Purchasing Items for Maintenance

How many miles on the car?

 

I keep quantities of filters, crush washers, windshield wiper refills and the like on hand. I start with about a year's worth when the car is young and then might only keep one or two of each when the car passes a certain birthday. Things can happen and I'll lose more than I saved if the car is suddenly totaled or otherwise gets replaced.

For me, having those things on the shelf is mostly about enabling me to do my own maintenance whenever I want. This is important to me because I travel for a living and I'm not home every night or even every week, so I just fit it in and I love not having to go to a local store on short notice to pay too much for instant satisfaction.

 

If you're only working on one car, no rush to buy fluids and filters until you need it.

Keep one of these in your glove box: http://www.ebay.com/itm/265484403768 It allows you to connect your phone to you car and could one day be the difference between waiting for a tow truck and continuing your day without issue.

Also buy a "trim restorer" product to make the oxidized black plastic look new again, as well as some brushes to clean the wheels. Also a good vacuum cleaner with lots of attachments for nooks and crannies.

A floor jack and jack stands, oil pan, wireless ratchet and socket wrench set, a pliers set, especially extra long needle nose pliers...

A really big hammer and some pry bars and a giant screwdriver and screwdriver gun.

 

I bought some bulk oil filters off amazon. "GETOPAUTO" I'm set for the rest of the car's life, doing 5k mile OCI. Bulk EPAuto cabin filters. I've been changing the engine air filter way too frequently. I have my current, then a old used one that I will reuse. (5k miles on it)

The part people will scream at me about is, that I use Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15w40 Diesel Blend oil. It's SN rated and does fine in my hot climate.

I've got an EZ valve for the oil, but recently bought a oil vacuum. Not sure what I like better.

For the basic maintenance, socket set, metric. Oil filter housing tool, I think it needs a 23mm socket. (Mine does) 1/2" 3/8" ratchet. Jack stands, jack. Flat head, Philips screw driver set.

 

My stock includes one each of the front and rear brake caliper rebuild kits. Each kit contains all the rubber and miscellaneous bits to rebuild both calipers at that end of the car, and a packet of the right grease. Having them around means if I ever notice a need for rebuilding when I inspect the brakes every tire rotation, I can just go ahead and do it. Mostly they just work the way having an umbrella keeps it from raining (the calipers are still working great at 214k). The kits are cheap to have on hand anyway.

At some point I bought a rear wheel hub because I figured I'd need one eventually and the rear uses the same hub on both sides so I didn't have to predict which one would go first. The front hubs are different L and R so I'll just wait till I need one there.

 

?? For the most frustrating situations?

 

You got the cheap chinese copy oil filters.....
You should stick with Toyota. They are only $5. And you can trust they are good!

 

The only thing I sorta stockpile is motor oil. Oil filters and the oil pan drain bolt washer I buy at dealership parts department, a month at most in advance, when convenient. Wiper blades, air filters, I change VERY infrequently, would never by more than one set, nor much in advance.

what about tools, floor jack, safety stands, wheel chocks, ramps? Drain pans, funnels and so on? How’s your tool set?

 

Ya, tools.
Not parts inventory, as typically parts are only a few days away.
What tools,? Some mentioned above.
Jacks, stands, lifting pucks, torque wrenches, lug nut socket, oil drain pans come to mind.

 

There's a link in my signature, 3rd gen oil change specific, has some tips, tool recommendations, how to safely raise the front. (on a phone turn it landscape to see signatures)

 

I'd hope to need the brake piston tool for the rear brakes before needing a caliper rebuild kit. I haven't used brakes enough to need either, so far.

 

It might be fair to say that the caliper rebuild kit would be chiefly of interest to the kind of corn flake who would rebuild a caliper.

The main reason I keep one around is for the rubber boots in it (piston boot and slide-pin boots)—the externally-exposed rubber—because there's kind of always a slim chance that you inspect the calipers and find a crack or tear in one boot somewhere letting salt water in. And the kit also includes the rubber caps for the bleed screws, in case one of those goes missing.

Keeping the bleed screws capped is important. Left exposed, they conduct salt water right down to the base of the threads and become very difficult to open without damage.

 

Various of my signature links have tool recommendations (on a phone turn it landscape to see signatures).

 

The expensive ones with the black dye in them are what professionals use, but can get super messy if you aren't careful... I've tried some that work terribly and over the years have primarily preferred Turtle Wax Trim Restorer because its cheap and works good enough.