sf170089

So, we have a 2001 Honda Civic LX. My wife currently drives this car. I would much rather drive it and have her drive the newer car, but for some reason, she does not want to. I figured that I can at least put a basic tool bag in the trunk, just in case. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what tools would be useful?


Thanks!!

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

Here's what my in-car toolbag has:
-Stanley standard/metric socket set (1/4" and 3/8" drive)
-Craftsman 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench (Stanley one's ratcheting mechanism doesn't work well)
-12" 3/8" drive extension
-18" 1/2" drive breaker bar
-19mm delrin-coated deep well socket
-craftsman 7-piece ratcheting box end wrench set (10mm-17mm)
-Stanley 6-in-1 screwdriver
-kobalt needle nose pliers
-duralast channel lock pliers
-a set of metric allen wrenches
-a set of standard allen wrenches
-a pair of Mechanix gloves
Prolly a handful of other crap I can think of, but that's the gist of it

Edit: I guess I should note that I always have a knife on me, too

Edit 2: I can do just about anything on my car with what I have in that bag.

ezone

Cell phone.
EDIT: and AAA roadside assistance

mcnoople

What you carry should be directly related to what your fears about your and your skill level require. If you don't know how to repair your own car tools aren't going to do much good. If the only repairs you expect are major, tools aren't going to do much good. I would say carry some spare light bulbs, a flash light, and jumper cables. Anything more involved than that isn't going to happen in a parking lot or the side of the road.

I only carry jumper cables in my accord. Why? I realize the only component likely to ever fail on a 01 2.3 accord is the auto transmission.

NDNV

Make sure the spare is properly inflated.

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

I've had to repair a motor mount (driver's side, bracket that attaches to the engine) on the side of the road.. lol. Thankfully I just so happened to be close to a pep boys at the time and I had my tap kit on me. Bought slightly larger bolts that the ones that were stripped out and tapped the holes to accommodate. I bought a replacement mount that night, but my fix held (and is still holding to this day) that now, I just have a replacement sitting around.

sf170089

Wow. I must say, that is indeed impressive.


You also have one heck of a tool set in your car :-)


Thanks for all of the responses.


Yes, if something happens, she certainly will not be the one trying to fix it. She has jumper cables and AAA, but I haven't checked the spare in years. I think I'm going to steal xRiceboyx's tool bag. I figure to better have it and not need it than the other way around.


Thanks again!

ezone

One time long ago when I was young and the Dead Sea was only sick.......
It was a strange time before everyone carried cell phones....

Regular road warriors we were, often traveling 2, 3 or 4 states away in any direction to go see peeps on a weekend.
I carried most everything important from my big toolbox in the trunk.....
older car, high miles,
Figured if I carry all these tools, I wouldn't need to use them.

Just about 30 miles outside of Indianapolis......I heard a faint squeal, and it lost power....died....
Before it rolled to a halt, I had the problem figured out as a timing belt failure.

On the side of the road, 40 degrees, cars screaming by..I'm wearing a nice leather coat...

I took it apart....figured out why it quit.... it had a timing belt pulley lock up and burned the timing belt off the engine. I couldn't plan on that, no parts at all.

Luckily, we knew people in Indy.
Got on the CB RADIO (who remembers those?) and got a trucker to stop and give us a ride up the road to a phone.
Called friends, they came out to pick us up.

They gave us a ride into Indy to locate parts,
Spent half a day running all over Indy to find parts.
another ride back to the car

About a half hour total working time on the side of the road, without using a jack, I had the timing belt and bad pulley replaced and our friends watched while I slapped this together and happily fired the engine up again. Decided since this took the better part of the day to get the car going, we would not to continue the planned excursion, so the rest of our trip was cancelled. We all went to their house near the race track and partied the rest of the weekend until it was time for us to mosey toward our homestead.




Moral of the story....Never let my ex read the road map.



Same car, 1000 miles earlier....I was about 6 hours away from home at a training center, this car blew its head gasket. Had to drive it home like that, stopping every hour to refill the radiator.

Same car, 1000 miles after the timing belt fiasco.....it crapped the ignition module inside the distributor. Did this in my driveway though, so that's a plus.

84 Mazda 626 Coupe, around 180k when all this happened. Great car, drove it another 20k after all that.
Even drove it to the top of Pikes Peak.
By 200k rust had taken over and it wasn't really safe anymore. Sold for $100.

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

Go right ahead and adopt my kit. It's small enough to fit in a slingpack, but enough to almost take the car apart. Lol

sf170089

Wow, that is one heck of a story. Thanks for sharing. What an adventure. I am sure, at the time, it was probably quite frustrating. But, now you can look back at it and smile.


That's crazy that you were able to change your timing belt on the side of the road. 200K for an 84 Mazda is not too shabby :-).

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

I'm reviving this thread because a similar thread popped up on another forum and people asked for pics of my tool bag. Figured I'd post it in this thread, as well, so why the hell not.

here's the bag:


Measures about 17" from the base to the little headphone port at the top, 12.5"-13" at its widest point, and about 6" high. Boss from my old job said he had no use for it and knowing I have all these tools in my car, gave it to me to store said tools. If I can figure out how to make it stay, it'd fit perfectly in the little spot in the back right of my hatch's cargo area (where the sport touring models have the subwoofer).

