I just got my first car (used Honda Accord EX) and I was wondering what the next step is.
I'm getting an alarm put in, new cell phone/DS chargers, and a few scratches fixed. I need something to play my iPod with. I've seen those cassette tape things with a cord-to-iPod, and I've also seen some docks that use suction-cup technology. Any advice for those?
What else are essentials for cars? Spare waters, maybe a swiss army knife, books, I honestly don't know.
If anyone could help me out, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
edit: reminder to self: regular batteries
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Some of that tire in a can stuff that will make your tire go for a few more miles even when it's flat.
Make sure you've got a good jack / spare.
An RPG.
You got all the tools that came with it to change your tires?
Tire pressue check is also a good plan, pad of paper and pen in the glove box, if you get snow or frost, a windshield scraper.
A quart of oil might not be a bad plan either, and a blanket.
as for the ipod- if you're using a stock headunit (cassette/cd player) then you can choose from the cassette option or piping it through a radio signal - if you have an aftermarket cdplayer that has an av/out input you can hook up the ipod straight to that for the best sound
Also, a roll or two of paper towels.
1 can of foam bear repellant
1 full change of clothes and trashbag
1 wig and fake facial hair set
1 multitool
1 bag of dried banana chips
1 bag of beef jerky
1 mini shovel
1 stuffed animal
1 role of toilet paper.
This all fits pretty nicely inside my scion TC.
-Terry Pratchett
small fire extinguisher
A jump-pack; jumpstart yourself battery pack. This has saved me numerous times and when you need to jump someone else it's easier to grab your jump-pack than trying to jocky cars close enough for cables.
keep your cables though.
In winter I add, a small folding shovel, sand/kitty litter, couple of emergency blankets and some chemical hand warmers for getting unstuck/ keeping warm while stuck.
Going out to the country to bury someone?
Double check you have ALL of the tire changing stuff, I l checked to see if I had a jack went ok and forgot about 2 years later I pull out the jack to change a tire and realise the handle to crank it had been missing, luckily one of my friends was there to lend me her handle.
As far as the iPod go if you have a deck that can take a cd staker you can modify the line in so it's just an audio cable then plug the iPod in like so, this is how mine is so I just have a small cord at the base of my console for the iPod to go into.
Satans..... hints.....
Now when you check the oil someplace where there isn't soap, you have something to wipe your hands clean with.
In my car, I have a ratchet/set of sockets and a set of spanners, but that might be a bit overboard. If your car has lock-nuts make sure you have the proper socket in the glovebox. Of course, I have a jack, chocks and tire iron in the back.
I also have a multi-screwdriver thingy, pen & paper, some small cloths for cleaning the inside of the windscreen, and a street directory.
Sunglasses.
If my car had any tendancy at all to leak anything ever, I'd keep spare fluids (but I drive a Datsun, so I don't. :P ).
I'd also keep a hot chick in the passenger seat and a blanket in the back (but I drive a Datsun, so I don't. :P ).
I go one further and got a "forever" flash light from Think Geek I never have to worry about forgetting about replacing batteries and it'll stand up to a winter night, working in the morning with a quick shake.
I also keep one of the "Toughneck Rubbermaid" containers in my trunk, I put emergency stuff in there. I too tend to stay over at "Camp Overprepared" but I've never regretted it. Some things to add to the growing list,
1 pack good old fashioned strike anywhere stick matches.
Mylar 'Space' Blanket (not an issue if it doesn't get cold where you live)
Tooth brush (you never know when you might 'stay the night' :winky: )
100 watt Power inverter, paid for it's self again and again.
Just to echo what others have said, Trash Bags and Toilet Paper are a MUST!
Nonsense!
Do not get a forever flashlight, I have a couple, they suck.
huh, I like mine. Any reason why you say they suck?
Limed for truth. Haynes showed me how to pull my Alternator out and then put it back in when it needed a rebuild (bad 12VDC regulator). It also shows you how to change your oil, brake pads, fuel filter, air filter, transmission fluid, flush radiators, etc ad nasium.
Besides my socket set, I keep both an emergency kit and survival kit in my car. I keep them seperate because the emergency kit contains medical supplies and everything I need if I were to come across an accident (gloves, CPR mask, compresses, swabs, etc) and the survival kit only contains items myself and passengers would need if I were trapped or stranded (on the Canadian Prairies during Winter).
But how good is it for Joe Sixpack-Average? I ask because, although I could change my air filter and oil, I couldn't figure my brakepads out for the life of me, including after a guy from Firestone gave me a printout.
I'm running low on funds and need to get my fuel filter changed. How do you think the average person would fair on those things with just a Haynes guide?
(Yes, I know this tangents off a bit, but I think this info could be vital to the OP as well.)
2. A membership to Better World Club
That's really all you need. If anything happens, you can charge your phone and call for assistance. Yes, you can carry around enough stuff to fix everything yourself, but if you don't know what you're doing, it's just going to sit in your trunk and get in the way when you actually use your trunk.
Be able to change your tire, and be able to jump your battery. Everything else you should avoid through due diligence -- check your fluid levels regularly, change your oil regularly, take your car for tune-ups or check-ups every once in a while. And the really random things, have both car insurance and a membership to BWC (or AAA if you REALLY want to).
Wind wind wind, Go! *10seconds of light later* "Fuck" wind wind wind...
They simply just do not light anything for long enough.
Jumper Cables, and a Jack and a spare tire, and the knowledge to use them. Knowing how to take care of these emergencies when they come up reduces a lot of the stress.
I like to keep a map book in my car, but I'm paranoid about getting lost, and I'm shit with directions.
