19 replies to this topic

[Katz25]

Can someone please tell me what I should put in my Blazer in case of an emergency. I don't mean food, etc. I mean tools, like for a flat tire or dead battery..I guess just general supplies. I have nothing in there right now. I know that's bad but it's one place I've failed. I know nothing about fixing a vehicle either another weak spot. I suppose tire sealant until you could get to a station. I don't know..just some information on what you all are prepared for. Thanks for the information.

[arby]

Make sure you have the appropriate jack for the vehicle, they vary with model and make of cars and trucks. The rod to pump it up with and lower it as needed. These can be in pieces you join together depending on make of jack.
A set of jumper cables or equipment that is now sometimes available to give your battery a jump without assistance from another vehicle. I don't know what they are called.

Road flares or emergency markers for highway usage in case of an accident and you can't move the vehicle, placed in intervals behind vehicle for traffic coming up as a warning of the hazzard.

road flares can also be used to start a fire for heating water or getting warm if you are stuck somewhere in the boonies and need to heat water.

a variety of fuses, extra light bulbs in case a light bulb burns out for brake lights and such in the vehicle.

Electrical tape and something to cut it with.

A window punch in glove compartment or emergency packet within reach of driver, secured, in case you end up in water and have to break the window , seat belt cutter also.

Engine oil for your vehicle. Tire sealant, two cans. Extra nuts for changing tires, see tire shop for those , may vary SAE/Metric types per type of vehicle.

Tire iron, the type that is sturdy metal, 4 spokes so it covers all types of standard nuts for changing tires.
emergency CB radio and magnetic antenna that may work where your cell phone won't.

1 can of antifreeze. Extra gas in approved container and water in blue water container. Funnel for toxic use only. Spare metal cup for personal human and pet usage in case you are stuck for the water can.

Maps of region you live in, road atlas or map of your area which may help you orient yourself when you are stuck and upset about it and need to give good information in communicating for help.

Tube of JB weld , duct tape, plastic sheeting for emergency use as needed.

emergency space blankets and small first aid kit, include glucose tablets for any diabetics.

Sometimes you may run across an accident or broken down vehicle and may need to use those while waiting with them for EMS to arrive.


I am sure others will have good suggestions.

a variety of wrenches, and sockets and adjustable angle flashlight you can hang or set on the ground to light your efforts. Variety of screwdrivers, hex tool kit, tire pressure checker.

Bag of clean coarse sand to grip road with under tires in winter.
Folding army shovel in case you end up in mud.


Extra fan belts for your vehicle or at least an old pair of pantyhose you can tie around the fan belt wheels to get you home or to the shop in case a fan belt breaks.

Edited by arby, 17 June 2012 - 11:42 AM.

[Jeepers]

The most important thing I carry at all times is a can (actually 2 cans) of fix-a-flat. I think that's what it's called. I get it at Walmart. I have used it at least 2 times and it saved my hind end both times. It seals the hole and inflates the tire. And it lasts a long time too. One thing though, if you have an SUV get the large/tall cans because the tires are bigger.

Seriously...every woman should carry a can or two of that stuff in the car. It really does work. Men too probably.

I also carry a bottle of motor oil in the car. My engine light came on one time when I was out of town and I had a bottle of oil in the car and after I put the oil in, everything was fine until I got to the oil change place back home. I keep up on the oil changes but I guess it was just one of those fluke things.

So, the two things that I have actually used in an emergency situation was extra oil and fix-a-flat.



I'll check to see what all I have in my car bag and report back later when I have more time.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

= = = WARNING = = =
Don't get a 'cheap kit' that has everything you need in it! Like jumper cables, screw drivers, hammer, a 'white suit' and battery checker. You know the kind, most come in a black case. They ARE cheap and the first time you use any of the tools they break! And Most of the jumper cables are so short you can't use them from car to car!
Spend the money on a good set and cheek it out BEFORE you are late at night in the middle of nowhere and THEN find out what you got.

Be safe out there......................

[mi_familia]

Don't feel bad. I had everything in our old vehicle ready, and then we bought the truck. It took me six months to realize I no longer had a spare tire! (Even the husband didn't think about it!) On top of that, the emergency kit we had with jumper cables and such had gotten ruined from a leaking oil bottle and we didn't notice until we took everything out of the vehicle at the dealership! Thank goodness we never needed them!

