How the DIY mechanic’s toolkit has evolved

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 88 cars and 64 motorbikes... so far!

Haynes has been in the business of helping out home mechanics for more than 60 years, and in that time we’ve seen huge changes in the DIY-mechanic arena. Long gone are the days of “if at first you don’t succeed, get a bigger hammer,” because as cars have become more complex, different tools and techniques have become necessary.

No more can you remove a bent bit from your car, hammer it back into shape and put it back, because these days it’s far cheaper and more efficient to simply remove that component and replace it with a new one. Many places will also take back the knackered part, so it can be refurbished and ultimately reused, which is pretty ecologically sound.

On top of that, cars are very different today. Modern vehicles come bristling with sensors, switches, electronic command systems, fridges, phone chargers, all of which give each journey a little touch of luxury, but which can be just as prone to going wrong as any other component.

What should be in a toolbox?

And that means the average DIY mechanic has had to move with the times. Yes, everyone still requires the basics of any toolbox, namely a good socket set, a set of quality spanners (combination spanners, with one end that’s open-ended and the other that’s a ring, are best), various pliers, screwdrivers, Torx bits and Allen keys, plus a torque wrench and hammer. Don’t forget a good floor jack and a set of axle stands.

However, the modern toolbox also needs to contain a few other items.

One of the most important tools in a DIY mechanic’s armoury is an OBD reader (check out our group test of OBD scanners here). If you have one of these, modern cars can tell you what’s wrong with them, even before you’ve raised the bonnet. Simply plug in the reader to your car’s OBD socket, and it will interrogate your car’s ECU, which will generate a fault code, so you know the area that’s causing any problem. Many modern cars have electric parking brakes that need to be put in ‘Service Mode’ prior to work beginning – most OBD readers can do this for you (but check before you buy), so one of these is vital.

And talking of brakes, if you’re planning to change your car’s brake pads, a piston retraction tool is essential.

Car stethoscope and boroscope

Something else that has become more popular in recent years is the automotive stethoscope, which you can use to listen to various parts of your vehicle’s engine, allowing you to diagnose worrying noises.

And what about a boroscope, often mistakenly sold as an endoscope? It's a small camera on the end of a flexible rod that you can insert into your vehicle’s engine (and other areas), so you can see if there’s anything amiss, such as scored cylinder bores or cracked pistons. Some of these come with their own monitor, but others can simply be attached to a smartphone. They are vital investigation tools.

Multimeter

Another vital investigation tool is the multimeter. These are inexpensive and allow you to check the state of your car’s battery, how well the alternator is charging, and whether or not there’s a broken circuit somewhere.

And finally, if you’re worried about getting RSI or tennis elbow from undoing and tightening all those bolts and nuts, then a battery-powered impact wrench can be a big help. The latest models are strong enough to undo extremely tight fasteners, and have battery packs that will last all day long.