How to prepare for car trouble?

wheeldogz

Everyone here has given a good answer and I'd like to add one: get Triple A.
AAA membership is the best investment ... all those tools won't help you if you are not a mechanic and don't know how to use them. Most of the tools mentioned here are for fixing major things. I doubt you could change a fan belt without a mechanic's help.
But if you have triple A you can get your car towed to a mechanic for free, or if you have a flat or a dead battery they will come and jump start you for free... all you need is a cell phone to call them from the side of the road.
And a triple A card takes up a whole lot less room than all those tools!

Roosterkroozer

Tools: Get a small inexpensive mechanic's 50-piece tool set with a ratchet and sockets, both metric and SAE sizes. Make sure you have a good spare, a jack with a handle, a four-way lug wrench, and an inexpensive air compressor. If you are worried about batteries, get a jump-start battery at the automotive store. Make sure you have at least 600 cold cranking amps capacity so that you can get the car started quickly. Make sure you charge the thing completely before you go on your trip. You will be surprised how handy that thing will be. A flashlight, or a 12-volt drop light that plugs into the cigarette lighter outlet is very handy, too. Lastly, don't forget to keep a set of triangles in the trunk. You'll appreciate them if you need them. They're better than flares/fusees because they don't burn up and you can re-use them. As for wrenches, you will probably need a good set of 5 wrenches. They're easy to get from any auto parts house. All this stuff should fit in a box about the size of a small microwave oven. Make sure you take an old blanket or a cheap tarpaulin (those blue things) to lie on if you need to get under the car. Also, keep two quarts of oil on hand at all times, and check the fluid levels each time you fuel the vehicle. As for cooling down the vehicle, you should turn on the heater and drive normally, if the car is just getting a bit hot. But if the temperature goes over the normal range, stop somewhere safe and keep the engine running with the heater on high to get as much of the heat transferred out of the cooling system. You should also keep a gallon of pre-mixed antifreeze with your oil supplies. Never ever put pure water into your cooling system, as the water won't carry heat as well as the antifreeze solutions. Make sure your vehicle oil level never goes below a quart low. Many cars will overheat at 70 MPH if the oil level is low. That is the first thing you should check, especially on a GM. That's an indicator the engineers put in and forgot to talk about in the owners' manuals! Also, keep a small first-aid kit on hand just in case you cut your hand working on the car. A good inexpensive pair of leather-palm gloves comes in handy when handling blown tires, too. The gloves will help prevent cuts from steel wires that might be sticking out of the rubber. In any case, a good tire guage is handy, too. You should check your tire pressures each morning to make sure you didin't pick up any nails or other problems the day before. Always check when the tires are cool. That way you will get an accurate reading.
When you stop for fuel or restrooms, or other breaks, touch the tire treads with your bare hands and feel for unusually warm tires. You can save yourself the cost of a tire if you feel a warm tire and get it checked in time. Have a safe trip and be sure to take your camera with you so you can share some memories when you get back...

StephenWeinstein

The three most common problems (not necessarily in this order) are:'
1. Flat tire. Make sure that you have a spare tire, a jack, and the tool to loosen and tighten the lug nuts. Also, make sure that the spare tire is fully inflated. (Spare tires need to be refilled from time to time, even if they are not in use.)
2. Out of gas. Easiest problem to prevent. Just buy gas every time that the gas gauge gets below 1/4-1/2 tank.
3. Dead battery. Mainly happens when repeatedly driving short distances. Less common during highway driving.

If the car overheats, turn on the heater (so that it blows heat from the engine to the passenger compartment.

cuddlyclaud

Get your car thoroughly checked out before you start your journey, spare light bulbs, jumper cables and breakdown insurance should be all you need with a modern car in good working order, a cell phone would also be a good idea.

FuelInjected84

Well first of all for safety you should travel during the day. As far as everything else goes, you can get an emergency tool kit at just about any auto parts store or even walmart. You'll also want a jump box in case you have a dead battery for any reason. Also, buy an extra belt(s) in case your belt decides to break on you. Make sure you have adequate air in your spare tire and your tires on the vehicle! Also check and fill all your fluids, don't overfill! And, as far as the overheating thing... there's not much you can do. But, I'd bring a couple gallons of water in case you have a leak.

UCANTCME

First you have your local automotive shop do a complete inspection of the car from bumper to bumper to make sure that all is good.

If your vehicle does breakdown, remember these key steps:

Know your location- Look for street signs, restaurants, mile markers, or other surrounding markers.

Get out of traffic- Shoulders, medians, or exit ramps are all safer places to be in a disablement situation.

Remain in your vehicle- If you are able to pull out of traffic, it is safest to remain in your vehicle until help arrives.

Alert other drivers- Use of flares, hazard lights, and raising the hood are all good methods of letting other drivers know you are in need of help.

Unable to move vehicle to the side- If you cannot get your vehicle off the road, do not stay in your vehicle. Instead, leave the hood up and the hazard lights on, then move out of the way of traffic and wait for help to arrive.

Call for assistance- Utilizing a roadside assistance provider is a safe, reliable way of dealing with a vehicle breakdown. If you do not have a roadside assistance program, you should dial 911 for emergency assistance.

You never know what you might need in case of an emergency. Make sure you keep the following items in your vehicle.

Fully charged cell phone

Pen or pencil and a pad of paper
Vehicle operating manual

Emergency service information

Signal flares

Instant plug for flat tires

Flashlight with extra batteries

Bottled drinking water

Preserved snacks

Blanket

Paper towels

Jumper cables

Warning triangles or reflectors

Engine coolant

Windshield wiper fluid

Tire pressure gauge

Ice scraper

Vehicle jack with flat board for soft surfaces

Tool kit including duct tape and heavy gloves

Umbrella

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