Hi all,

So I am completely new to the car scene and I am just wondering if anyone has any advice for any items worth investing in? I'm just trying to think ahead so rather than multiple trips to find things I can just get as much of it as possible in a oner.

Off the top of my head I'm thinking:

Power Hose - (Going to be driving along some pretty messy roads so think this is worth it for a weekly hose down)

Ice scraper - (Might actually still need this soon, being up in the highlands)

First Aid Kit

Sunglasses

Wiper Fluid

Engine Coolant

Body wipes - (Read something about bird **** messing up the paintwork?? )

Bucket and Sponge

Any good recommendations for cleaning supplies or tools that might be worth having handy?

Thanks!

I'd scrap the sponge and get a wash mitt, will be much kinder to your paintwork :).

If your buying a bucket, look at one that has a dirt catcher in the bottom. Will help stop dragging the dirt you've just cleaned off back over the paint again.

As for other cleaning stuff I mainly get autoglym but there are lots of alternatives out there.

Also good to have a nice selection of microfiber cloths for different jobs.

I've heard the mitts are supposed to be good and good idea for the bucket, wouldn't have thought about that!

Places like Poundland or Aldi are good for picking up decent little first aid kits, and while you're in there grab some baby wipes as they're handy for all sorts of jobs :)

A powered air pump for tyres and a half decent booster pack for jumpstarting a car are very useful.

I don't carry jump leads as they are more likely to fry your ecu than help.

A set of spare bulbs and various value fuses is also sensible.

I usually carry a basic toolkit just in case as well.

A breaker bar or extending wheel nut wrench, very handy especially with the windy gun lunatics who dont care when you get new tyres fitted.

° A steering lock (If you don't nail things to the floor, some *bleep* little oik will nick it!)

° Hand sanitising alcohol gel stuff (Just don't do what I did and accidentally shot some of it straight into my eye and was pretty much drunk for an hour... Oh, and it stings like hell!!)

° Haynes manual for your car (OK, you can leave that at home if you want to, but they are worth buying.)

° Wheel chocks (sensible, but not essential when changing a wheel.)

° A spare phone charger cable (if your car has a USB port) and an adaptor to fit the 12v power socket (if it hasn't)

° Maps. (Why do people NOT carry maps these days??? Satnavs are fab, but if you're stuck in an 8 hour tail back - as I once was when a jack-knifed lorry closed the M25 both ways, blocking up all the roads in the surrounding area for 20 miles!! - looking at a map and planning a detour shaved 2 hours off the journey, when as soon as I could, I scooted along a completely clear side road that ran parallel to the main flippin' road that everyone else was sat on, mobile, nose-to-tail, in snow, with seemingly sheep-like determination not to try and find a back route!!)

Sent from Ye Olde iPadde using Ford OC

I'd say a good tow rope aswell as you never know tbh :)

Road map or sat nav (if hasn't been suggested), car air freshener, got a dirt devil in mine to haha like to keep it clean.

Saul

Quality sunglasses - especially in the winter due to the sun being low in the sky & more chance of rain making road surfaces dazzling.

Thanks guys for all your input!!

Just to bring it all together for anyone wanting to see it all and if there's anything else anyone can think to add on -

In the car

• Ice scraper
• First Aid Kit
• Sunglasses
• Baby wipes
• Booster pack (for jump starting)
• Steering lock
• Haynes Manual
• Phone charger cable and USB adaptor for 12V socket
• Map book
• Tow rope
• Engine Coolant (small bottle)*
• Bulbs *
• Fuses *
• Foam sealant and air filler
• Sat Nav

In the garage/shed

• Power Hose
• Wiper Fluid
• Engine Coolant *
• Bucket with a dirt trap at the bottom
• Wash Mitt
• Microfiber cloths
• Bulbs *
• Fuses *
• Basic tool kit including wheel nut wrench
• Hand sanitiser (for cleaning down)
• Wheel Chocks
• Wax
• Engine Oil
• Gearbox Oil

edit #1 coolant into the car along with some bulbs, fuses.

edit #2 engine/gearbox oil and foam sealing for puncture repair

edit #3 sat nav

Keep some coolant in the car too, it's no good in the shed if you're overheating miles from anywhere ! :)

Ordinary water will be ok in an emergency.

Keep spare bulbs / fuses in the car too & a basic toolkit

Get one of those shell station foam sealant and air filler for if you get a puncture just to keep in the car they're really good, seal any hole and will fill it to about 25psi :)

Also keep some engine oil and gearbox oil in the shed to and if gonna do a longer journey or got a spare two mins on weekends top them both up :)

Saul

Depends where you going but a sat nav?

Depends where you going but a sat nav?

I'm just looking at the sort's of things a new car owner should look at getting and having handy but your right missed off Sat Nav (although I'll probably just stick with my phone for the moment ;) )

Just bear in mind with tyre sealant kits that some of them render the tyre irrepairable once used. One alternative is a Slime kit which uses a water soluble filler which can be washed out after being used.

Got one in the boot of my car along with various other things which I hardly ever use but are handy to have just in case - small car-type fire extinguisher, available from Aldi for under a tenner, warning triangle, mega handy small socket & bit set, gaffer tape, some cable ties, foot pump, very basic OBD2 code reader (£15 off Amazon), small bottle of mixed screenwash, old sleeping bag to line the boot or provide warmth in an emergency, torch plus spare battery and various other things already on your list.

Also got one or 2 energy bars in the centre console for emergencies, the type which never seem to go off and keep you chewing for ages and ages ;)

A half-decent socket set and Torx keys, Ford are obsessed with them and I swear most of their damn bolts are flipping torx.

A half-decent socket set and Torx keys, Ford are obsessed with them and I swear most of their damn bolts are flipping torx.

Ford are not alone.

Ford are not alone.

Unfortunately the use of torx fixings is pretty common in the automotive industry, from memory I think they provide better engagement when doing up fixings and the tooling bits last longer than an equivalent hex version.

Unfortunately the use of torx fixings is pretty common in the automotive industry, from memory I think they provide better engagement when doing up fixings and the tooling bits last longer than an equivalent hex version.

They do indeed, unfortunately for us they are pretty poor when they start corroding

Brodit Phone mount in the car - definitely worth the premium!!

www.drivesafeandlegal.co.uk offer some of the best prices I've seen on brand new Brodit mounts

I'd also add a roll of kitchen towel into the boot and a pocket-pack of tissues in the glove box.

Also handy to keep a microfibre/glass cloth up front somewhere as well (drivers door card)

Grab some moist wipes from KFC. I've got loads in the glovey and they're really handy especially as they're individually sealed.

Asda do a first aid kit for about a fiver.

Get a tyre pump. About £11 and invaluable.

Hi Viz vests are handy especially if you conk out or go to help someone.

Get a phone charger cable and usb charger for your cigarette lighter. About £4 from ebay.