Owning your own car is a proud American tradition that has become a rite of passage for men and women alike. Of course, maintaining and repairing your own car is another important part of that same rite of passage and many even find deep satisfaction - as well as even deeper savings - by learning to do their own maintenance and repairs.
Some are intimidated by working on a car, but the truth is most maintenance can be simply and easily performed with a relatively basic set of tools and bit of determination. The tools on this list will allow you to perform 90% of tasks associated with do-it-yourself auto maintenance and repair:
Socket set
A decent socket set will save you countless hours of struggle and frustration. You don't have to break the bank, but be sure to get a standard set for your American car and a metric set for your foreign car.
Box wrench set
Box wrenches are the ones with a closed end and an open end. They're incredibly handy for bolts that can't be reached easily with a socket.
Screwdriver set
You'll need screwdrivers to remove all kinds of parts like a fan cowling, mud flap, or door panel. Be sure to get a set with both slotted and Philip's head variations.
Oil filter wrench
This is easy to overlook, but changing your own oil is one of the best ways to save money maintaining your car, and doing it without an oil filter wrench is ridiculously difficult.
Jack and jackstands
When you're under 2 tons of steel changing the oil, having a hydraulic jack to lift it and four solid jack stands holding it securely in place makes all the difference.
Mini crowbar and mini sledge
You'll be surprised how often you need a crowbar to leverage a pulley while you change a belt, or how often that sledge will help you loosen a rusted bolt.
Torque wrench
There are bolts on your car that need to be tightened to a certain level of torque. A torque wrench, which when set properly, literally breaks away at the right torque. Besides, you'll look cool using it.
Wire brush, utility knife, and pressure gauge
These are for small maintenance tasks such as cleaning your battery terminals, cutting hoses, and checking tire pressure regularly.
