It is no secret that any serious car maintenance should be performed in a vehicle service by professional mechanics. Unless you work in the car service yourself, being a DIY auto mechanic means learning, and getting skills and instruments to perform some of the maintenance tasks in the garage.
Maybe you’ve purchased a modification, an upgrade, or a spare part, and you’d like to install them yourself. Maybe something in your car has broken down and knowing that it is not very serious, you’d like to fix the problem yourself. As a DIY auto mechanic, you have to start by acquiring the proper instruments. Some of them will stay in your garage, and some of them will be a part of your car toolbox.
Here at Rhonium, we decided to compile the best tools a DIY auto mechanic should own for any situation.
A Set of Screwdrivers: that is a number one must-have
Should we even explain? There are screws, and they have to be handled with proper instruments. Since there are different types and sizes, a set of various screwdrivers would significantly simplify your DIY auto mechanic life.
Where should I keep my screwdrivers?
A full set of screwdrivers is necessary to keep in the garage. But to keep your car toolbox compact, only one Screwdriver with a set of different nozzles would be more than enough.
Torque Wrenches: a must-have for any vehicle owner
Why do I need these instruments?
Even if you don’t know how to operate torque wrenches, they have to be in your car toolbox at any time. Of course, with a set of different sockets. Torque wrenches also have to range in size, so that they may be used in different situations.
Even if you have no idea how to fix breakages, but you’re stuck on the road, a set of torque wrenches may come in handy when someone will be kind enough to help you with the trouble. But if you’re a DIY auto mechanic, there is almost no maintenance that can be done without these tools.
What sizes of Torque Wrenches should I purchase?
1/2″ and 1/4″ are the most important types of torque wrenches you should have. It is important that you purchase only the highest quality tools with the certificate of calibration. 1/2″ is perfect for bigger bolts, such as wheel lugs, while 1/4″ will help you with small and medium lugs. Of course, if you want a complete toolbox of torque wrenches and sockets, it would be even better, and you won’t have to buy each piece separately.
Where should I keep my torque wrenches?
The best decision for a DIY auto mechanic would be to have two sets of torque wrenches with sockets. One in the garage, and the other in the car at all times. This way you’ll be sure to always have important tools for any unexpected situation.
A tip from Rhonium: ever heard about colored sockets?
Have you ever been frustrated with trying to find the right socket size in the kit? There is a solution for that: colored sockets, designed to help you remember the size, and not search for it every time you do maintenance. Although, if you don’t have an opportunity to buy one of these kits, just put stickers on your regular sockets with sizes written in much larger letters.
Two Sets of Spanners: one in the car, another in the garage
Almost all repairs or replacements require Spanners. So a set of these tools is the first purchase a DIY auto mechanic has to make. Did you know that a modern vehicle has almost thirty thousand screws, bolts, lugs, and nuts? All of these details require special tools to manipulate, and spanners would deal with at least ten thousand of these details.
How many spanners should I buy for my car?
Ideally two sets. One for your garage, but make sure all the spanners stay in one set. Losing a spanner somewhere can create a problematic situation when you’ll have to find that specific size. The other set of spanners should be purchased for your car toolbox. Both sets, without a doubt, have to be complete, meaning compiled from all the necessary sizes.
It’s frustrating to find the right spanner size, what do I do?
If you remember what we have told you about colored wrench sockets, the same is available for spanners. Colored spanners are the perfect solution if you feel frustrated trying to find the correct size.
Impact Wrench and Driver: deal with tight bolts
Why do I need them?
These power tools make it much easier to remove tight nuts or bolts that may have been affected by rust. But do not confuse these two, and do not use them interchangeably.
While an Impact Wrench is perfect for big, heavy bolts, an Impact Driver will help you deal with smaller tasks. Impact Driver is more versatile with sockets and adapters it is compatible with.
Tight caliper bolts or ball joints won’t be a problem anymore with Impact Wrench and Impact Driver in your garage. But if you decide which one to take with you on the road, an Impact Wrench will significantly simplify the process of changing a spare tire, reducing the time needed to unbolt the lugs.