A spare jacket or umbrella depending on where you live. Maybe a hat or some suncreen.
Some spare change for parking, pay phones if you need one (though these are getting rarer), and whatever else.
Many insurance companies offer roadside assistance. It's a little more convenient (and sometimes cheaper) than paying two bills.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Also, change the oil right away. Go by the rule of thumb that a 16 year old girl drove th car before you, meaning there was no care whatsoever to the car. I use Royal Purple synthetic, and it runs very well. You can get 8k+ out of it.
Always put a spare $10.00 or $20.00 somewhere in the car, in case you need it for gas or you get stranded somewhere and someone helps you out.
I recommend the haynes manuals as well.
...unless your battery dies.
Besides, keeping a few things like a flashlight, blanket, first-aid kit, etc. makes good sense. You don't ever want to have to rely on someone coming to your rescue.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
1) Jumper cables.
2) Make sure you have a jack, a lug-wrench and a spare.
3) It never hurts to have an extra "thing" of each non-fuel fluid in the car. By "thing" I mean whatever basic volume it sells in. Premixed ratiator fluid, some power-steering fluid, DOT 3 brake fluid, washer-fluid, one or two quarts of oil in case you find out by experience that it burns or leaks oil, and some bottled water because replacing fluids in the nearest parking-lot is thirsty work.
4) Flashlight, socket-set, set of screwdrivers, adjustable wrench.
5) Assortment-pack of spare fuses of whatever type of fuse your car uses.
6) A warm blanket, flannel is great for this.
7) Shotgun, shells (for zombies).
Edit: It wouldn't hurt to have a lighter around, either. Fire is critical to human survival.
Get a nice big Maglite. Nothing can kill them.
Maybe not, but their batteries can still die. I'd recommend a Surefire flashlight like the G2. These babies are super-bright, and they take Lithium batteries - i.e. 10+ year shelf-life. I've got one of their lights, and they are the best. They kick the pants off of Maglites. All I'll say is that I've owned both brands, and since buying my Surefire, I've lost track of my Maglite. I think I might order a G2 for my trunk, now that we're on the subject.
Also - I've got a couple of road flares. Not a bad idea if you're caught close to traffic at night.
I don't believe it - I'm on my THIRD PS3, and my FIRST XBOX360. What the heck?
Might as well get a flashlight with a Luxeon lamp.
-full socket set
-all the rest of my tools
-factory repair manual
-a gallon of water
-2 quarts of oil
-jumper cables
-non factory jack (so much nicer changing a tire on the side of the road, in snow, at night)
-extra coat
-tire pressure gauge
-cell phone + charger
- AAA card -for premium it is only $30 a year and you get 3 tows of 100 miles, this is also helpful if youhave friends who drive shady cars, i can not recommend having this more
Other than most things listed, I'd recommend a small bottle of sunscreen in case you're stranded during the summer and stuck outside your car. Also, a small lint brush. Comes in handy for job interviews. And definitely recommend the windshield scraper, even if you don't get snow. Ice storms happen and you'll be glad you had one.
Personally, I carry a 3 gallon gas can, my tool box (which contains a craftsman 155 pc toolset, 26 screwdrivers, various C clamps, vice grips, a ballpeen hammer, a monkey wrench, and pretty much any kind of bit you'd come across (torx, hex, etc)), my electrical set (which includes about 10+ of each fuse I use, crimpers, wiring, connecters, and electrical tape) a 3 ton floor jack, a donut tire, and a breaker bar (4 way lug wrench). I can pretty much do anything I need to my car at any given moment, except, well, tow it.
Oh, and a blanket and travel pillow.
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
Unless you live in a gated community that is guarded by security 24/7 * take valuables with you when leaving your car parked for a long time, and buy one of those brightly colored steering wheel lock things and put it on when parked. It's true that anyone with skill and the right tools and bypass it, but it is a deterrent method: they'd rather fuck with a car that's far easier to steal.
*(A similar situation would be if you live in a very bad neighborhood, but are a badass motherfucker, and everyone within a 20 mile radius knows the car you drive and that you would find them and stab them in the face if they ever touched it. This probably does not apply to you.)
PSN/XBL: dragoniemx
Honda's ARE prone to theft, mostly the ricer years. I would never even touch an Integra living in New York. But Accords....eh. The newer ones are very pedestrian and are absolutely everywhere. I wouldn't worry much.
If you are mechanically inclined and just not that knowledgeable about the car, consider picking up a Haynes manual or something similiar and throwing that with the toolbox.
Good point. You could always buy and store extra batteries, since they have the same long life, but there is cost associated with that, obviously, and D cells are pretty easy to find. The upside to lithiums, however, is that if you are in the middle of nowhere and it's really hot or really cold, the Surefire is more likely to work, since lithiums work properly in a huge temperature range. If I can find my Maglite, I'll throw it in with my other flashlight.
I don't believe it - I'm on my THIRD PS3, and my FIRST XBOX360. What the heck?
I'm also thinking of buying the LED Modkit for mini-mags and a baseswitch from thinkgeek. Basically it's a triple LED cluster to replace the headpiece and a Smart switch (100,50,25 percent power, slow strobe, fast strobe). Apparently the LED's alone increase the battery life by about 20 hours at full power.
Some of that is probably based on availability to thieves. 95 Civics are still all over the road so they're going to get stolen still.
Couldn't hurt to pry off the EX badge (and any V6 badges) on the back though. The EX V6 is the nicest Accord you can buy so fooling anyone walking past into thinking it was an LX I4 couldn't hurt.