[Annarchy]

Most basic, spare tire, jack and lug wrench.
Pair of pliers
phillips screw driver
flat head screw driver
jumper cables
flashlight
knife (multi tool even better)

and at least a gallon of water

You can always add to it with anything you can imagine.

[Gunplumber]

Depends on the year. I had a '78, '86 and '87 and now my '02 Tahoe is what used to be called a Blazer, the new Blazers are midsized.

Problem with later ones is a mix of inch and metric parts so even a rudimentary tool kit is pretty big.

On the pre-computer ones, you have a chip in the distributor. Relatively cheap - $25. When it goes, your truck stops dead like it was out of gas. Also, earlier ones had problems with vapor lock in high heat. Later ones are so electronic, that other than a few belts and the means of attaching them, and hose clamps and radiator hose patching material, there isn't much you can do on the side of the road.

Know where the starter solinoid is - that's another "wont start" that a smack with the end of a wrench will fix.

[Katz25]

Depends on the year. I had a '78, '86 and '87 and now my '02 Tahoe is what used to be called a Blazer, the new Blazers are midsized.

Problem with later ones is a mix of inch and metric parts so even a rudimentary tool kit is pretty big.

On the pre-computer ones, you have a chip in the distributor. Relatively cheap - $25. When it goes, your truck stops dead like it was out of gas. Also, earlier ones had problems with vapor lock in high heat. Later ones are so electronic, that other than a few belts and the means of attaching them, and hose clamps and radiator hose patching material, there isn't much you can do on the side of the road.

Know where the starter solinoid is - that's another "wont start" that a smack with the end of a wrench will fix.

I have a 2002 Blazer.

[Gunplumber]

well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but basically - anything that would stop your vehicle dead isn't going to be fixed on the road, particularly by someone not intimately familiar with electronic auto mechanics. You have electronic everything. A bad ignition module can cause your transmission not to work. Go figure.

About the only things you could fix on the side of the road are

dead battery/loose battery cables (wrenches that fit battery, jumper cables)

flat tire - the on-board bottle jack works, but is marginal. You may consider a better lug wrench. A small wood block to get more height on jack when attached to frame instead of axle)

broken belt - have a spare serpentine or individual belts (depending on model) and know how to install and tension. They need to be replaced eventually anyway, so you're not wasting money. Have wrenches that fit the belt adjusters.

leaking hose - hose clamps, a hose splice for your diameter upper and lower radiator hose, and a few bottles of oil and radiator fluid and water will dual-purpose (you can drink it, or pour it in the radiator).

Stuff like duct tape, bailing wire, pliers, and hose clamps may patch a leak in a pinch.

More important is to be methodical in your periodic maintenance. Your water pump will go out around 100,000 miles. Your alternator soon after that. And your starter a little later. you should change your fuel filter every couple years, and more often if you're in high dust environments like my Sonoran Desert. Your ignition switch won't last forever. Your spark plugs and wires should be replaced at 90,000 +/-. Nothing fancy, just AC Delco. I went with the Bosche for the wires - a few dollars more, but the AC Delco were out of stock. Save up for a tranny rebuild - $2000 +/-, but you may start seeing slippage around 150,000 miles. I'm planning on driving mine into the dirt as I sure can't afford to replace it right now, so I've been doing a lot of preventive maintenance. Still need to replace cover on driver seat and armrest.

Pop your fuse box and know what the relays are for. If your ignition relay goes out, you can switch it with something less needed like your rear window defrost or windshield wiper. Have a spare fuse for every fuse in the block, or know which fuses are comfort and not function - you can use your A/C or Radio fuse to replace a fuse related to vehicle function.

But generally speaking, beyond a flat tire, or a leak that can be patched, if your car won't start with a jump, you'll need a tow. Parts are no longer "fixed", they're replaced.

I am by no means an auto mechanic, but I did most of my own maintenance up to my '87. On my '02, just looking at all that stuff makes my head spin. Yeah, it's the same basic engine as from 30 years before, but all kinds of electronic stuff added to squeeze a few extra mpgs out of it.

So maybe the best recommendation is a good pair of walking shoes and a small pack to get you and yours from your dead vehicle to someplace where you can make arrangements to have it towed. I keep a $20 in my visor. And some quarters. And a printout of all address book. Helps to have the phone number of that person who lives "somewhere" around where you're stranded.

