#ToolsEquipment

Everyone knows how imperative it is to service their vehicles to make sure they’re running smoothly and efficiently. But even if someone is following the manufacturer-suggested service intervals and keeping their car in good shape, the check engine light might show up and ruin the good feels that come with proper maintenance. But there’s no need to panic and take another costly trip to your mechanic. Running diagnostics on your own car is easy.

Every car owner should include one of the best tire pressure gauges in their toolkit. Keeping your tires properly inflated ensures they wear evenly, and that you’re getting the best possible gas mileage. It’s a small investment that will keep you from having to replace your expensive tires too soon, and save money on every fill up.

Some people are perfectly happy washing their car by hand with a bucket of mild soapy water and soft wash mitt; some only have the time to run it through a drive-thru wash after a fill-up, and others can’t be bothered to wash their car at all. However, regular exterior cleaning will keep your vehicle in better condition in the long run, both in areas that use salt over the winter months and in places where dust, sand, and urban pollution are present.

If you ever have to perform any maintenance work on your vehicle that requires lifting it off the ground, you need to invest into jack stands. No excuses, as you should never rely solely on your floor jack or scissor jack to keep your car safely lifted. Jack stands are a necessity for your safety, because without them it could lead to serious injury or even death.

Want to start saving some money by changing your own oil? Most vehicles can have their oil changed from the comforts of your garage or driveway with a little bit time and labor. Some of the tools you’ll need to change your own oil include a floor jack, jack stands, oil drain pan, and an oil filter wrench. While it’s possible to take off most oil filters with your bare hands, spending a few bucks on an oil filter wrench will make your life a lot easier. Some oil filters feature a slick finish, and depending on where it’s located on your car, could be a pain to grip.

The automotive industry has a huge variety of OBD2 scanners that come in a wide range of price tags starting from less than $100 and going up as high as $10,000. This glut of options is probably the reason you might be feeling slightly overwhelmed while figuring out which scanner is the best for you.

If you run two or more sets of wheels and tires on your car, truck or crossover, chances are your garage or shed could benefit from one of the many useful options for storage of off-season wheels and tires. Various products are available to keep your unused wheels and tires safe, protected, and organized — and many allow for optimization of your storage space, clearing more room for other items and helping keep things tidy.