9 Must-Have Car Gadget Gifts

Whether you’re a mechanic, a professional racing driver or an amateur car enthusiast, if you enjoy spending time in and working on your vehicle, then there are a few gadgets that you shouldn’t be without. You might have all the basics stashed away in those tool boxes of yours – the wrenches, pliers, drivers, saws and emergency duct tape – but for the ultimate driving and ownership experience, add these gadgets to your wish list and start saving.

Scissor Lift

Lying on your back on cold concrete all day long is no-one’s idea of fun – a scissor lift will be your savior. Capable of lifting a car or truck, raise your vehicle high enough to reach the suspension, brakes and body, even if you’re working in the confines of a residential garage. If you’re an amateur mechanic, it’s time to splash that cash and treat yourself.

Axle Stand

Working with cars can be a really dangerous job. If you want to work on your project unscathed, then think about investing in an axle stand. Although trolley and bottle jacks can lift heavy loads, they’re not designed to keep them there, so once you’ve jacked your vehicle up it’s crucial to place it on an axle stand. If you want to stay safe and hang onto all of your limbs, then visit a retailer like SGS Engineering Solutions and get your hands on a stand today.

Ratcheting Box Wrenches

Dealing with sockets in tight places is a nightmare. To make your life easier, invest in a set of ratcheting combination wrenches. Specialist wrenches tend to require only 5 degrees to move a fastener, compared to 30 degrees for standard box-end wrenches. To lessen the degree of complexity, invest in a set of these.

Portable Battery Jump-Starter

Remove the problem of dead batteries so that you can keep your car in service. The more advanced jump-starters can even inflate your tires with their air compressor, and the powerful LED’s featured on most models help to illuminate the dark spaces where batteries reside. Most portable battery jump-starters can be easily recharged using a standard household extension cord. Buy one of these to make sure that a flat battery never leaves you stranded again.

Portable Back-Up Camera

This handy little tool makes one person trailer hook-ups easy. The camera can be magnetically affixed to the tail-gate so that the action can be viewed from the driver’s seat. If you really want to treat yourself, buy a night vision version and make night-time driving trips a whole lot simpler.

Digital Pressure Gauge

By maintaining the correct tire pressure, you can lengthen tire life, reduce your fuel consumption and enhance car safety. Tyre pressure should be checked every month, and with this handy little device the task is simple. As an added bonus, they’re pretty inexpensive to buy.

Car MD

Car MD’s won’t fix your problems when things go wrong, but they will read the trouble code and direct you to a website that explains what’s ailing your vehicle in plain English. And, if they can’t fix the problem, they explain how you can. Every toolkit should have one.

iPod Cable

Buy one of these cables, and your Apple device and a free app will combine to produce a picture of your car’s computer. Receive information on everything from trouble codes to various parameters to the diagnosis of problems.

To improve your driving experience, treat yourself to some of these gifts today – you know you want to!