Breakdown Kit

[CalAltaDubber]

After my small breakdown last week end (broken alternator belt) on the highway, I have been thinking what one should carry for a breakdown kit.

Our cars are aging (Topless Bunny is 25 years old) and things break more often as they age.

The idea is to have the ability to make simple repairs so the car will be able to drive the car.

So I decided to put it out here. I want to put together a breakdown kit and share what I come up with. The question is: What would you include in the kit?

So far I figure there should be two parts to the kit: Tools; and Spares. It should also fit into a normal sized tool box co it can be carried in the trunk and not take up too much room.

I will take your suggestions and use them to build a kit (which I will display here).

So far I have:

Tools:
Tool Box
3/8" drive socket set (METRIC)
Metric wrenches, Box Open End (BOE) 10, 13, 15, 17, and 19 mm.
#2 Phillips screw driver
#2 Common screw driver (flat tip)
Metric Allen key set (hex)

Spares
Drive belts (the ones you need for your car)
Assorted light bulbs (Brake light, tail light marker light, etc)

What would you add?

[Briano1234]

Fix-a-Flat, Triple A card, Fuel pump relay and fuses... Not that I carry anything like that. I do have the Phillips, and the 10mm/13mm combo wrench that the jack kit came with.

[gull]

I normally carry an adjustable wrench, pliers, regular and philips screwdrivers, bailing wire, and metal tape, plus jumper cables and the tire change kit. Oh, and an extra quart of oil. Anything I can't fix with that stuff I'm just going to call AAA for. I've jumped many cars with the cables but rarely my own.

If I'm going out into the woods, where help might be harder to get, I'll also bring a socket set, open-end wrenches, electrical terminal crimpers, a small assortment of terminal ends and splices, electrical tape, a small coil of electrical wire, and a test light or DVM. Also drinking water, which can be used to refill the radiator as well.

The vast majority of car problems I've had on the road have been electrical.

Oh yeah, and I usually do have some spare bulbs, but that's because they come in 2-packs and I throw the extra in the glovebox. I don't worry too much about those, they're not usually mission-critical and can be easily bought anywhere.

[kamzcab86]

Around town my tool kit consists of the following: AAA card and cell phone. If I can't fix whatever broke with what might be in the car, or if a store isn't nearby, call AAA and have it towed home.

Road tripping, the Van and Cab always have pre-mixed coolant and a bottle of oil at the ready. If the drive belts are aging, I carry a pack of spares. In the Cab, I've got a spare clutch cable too.

The tool kit I kept in the Cab now resides in the Van; if the Cab happens to go on a long trip, I'll simply take the kit out of the Van and chuck it into the Cab's trunk. Anyway, the kit contains:
A metric wrench set
A metric socket wrench set
Pliers
Screwdrivers (Phillips and slotted)
Small can of WD40
Spark plugs
Gloves
Fuses
Fuel pump relay
Utility knife
Duct tape (hate the stuff, but in an emergency it'll get you by)
Electrical tape
Zip-ties
Jumper cables
DVOM (which I need to replace; damn thing blew up this past Spring)
Dead-blow hammer
Flares
And probably some other small stuff I can't remember

For the first time since buying it, the Van almost left me stranded at Home Depot a few days ago. Luckily, after messing with the kill switch and related wiring, it fired up (now I've got some electrical work to do while it's back in the garage). The thing is though, I didn't need any of what's in that extensive tool kit.

[84Vert]

All of my vehicles have a tool kit in them here is what I carry:

Socket Set (day after Thanksgiving Sears always has them on sale)
Wrench Set (same comment)
Screwdriver set (again day after thanksgiving)
Allen wrench set
Duct tape
Zip Ties
Tie Wire (good for tieing up mufflers)
WD-40
Flashlight
Fuses & Bulbs
Spare Belts
If I change radiator hoses I carry the old ones as a spare, fit around the spare
Fix A Flat
Tire Plug Kit
Jumper Cables
Dishwashing gloves, keep those hands nice and clean
Assorted nuts, bolts and other crap i have tossed in there

[Calimus]

I used to keep a breakdown kit in the A1's, now we just always have a support car with us, lol.

I also keep an electric air pump as I refuse to use fix-a-flat as it eats the metal in the wheels if left in there for long periods of time. If for some reason I can't use the electric pump, the wheel can come off and the support car can carry it somewhere that has air.

[CalAltaDubber]

Those are some great ideas, I am going to use that and build, what I think, will be a small but useful kit.

As I said, the kit needs to be small and the purpose is to fix small breakdowns so the car is again able to continue.

As far as the comments about the AAA card go, I totally agree that membership in an automobile club is a great idea. However to me that is the back up. Last time I used CAA for towing it took 2 1/2 hours for them to show up.

Another nice thing about AAA/CAA, is that if your are travelling abroad, the local auto club will honour your membership. So if you are in Germany, you can call the ADAC for help.

[gull]

What I like about my "small" tool kit is it all wraps up neatly in a little canvas bag. I don't have to drive around with a toolbox clanking around in the trunk.

[Briano1234]

I used to keep a breakdown kit in the A1's, now we just always have a support car with us, lol.

I also keep an electric air pump as I refuse to use fix-a-flat as it eats the metal in the wheels if left in there for long periods of time. If for some reason I can't use the electric pump, the wheel can come off and the support car can carry it somewhere that has air.

'Cept for when the support car's fuel pumps fritz out... couldn't resist.

But you know I rarely carry tools in my cabbies... I usually have to carry tools for other folks car.

[Calimus]

You're almost spot on. I don't guess I really every came out and say it. It was never the fuel pump that had the problem. It was the crank sensor. When it didn't read, it didn't send any spark. Had fuel, just didn't know it. Oh, well $265 for a new fuel pump that I prollie would have needed a week after the crank sensor anyway.

But the support car option does work well. When the support car eats it, the show car becomes the support car. If they both eat it....well...time for just sit somewhere and cry like a little girl