Help prepare your young drivers
A few ounces of prevention go a long way
If your nest-departer is travelling some distance away, the first tool they need is an auto club membership with full roadside assistance coverage—if they aren’ t driving a new, factory-covered vehicle. Services such as CAA offer much more than just battery boosts and tow s—they will also cover flat tire changes, emergency fuel delivery, and recommendations to approved and verified repair centres, along with associated retailer discount plans.
Unless the vehicle has a purpose-built cargo storage pocket, a washer-fluid jug tray is a must to avoid liquid spills and stains. A good set of booster cables using at least 8 gauge wires—they get thinner as the gauge number increases — and at least 16-feet long can be invaluable, as long as someone knows how to use them.
Some cable bags come with easy-to-follow instructions and many cable kits now have LED correct-circuit indicators to make things fool-proof, but nothing beats a little personal instruction in the drive way. The engine-wiring repair costs you save may be your own.
Carefully check out the jack and tire wrench kit. Few professional weight-lifters can easily use what carmakers pass off as wheel wrenches. After decades of use, the traditional cross design is still the best hand-operated wheel nut wrench on the market. It takes up more room, but will definitely work no matter what your upper body strength. Many DI Ye rs swear by battery-operated impact wrenches, but unless they’re kept fully charged, they aren’t of much use during a roadside emergency.
A small, 12-inch square pad of some strong thick wood also comes in handy as a jack plate when working on soft ground. A 12- volt air compressor and emergency light combo can avoid having to change out a flat in many cases. You can consider a can of tire sealant, but few of these will re inflate a flat tire with the weight of the vehicle on it, but can be used in concert with an air-compressor to stop up a minor puncture.
Unless your new student driver is mechanically proficient, a fully stocked wrench bag won’t be of much use. But a small kit with a multi-headed screwdriver (with automotive related tips), a few metric hand wrenches, medium weight hammer, and both locking and non-locking pliers will suffice and will also find use around a dorm room or apartment.
Don’t forget a good quality utility knife and flashlight or emergency flasher unit. This kit should also include a set of properly fitting work-gloves, towels, first-aid kit, and of course duct tape.