I suppose this was on the local TV news, or some place like that.
When the weather started having snow west of here, the reader read something about how, in order to be safe, one should carry tools in the car, and they specified a pair of pliers and an adjustable wrench.
I thought to myself, "An adjustable wrench is good for a bicyle, but how often does it ever fit anything on a car, especially something that needs turning?"
And then I looked up at the screen and it showed a picture of pliers and a medium-size pipe wrench.
Undoubtedly, the same Pulitzer prize winning journalists who write of the evil "automatic revolvers," "fully automatic pistols with spare clips" and, my favorite, "gun violence." IOW... IDIOTS!
It may have been written properly and illustrated by a clueless editor. The adjustable may be good for a battery cable but I'll have to get back to you on the pipe wrench. Most "how to" articles on the news are really lame.
That said, I have but maybe a screwdriver in the car. It is not 1963 any more where we could rebuild an engine or replace a driveshaft along side of the road. If a car breaks down today you call roadside assistance. My car came with five years of it.
Last time I broke down on the road was 1986 and it was nothing fixable on the roadside. We were 150 miles from home and the dealer could do nothing until the next day. Glad is was a company car and I was on company business.
the most important item to have is a cell phone. few things are fixable on the road.
My van broke down on a busy highway in a intersection recently AAA made it a priority call, the tow truck coming broke down itself and had to be towed. I ended up pushing it off the highway. it cost $1750 to repair and nearly a week.
timing belt broke and they replaced the water pump, minor leak, the power steering pump and hoses, leaking. and some other associated issues,..
Good that you don't have an interference engine or you'd be replacing the engine. (or the car)
Hint for others: If your car has a timing belt, check to see if you have an interference engine and if it is time to replace the belt. Gates has a chart on their web site. If the belt breaks on that type of engine, the valves go through the pistons when the belt breaks.
When news media report on anything technical, you can be guaranteed that they will get it wrong. The most technical thing most reporters have ever handled will be something like a can opener or a pair of scissors.
What you describe sounds like what is known as a "filler article", used to fill space or air-time when there's a slow news-day. In such cases, content isn't important, only the length of the article is important.
I drive 12-18 year old vehicles and EVERY TIME I've had vehicle troubles on the road it was when I didn't have the tool kit along - so I carry it as insurance when on long trips. Would not have helped when I blew the front seal on the transmission on the Aerostar - would have REALLY been handy when I lost the u-joint on the second Aerostar - I ended up buying tools to fix it since nobody would fix it on the labour day weekend friday in Flint Michigan. When questioned about the tools in the vehicle when crossing the border I just asked if THEY would feel comfortable driving an 18 year old vehicle without them - no more questions - enjoy your holliday!!!
Changed the timing belt by the side of the road south of Sydney Nova Scotia a number of years back 1972 Vauxhaull Firenza - dealer in Sydney had the only spare part east of Toronto and a friend's girlfriend had her boyfriend's car and tools - a passerby had a cell phone - and it all came together. I was down for less than 2 hours .. $18 for the part, and a tank of gas to deliver the part and tools. Changed the voltage regulator 2 days later in Halifax/Dartmouth. (modified Pontiac part to fit)
I've only had modest amounts of trouble on the road, but 2 years ago in August, a heater hose under the hood sprang a leak. Inside my Yves St. Laurent tool bag (once a purse, used since I no longer have room for a tool box) I had a couple flat blade screwdrivers and a folding knife. Enough to cut an inch off the hose (to the leak) and put the hose back on. This happened with another hose 2 days later and again I was able to get the car going. (Didn't stop me from blowing the engine earlier or later that day.)
On probably the '88 Lebaron, the water pump froze, but I was able to dirve a mile to the autoparts store and replace the pump and belt with the tools in my trunk. (sockets, for example.)
I think on the '84 Lebaron, after buying points and still not getting smooth running, I was only 200 yards from the autoparts store when the car stalled. A passing driver helped me push the car in a bank parking lot, I walked back to the store and bought a distributor, which I put in with the tools in the trunk. I had concentrated on positioning the rotor and it ran the first time, iirc.
Way back in college, we were hundreds of miles from home when the voltage regulator failed iirc, and we were able to drive to a junkyard and buy another. It wasn't my car but I'd brought my tools in case. I diagnosed on the road and I installed it at the junkyard.
18-year old borrows car, wrecks it, I find fender in junkyard, just the right color, white. Remove that and replace mine with tools in my trunk.
And a couple years later, I got my car out of 4 months of storage, and somehow they had ruined the alternator. I bought a used one for $10 at a junk yard and put it in with the tools I had with me in Texas.
About three years after that, the fuel pump failed on my '65 or '67 Pontiac Catalina convertible, apparently just as I was trying to start the car, 3 blocks from home. I didnt' go home, just walked 5 blocks to an auto parts store, bought a fuel pump and replaced it with the tools I carried in the trunk.
Replaced convertible roof (not just the top) on '67, with the tools in my trunk, plus maybe a couple others. (although maybe not. Then I had room for all my tools in my trunk, and less room in my apartment.)
Another fender replacement -- this time 3 people in a row hit the same fender -- found replacement in parking area of gas station. Had to borrow acetylene torch from the 17-year old manager**, but got the fender off -- just the right color, mariner turquoise -- and took it to my parents 15 miles away where i put it on with tools in my turnk.
**He didnt' even ask if I knew how to use one. I had last used one when I was 17 in high school auto shop, and now I was about 28. I turned both the O2 and the gas on before I lit it. Scared the life out of me, but no damage. Won't make that mistake again. Because of the accident to the donor car, its door wouldn't open so I could remove the fender until I cut away parts of the door.
Plus little things, battery cable on loose, Clean post and terminal with battery post tool in my tool bag, and tighten with combination wrench. Battery cable loose at the starter motor. Remove cable, clean with knife, tighten with socket from tool bag, in the Bronx when I live in Brooklyn.
There have been others. .
For any of these, never used pliers or an adjustable wrench, let alone a pipe wrench.
Actually, this was a Toyota, and in my model they use pliers to loosen radiator and heater hoses (not screwdrivers like I said). So do Fords IIRC. But I didn't use a regular pliers, I used Vise-Grips, which will hold themselves closed and the hose clamp open for a period of time. That makes it much easier to move the clamp off the hose. Plus there is better leverage with Vise-grips that with simply pivoting pliers like the tv station showed a picture of, and their jaws are usually bigger, so better than carrying pliers is to carry Vise-grips, 2 pair, but if only one pair, with concave jaws.
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