Edited by Gunplumber, 18 June 2012 - 01:04 AM.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

OK, nobody has said anything about those thin metal clothes hangers (from the cleaners)?
I keep a few in cars along with other stuff in case the muffler falls off or another part comes loose. Now MOST of the time the hanger is for someone else on the road but it is nice to have handy. And a few of those hose clamps come in handy now and then as well.

Edited by Amishway Homesteaders, 18 June 2012 - 01:54 AM.

[ScrubbieLady]

Make sure you have the appropriate jack for the vehicle, they vary with model and make of cars and trucks. The rod to pump it up with and lower it as needed. These can be in pieces you join together depending on make of jack.
A set of jumper cables or equipment that is now sometimes available to give your battery a jump without assistance from another vehicle. I don't know what they are called.

.

Make sure you know how to set up the jack and change the tire before you need it. This is especially important if you have a vehicle that the jack came with it. First you have to find all the parts, know how to put them together and operate the jack. We discovered a flat at 3am after we had been out that evening. No, we weren't home or anywhere we could stay. So, here we are in a parking garage (thank goodness for their lights) with me reading from the manual how to find and set up the in pieces jack and hubby laying on the ground in his good clothes to find the jack, get it set up properly and get the tire changed. Not fun at all.

I carry jumper cables but we also have a power pack. It can start your vehicle by it self if you pay attention and keep it charged. Ours also will pump air. And you can plug things into it if necessary. Not very powerful but better than no power.

[Gunplumber]

[left]OK, nobody has said anything about those thin metal clothes hangers (from the cleaners)?

Baling wire is more flexible - less likely to snap when twisted. Which is why they (used to) use baling wire for tying hay bales. Also used for holding rebar together before a cement pour. Which is where you'll find it. "Black iron" wire in the masonry section of the home-improvement store.

Edited by Gunplumber, 18 June 2012 - 09:30 AM.

[Mt_Rider]

Wow...I can see we're not quite prepared in both vehicles. Especially cuz we just switched = DH takes the car to town and I keep the truck here. BUT we had both vehicles checked by our trusted mechanic [FINALLY FOUND A GOOD ONE! ] So a lot of the maintenance has been done.

Have had some hose clamps in vehicles after GP suggested it in a thread quite a while ago.

After getting a flat tire on truck.....in the middle of a high altitude thunderstorm.....dressed to go to a wedding.......... .....I would suggest a long rain coat or poncho. Wear it to mebbe keep your good clothes clean(er). Also something to lay out on the ground where you have to scrunch around doing whatever needs doing. [like getting spare tire out from under the truck's rear end] Something kind-of puncture-proof. The new plastic woven feed sacks are free and work well. Even some dog food comes in plastic now. [course our dog is XXL so we get the XXL food bags... ]




Now we also have to think of same topic for the horse trailer......

BOB for trailers:

---variety of wood block sizes to let down the front end
---spare tire [filled]
---my brother said always carry those tie-down rachet straps if you have DUAL WHEELS. If one goes flat, you can hoist it up so you can still run to nearest fix place.

---after just runnning trailer after dark Monday-- get yellow cover for R side running light. It's the last legal thing we need but didn't EXPECT to be running after dark...EVER! Don't count on that!

---make sure the jack you have for tow vehicle will also work for a trailer you are towing.

--more fix-a-flat for additional tires

--I'm thinking of being out after dark and lights aren't cooperating...what then? Expedient alternative??? Those LED magnetic lights [we have metal trailer] with some yellow and red sheets of celophane? SOMETHING to make you visible if you absolutely HAVE to travel to a safer location to repair lighting.

Anything else for trailers?



I want to emphasize the Get Home Bag that Gunplumber mentioned.

So maybe the best recommendation is a good pair of walking shoes and a small pack to get you and yours from your dead vehicle to someplace where you can make arrangements to have it towed. I keep a $20 in my visor. And some quarters. And a printout of all address book. Helps to have the phone number of that person who lives "somewhere" around where you're stranded.

Plan A is getting where you are going with no problems.
Plan B is using some of what you have in Auto Emergency Kit to get your vehicle home or to repair place.
Plan C is to be able to change clothes [as needed] and at least footwear/sox and with the GetHomeBag [GHB] walk to safe place or all the way home. Don't forget to adapt kit for seasonal changes of cold, wet, heat, etc.


