The Best Tools to Start Doing Your Own Car Maintenance

The backbone of every job — a set with 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drives and metric sockets covers almost everything.

For the bolts a socket can't reach. Match the metric sizes to your car.

So you tighten drain plugs, lug nuts and caliper bolts to spec instead of by feel — the one tool that prevents the most expensive mistakes.

The leverage to crack loose rusted, over-torqued bolts without rounding them off.

Trim clips, hose clamps, battery terminals — you'll reach for these constantly.

You can't fix what you can't see. A magnetic work light or a headlamp frees up your hands.

Holds your bolts so they don't roll under the car and disappear.

Keep grease, oil and brake dust off your hands. Buy them by the box.

Lifts a corner quickly for most jobs; low-profile fits under lower cars.

A jack lifts, stands hold — never get under a car without them.

The easy, stable way to get up for an oil change — just drive up. I prefer resin over steel.

Stop the car rolling while it's up. A few dollars of cheap safety.

One with a sealing lid and spout doubles as the container you carry the old oil to the recycler in.

Grips hard and lasts — skip the rubber-strap ones that crack and slip.

Keeps the fresh oil in the filler neck and off the hot block.

A fresh crush washer every change is what stops the slow drip. Get a sized assortment.

Makes popping the underbody-shield push-rivets quick instead of a fight with a screwdriver.

Pushes the piston back to fit new, thicker pads — cleaner than a C-clamp and handles wind-back rears.

High-temp grease for the slide pins and pad contacts — keeps brakes quiet and moving. Never on the friction face.

Cleans the shipping oil off a new rotor and blasts dust off the caliper. Buy more than you think.

Scrubs rust off the caliper bracket and the hub face — a crusty hub makes a new rotor pulse.

Hang the caliper from the suspension so it never dangles by the brake hose.

Pushes fresh fluid through the system so you can bleed solo — no helper on the pedal.

Wraps the fitting so you don't round off soft bleeder screws or brake-line nuts.

Sucks the old, dark fluid out of the reservoir before you bleed.

A few-second dip tells you how much moisture is in your fluid — so you know if you're actually due.

Read your own check-engine codes instead of paying a shop to 'diagnose.' Pays for itself the first light.

Accurate pressures mean better tire wear, economy and grip.

For chasing battery, charging and electrical gremlins.

Tells you if it's the battery or the alternator before you replace the wrong one.

Saves your back and your clothes when you're working under the car.

Frees rusted, seized bolts so they come out instead of snapping off.