What do I need to know about these tools?
All standard Impact Wrench models are suited for 1/2 inch sockets of various sizes. The ones that fit wheel lugs are also compatible with this type. But smaller or larger options are available in the wretch models with appropriate size.
Impact Driver is a perfect instrument to work with small or medium-sized bolts, especially if they have been tightened by corrosion. This instrument is compatible with many sockets and can be connected to a variety of adapters.
A few facts about these instruments
In the past, all Impact Wrenches were working using air pressure, and many car services still have them installed. But with the appearance of lithium-based batteries, modern Impact Wrenches are portable and convenient to use. Both Impact Wrench and Impact Driver are a must-have for DIY auto mechanics, and they can be stored both in the garage or with the toolbox in the car.
Impact Drivers aren’t suitable for drilling, although they can help you screw a bolt into the hard material. They are also very useful for elderly people who need help dealing with hard maintenance tasks.
A useful tip about an Impact Wrench (not to confuse with an Impact Driver). Always use specially manufactured Impact Wrench sockets with the instrument. They can be distinguished from simple sockets by the darker color and thicker walls, due to the tougher material.
Tire Pressure Gauge: get ready before hitting the road!
Any DIY auto mechanic knows how important it is to keep the correct tire pressure. Keeping a Tire Pressure Gauge in your garage is a convenient way to do a fast pressure check-up before driving away.
But if you want to keep something in the car at all times, a tire inflator with a gauge is a better tool, since it allows you to check and fix an underinflated tire anywhere on the road.
Battery Jump Starter: breath the life back into your battery
Although a Jump Starter won’t fix a faulty or a discharged battery, it will help you start the vehicle up at times when you don’t have an opportunity to change the battery. For example, if you’ve found yourself with a dead battery in the middle of nowhere, a Jump Starter will fix this trouble, and you won’t have to call for help or a tow truck. The place to store your Jump Starter is in the vehicle, near your toolbox, or in a dry, warm place in your garage.
OBD Code Reader: the first step to identifying a breakage
Why do I need an OBD Code Reader?
If you think that professional auto mechanics identify most of the breakages using only their eyes, ears, and the information about symptoms a car is experiencing, you are seriously mistaken. One of the important tools any car service has is an OBD Code Reader. Connecting this tool to your onboard computer will provide you with information about what might have gone wrong in the car, and which systems are experiencing malfunctions.
How does an OBD Code Reader work?
When something breaks in your car, an onboard diagnostics system will write this breakage as a code inside the computer’s memory. The codes will be stored no matter how much time passes.
When this happens, a Check Engine Light will turn on the dashboard. Connecting OBD Code Reader allows you access to the stored malfunction codes, and knowing them will significantly simplify the maintenance process.
12V Test Light: electrical repair made easy
If you suspect that something might be wrong with voltage or ground in some part of your vehicle, the 12 Volt Test Light device will help you identify it quickly and straightforwardly. It is a perfect electrical tool for diagnostics of terminals, shorted wires, lights, and fuses.
IR Thermometer: safe temperature readings
Not many DIY car mechanics know that temperature readings are important in the maintenance process. While doing diagnostics, it is important to measure the temperature of different substances, be it something liquid, solid, or gas-like. The problem in the past was that these measurements required physical contact, and sometimes it could result in skin burns, due to extreme temperatures. IR thermometers do not require contact, therefore providing safety during diagnostics.
A Large Adjustable Wrench: one tool, great functionality
This tool comes in handy in different situations, especially when you have to deal with metric or imperial bolts and nuts. We wouldn’t say that this instrument is crucial in your car toolbox, but it is important to have in your garage.
Damaged Bolt Removal Set
It is extremely frustrating when the bolts get rounded off, which makes them impossible to unscrew. Sometimes the head can even snap off, leaving you with a predicament, that can only be solved using a removal set. These small tools have reversed threads that allow you to cut into the broken lug or a bolt. Just drill into the bolt, screw the removal tool inside, and then unscrew the whole broken piece out.
