Martynn Randall is technical editor at Haynes and has been with us for approaching 30 years. He's written more than 60 Haynes publications and has owned more than 85 cars and 60 motorbikes... so far!
What if. Two very small words, but with big connotations. What if you’d turned left instead of right, and never bumped into your life partner? Small words, big questions. But ‘what if’ can also cause stagnation, and actually stop you from making big changes. What if you buy that house and the roof falls in? But people who find themselves frozen by ‘what if’ have obviously never broken down in their car with nothing to hand to put things right.
I used to carry around a full toolbox in the boot, because I knew the car would fail at some point, but it’s true that modern cars are significantly less likely to make a non-mandatory pit stop with smoke, steam and tuneless noises emitting from various areas.
Nevertheless, there WILL come a time when you grind to a halt at the side of the road. And it’s far better to have a few useful items stashed in the boot to help you get going again. So, here’s the stuff I keep to hand, in case 'what if' rears its ugly head.
1. Swiss army knife/multitool
Instead of carrying a whole screwdriver set, a knife, scissors and suchlike, I simply carry a large multitool, or a Swiss army knife that has a comprehensive range of tools on it.
Yes, there’s no denying that it’s more awkward to use than a tool that’s designed for the job in hand, but a multitool has been good enough to get me out of trouble at the side of the road on more than one occasion.
2. Various clips
A bag of clips of various sizes is a great resource if one of the clips under your car’s bonnet falls victim to the vagaries of age and constantly varying temperatures and becomes brittle. You’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief if you dig into your bag of clips and find one of a similar size to the failed one. Then, of course, you can use your multitool to prise out the old one…
3. Strong tape
A roll of strong tape will dig you out of a hole more often than you might think. You can use it to bind broken bits together (in a pinch), and you can use it to wrap up a hose with a hole in it, stopping leaks.
You might even be able to use it to temporarily seal up a leaky reservoir.
It doesn’t take up much space, and it’s as usable as most multitools, so don’t leave home without it.
4. Tyre sealant
Yes, tyre gunk has been much maligned, and for good reason. Over the years, many motorists have found it too difficult to use, and that it simply doesn’t do the job, especially if the puncture is too large to seal.
However, if you’re like me and have a car without a spare wheel, it could stop an inconvenient flat tyre becoming a full-on breakdown emergency. So, I always carry a couple of cans of tyre mousse and a 12V compressor, to get me moving again – at least until the next tyre outlet.
5. Torch
It’s always good to have a torch in your car, because not only does it mean you can see into all of your car’s nooks and crannies at night, but it also makes a great way of flagging down passing motorists if you’re stranded. You can also use it to make sure you’re seen. It’s also a lot easier to use than a mobile phone torch, because it’s easier to prop up or hang in precisely the spot required.
6. Jump leads/jump start pack
There’s nothing worse than coming out to a car and hearing the dreaded ‘click’, followed by a whole load of silence. However, a dead battery is one of the easier issues to resolve if you have a set of jump leads or a jump pack to hand.
Jump leads aren’t very expensive at all, and jump packs are coming down in price all the time. Indeed, a good jump pack can retain its charge for months, so you just need to hook it up to the car and the engine should start. It’s the same with jump leads, although you’ll need to enlist the help of someone else and their car to get yours going – a jump pack avoids this need.