Having just completed a GHB for DH, it's on my mind. Obviously have to think of any passengers that vehicle might have. If I'm with DH, I always bring my own In-Town BOB which doubles as my GHB. [I'm 'high maintenance everywhere I go LOL ] If I were with him and we had to walk home tho.... I do not walk far...especially UP INCLINES. However, without another option, we would simply have to take it one step at a time, as possible.

MtRider [......having the next BOB project spread allllll over the floor/couch/ect cuz I was interrupted in it's maintenance/review by the well pump going out. Perhaps today I can dump it out and start over....and finish? ]

Edited by Mt_Rider, 20 June 2012 - 10:28 AM.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

[left]OK, nobody has said anything about those thin metal clothes hangers (from the cleaners)?

Baling wire is more flexible - less likely to snap when twisted. Which is why they (used to) use baling wire for tying hay bales. Also used for holding rebar together before a cement pour. Which is where you'll find it. "Black iron" wire in the masonry section of the home-improvement store.

Right you are!
And that is what I have , but seeing not everyone here is around a farm I put in the 'city' answer.

Now, I just helped bale at a Amish Farm BUT I am not going to tie up a hot muffler witht the baling twine we used.

[themartianchick]

I think it is important for people to get tinto the mindset of being prepared by thinking through scenarios. While having a BOB or GHB (get home bag) in the car is extremely important, it is equally important to imagine yourself in a particular situation to figure out what would improve the situation.

If I'm stuck in a blizzard in the car, then I will need some very specific things that I wouldn't need if I broke down in the summer. Try to think through the possibilities and stock your car appropriately. Look for things that can do double duty so that you don't end up in a car that is just loaded with so much stuff that there is no room to put the kids!

[Mt_Rider]

Being a scenario-queen, I have envisioned so many scenarios that.....

....it's a good thing I don't have kids!


Actually, half of the scenarios have actually happened at one time or another! Sheeeeeeesh!

MtRider

[Ambergris]

You need a stadium cup to pee in. You might never need it, but if you don't have it you'll eventually need it. Not every area will have a nice thicket of bushes to hide in.

One day my car hesitated at a red light and stopped at the next red light, but started again quickly. At another red light, it died completely. My emergency flashers wouldn't work, even. Long story short, the battery cable had come off. A quick whap fixed it. But figuring that out took a miserably long time. If your car slowly loses power, the problem could lie in the alternator. A bad alternator does not, however, cause a sudden loss of power.

Look at the price range on battery cables. Buy the most expensive you possibly can. There are reasons for the price differences.

Having had a heater hose bust, I always carry a pair of hose clamps now.

Edited by Ambergris, 23 June 2012 - 05:33 PM.

[mi_familia]

You need a stadium cup to pee in. You might never need it, but if you don't have it you'll eventually need it. Not every area will have a nice thicket of bushes to hide in.

Good grief, YES! You don't know how much you need something like this until it happens!

[Mt_Rider]

Hmmm....there was that one winter day...when they closed the road just behind us.....and I already had to 'go'. Then came the crest of the hill. THAT infamous hill. EVERYONE was running into everyone else on that treacherous ice. Cars were FLYING, Dukes of Hazzard style! Semi trucks and Volvos. It took hours to untangle. Tho DH HAD managed to keep our paint off of everyone else's vehicle.

But I REALLY was looking for a bush, snowdrift, SOMEthing.

MtRider [...the simple stadium cup will never look quite the same. ]

[funkyducky]

Can someone please tell me what I should put in my Blazer in case of an emergency. I don't mean food, etc. I mean tools, like for a flat tire or dead battery..I guess just general supplies. I have nothing in there right now. I know that's bad but it's one place I've failed. I know nothing about fixing a vehicle either another weak spot. I suppose tire sealant until you could get to a station. I don't know..just some information on what you all are prepared for. Thanks for the information.

Others have already mentioned tools and stuff to have.

If you have a baby, keep a mini diaper bag (one extra diaper, clean onesie, and some wipes and plastic bags (for soiled diaper) in the car. Good in case you ever forget the regular diaper bag or don't realize it's out of diapers.

Something to keep kids entertained. An extra book or two. A coloring book and some colored pencils (don't have to worry about them melting in the heat like crayons). And you might want to throw in a crossword puzzle book and pencil or two for you.

A couple bottles of water.