons. You might have left your headlights on all night, or maybe you just need to replace faulty batteries.

Whatever the reason, having a  set of jumper cables in your trunk can help "jump" start the car. By connecting the cables to an external source, it provides the necessary power to restart a car. It buys you time to make the trip to a workshop for proper checks and replacements.

This is crucial; after all, what good is a car if it doesn't start?
 

2. Flashlight

If your car breaks down at night, then this tool is invaluable. This is particularly so for remote areas without sufficient lighting.

This is because a heavy-duty flashlight allows you to conduct visual inspections of the vehicle.

Of course, you can easily use your mobile phone as a flash light. But what happens if you need to conserve battery on your mobile phone for important calls, or if you need to use your phone while carrying out your visual inspections?

Think ahead and have a flashlight on standby for those night breakdowns!
 

3. Tire Repair Kit or Spare Tire

Most car owners would attest to the fact that flat tires happen from time to time. Even if you have pumped a tire to an appropriate pressure level, a sharp object on the road can easily puncture your good work.

This could happen any time on any road. Having a tire repair kit or spare tire on standby would allow you to drive to a workshop, instead of being reliant on a tow truck, which would incur extra costs.

Between the repair kit and a spare tire, we'd recommend...that you have both on standby. It's always good to be extra prepared, wouldn't you agree?
 

4. Duct Tape

Sometimes the most important tools are the simplest ones. The magic of the duct tape lies in its versatility.

Whether you need to fasten a dangling tail light or reinforce fragmented windows, duct tape buys you time to the workshop for proper repairs. It's quick, dirty and absolutely necessary in many instances.

Since it's both cheap and easily bought from any nearby mart, you have no excuses not to have one!
 

5. Seat Belt Cutter and Hammer

Although the chances are rare, being trapped in an overturned car is a very real crisis.

In such situations, your seat belt is often jammed due to the accident. Having a seat belt cutter in the map pockets of the doors can thus save your life. Imagine being trapped in a car that's about to catch fire; trust us, it's not fun.

To be extra sure, we'd advise you to have a hammer in your map pocket too. This way, even if your door is also jammed, at least you can break your way out of the car.

Having the seat belt cutter and hammer might sound like an overkill -- until you find yourself trapped.
 

Tools for Temporary Solutions

These five tools can be bought easily and at reasonable prices. We think you'd agree that it doesn't require a lot of effort to be prepared.

However, do remember that major repairs are best left to professional service providers. Often times, these tools merely buy time so that you can drive to a workshop.

Always remember: it is dangerous to drive over long distances if these are only temporary repairs.

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