The Damaged Bolt Removal Set should stay in your garage since there are no situations where you’ll require this tool in the middle of the road.
Breaker Bar of More Than 600mm Size: get the leverage for hard tasks
Some bolts are nearly impossible to detach, even with a 1/2″ torque wrench. This means that more leverage is required for the DIY auto mechanic, which will increase applied force, and bring you to the undoing of a problematic bolt.
Where should I keep my Breaker Bars?
We would recommend having two large Breaker Bars: one in a car, and another one in a garage. Changing a flat tire using a Breaker Bar will be much faster and easy when you’re stuck in the middle of the road.
Get Yourself a Mechanics Tool Kit
Sometimes it is much more profitable to buy a full Tool Kit for DIY auto mechanics, and then purchase missing tools that aren’t available in the kit. Such tool kits should be stored in your garage since they are usually pretty heavy and big. But if you seek something that can fit in your trunk without taking much space, search for lighter and smaller versions of Tool Kits that only have the most necessary instruments.
Floor Jacks: get two of them
One should be stored in your car’s trunk, while the other should stay in your garage. Many repairs and replacement tasks require lifting the car. Since you’ll have to rely on this instrument for your and your car’s safety, never buy a cheap floor jack. Purchase only certificated, high-quality, and strong Floor Jack that will be sturdy and reliable.
Mini Wire Brush: dirt is the enemy of a correct repair
When you see a dirty car part, and it prevents you from correct installation, a mini wire brush will help you clean off anything big enough that can hinder the task at hand. Even a better decision for a DIY auto mechanic would be to purchase a set of brushes with bristles from different materials. Metal, brass, or plastic brushes should be used for different surfaces. For example, a metal wire brush cannot be used on vulnerable, plastic surfaces, while a plastic wire brush would have a hard time cleaning off the rust from metal surfaces.
Oil Filter Wrench: keep your hands clean!
Although changing the engine’s filter is not a complicated task, sometimes you may need assistance. It may happen if there is oil leakage, so you can’t get a good grip on the filter, or if the filter was too tightened by the previous mechanic.
Caliper Piston Tool: an instrument for brake pad replacement
Being a DIY auto mechanic means being able to replace some parts in your vehicle without assistance. Replacing old brake pads is one of the tasks a DIY car mechanic can do in their garage. The Caliper Piston Tool, or a Brake Pad Spreader, is the instrument that will make the process much easier.
Why do I need a Caliper Piston Tool?
Before installing a brand new brake pad, a caliper piston has to be moved back, so that there is enough space for the installation. It is pretty hard to do with your own hands or other tools at hand, so this instrument is a must-have if you’re a car modification enthusiast.
WD40 and Brake Cleaner: removing the gunk
WD40 is a product known to billions, useful not only for car service tasks. It eases the tightened bolts, hardened by the corrosion, stops moving parts from squeaking, and helps clean parts from corrosion or heavy dirt.
Brake Cleaner, on the other hand, is a strong substance, that allows you to clean away brake dust, and other particles that cannot be removed by other means. Just remember to use skin protection like gloves, when you use this product.
A Set of Hooks and Picks: reach everything you need
Many electrical connectors in modern vehicles have plastic locking tabs installed. Using tools at hand, like screwdrivers or pliers, may lead to damage, so using specifically designed Hooks and Picks Set is a much better decision in terms of safety.
Creeper: makes you feel like a mechanic from Fast and Furious
When doing maintenance under your car, it feels dumb and uncomfortable to crawl on the hard floor. A creeper will provide you with comfort and easy movement. It can also be transformed into a chair, so double the advantage.
Magnetic Bolt Tray: keep all the bolts together
Have you ever felt dumb trying to catch the bolt that slipped out of your hand? A magnetic bolt tray will store all the bolts, lugs, screws, and other small parts, even if you accidentally push them away.
Get a Better Light
Working in the garage can put a strain on your eyes. Especially if you’re looking under the hood, or lying down under the car. Receiving insufficient light can not only damage your eyes but also affect the quality of repairs you are doing. Get a set of lights for different positions, so that in any situation you will get a clear picture.