Here's what's in it, ended up being a bit more than I initally listed:


Labeled kinda clockwise starting from the top left, in a sort of spiral pattern.. ish..
A: 2 pairs of nitrile gloves.
B: Mechanix gloves. They're beat to hell, but they still get the job done
C: A couple of combo wrenches i needed for.. something. 13mm and 15mm
D: Pliers with side cutters and a pair of diagonal cutters
E: My trusty knife. Was my EDC when I was active duty Navy. CRKT M16-13SFG. I also carry a Benchmade mini griptillian on me at all times. Well, most times.
F: Vise Grip "groove lock" pliers
G: Craftsman 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench and 1.5" extension
H: Phillips head screwdriver and a Stanley 6-in-1 screw driver thing.
I: Stanley 3/8" and 1/4" drive socket set. The 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench's ratchet mechanism is kinda.. wonky.. hence the extra craftsman one. I also have a socket drill attachment shoved under the 3/8" drive. Fits perfectly in that 6-in-1 thing.
J: Craftsman ratcheting combo wrench set, 10mm-17mm
K: I was wrong about the length of the breaker bar. It's a 14", not 18". 1/2" drive was spot on, though.
L: Torx bit in a drill attachment. Also fits well in that 6-in-1 thing. I use that for license plate fasteners
M: 19mm deep well socket that has a wheel-friendly delrin sleeve. Truth be told, I don't know the lug nut size, but this one worked on my 2002 civic's lugs. I just naturally assumed it'd be the same size.
N: Inspection mirror. I'm pretty sure I accidentally stole this from an ex-gf, but it works great trying to see things I don't have a direct line of sight.
O: Various allen wrenches I've accumulated.
P: Work-friendly box cutter. Bossman turns a blind eye when I bust out the Benchmade.
Q: Random threaded fasteners I threw in the bag at some point.
R: Fuses, all separated by amp rating
S: Liquid electrical tape. Used it once when I was sealing up exposed wires on my 2002's retrofit.
T: Actual electrical tape
U: Zip ties. I need to replenish my supply

Tools & things almost always in my car, but not in the bag:
-Jumper cables, tossed in the spare well
-OBD2 reader, in my glove box
-120lm flashlight (Inova T3), in glove box. I mistakenly said earlier it was in the bag.
-Notepad, pen, and twin tip sharpie in glovebox.
-Firearm in center console when I'm driving and I decide to carry that day.
-A small stash of napkins in the lower center console pocket area place under the cell phone pocket.

I should really put a first aid kit in there, too, but the one I have is in my SHTF/gun range bag.

Wankenstein

Where's the most important tool?: telescoping magnet..lol

I carry a big tool box around in my trunk. I store smaller, lighter tools in nylon zipper bags within the tool box for easier access and separation. The tool box probably adds 25 lbs to the car. Inside it has:
1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" socket wrenches and sockets that range from 6mm-32mm. Several lengths and sizes (1/4", 3/8", 1/2") socket extensions. Several sizes of universal joint socket adapters (stored in small nylon zipper bag)
Two: one foot long angled pliers (45 and 90 degree)...great for removing Honda coolant/heater hose clamps.
Several types of picks.
Large channel-lock pliers: retracting caliper piston and several other uses.
Ratcheting magnetic screw-driver with multiple head inserts.
Set of 10mm-19mm ratcheting + open end wrenches: stored in a nylon zipper bag
Set of 8mm-19mm flare nut wrenches: stored in nylon zipper bag
Two telescoping magnets (one with a light)
Napa Syl-Glide synthetic grease.
Quick disconnect tools: stored in nylon bag.
Small lifetime craftsman wire cutter pliers
Two foot pry bar
Other stuff I'm forgetting.

Not carried in car is:
Set of 6mm-32mm box+open end wrenches stored in nylon zipper bag
Large assortment of screw drivers stored in nylon zipper bag.
Many other tools my dad left stored in 10-drawal rolling tool chest.

One of my favorite tools is a telescoping 1/4" and 3/8" (reversible) extendible (length) handle socket wrench I purchased at Harbor Freight.

ezone

In my glovebox ......might be a screwdriver and a tire pressure gauge amongst the piles of kibble and litter.


In my trunk is a 12v tire pump with sealant that came from one of those other cars that has no spare tire.


All my good tools pretty much stay at work unless I really need something at home.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

I am way not prepared. I’d make a bad Boy Scout!


Glove Box - Tire pressure gauge
Trunk - Jumper Cables and Lithium Ion battery jumper
Pocket - knife and cell phone

It’s a Honda you don’t need much

rockyrock

Flashlight
Full-size spare
2-ton compact trolley jack
Lug wrench
Reflective triangles
8g jumper cables
Mechanics gloves
air pressure gauge

310civicEX

drugs.....lots of drugs..jk tool bag/junk yard bag...everything you would need at a junkyard you need in the bag