Touring in Europe in a 996T: Vital Spares
Discussion
nw942 said:
I tend to carry the following:
1. Assume you have a spare wheel and jack, but I'd consider taking a puncture repair kit and some gunk to give yourself plenty of options.
2. Foot pump just in case the compressor fails - compressors are not usually the best quality I find.
3. Various cable ties and gorilla tape to hold your bumper in place if you have a nasty knock.
4. Jump leads so that you can ask someone for help rather than wait 4 hours for the AA/RAC.
5. Small toolkit - spanners/screwdrivers/torx/allen and some pliers.
6. Fuses and relays as you've said.
7. Oil 1L topup.
8. Gloves and cloths and small piece of cardboard to kneel on.
Bit excessive maybe, but based on experiences I've had.
That is exactly what I take with me on longer tours with my classic car (although I have one of those modern battery pack jump starter insteaf of leads and I also pack a towing rope). I always feel I have completely packed over the top, but I was lucky once or twice I had some stuff with me!1. Assume you have a spare wheel and jack, but I'd consider taking a puncture repair kit and some gunk to give yourself plenty of options.
2. Foot pump just in case the compressor fails - compressors are not usually the best quality I find.
3. Various cable ties and gorilla tape to hold your bumper in place if you have a nasty knock.
4. Jump leads so that you can ask someone for help rather than wait 4 hours for the AA/RAC.
5. Small toolkit - spanners/screwdrivers/torx/allen and some pliers.
6. Fuses and relays as you've said.
7. Oil 1L topup.
8. Gloves and cloths and small piece of cardboard to kneel on.
Bit excessive maybe, but based on experiences I've had.
What I have in my 997 is exactly the factory toolkit/tyre kit plus 1l of oil as topup (never had to use it as my car doesn't use oil).
That said, since lately I left my OBSII reader in the car as I had some lambda CEL flashing at me. Since it's a Porsche specific one I thought I might as well leave it in the car.
Oh, and I have always €100 in cash hidden in the car in case they don't take CC or the machine is broken (or I need some bribe money
)Other than that I don't feel the need for anything else in a relatively modern car in central Europe.
rickprice said:
Took my TVR to France last summer. Didn’t occur to me to take anything.
Drive to France skiing most winters. Usually take the kids but nothing more than the regulatory safety stuff.
I recon we have driven well over 10,000km in France and never needed a tool kit.
Whenever our cars break down, they have never needed something small. The current problem in the Cayenne is a failed alternator, which I would not have thought to take to the Alps. The 997 had a new window regulator recently, which I understand may be a bit more portable, but equally unpredictable.
BTW it’s illegal to do any work on a car on the Autoroutes - even changing a tyre, I think? You have to be recovered to an Aire or a garage to do any work AFAIK.
Have faith - just take a phone, credit card and breakdown insurance. You’ll be fine.
Wife and girlfriend optional - maybe not both though?
Rich
Drive to France skiing most winters. Usually take the kids but nothing more than the regulatory safety stuff.
I recon we have driven well over 10,000km in France and never needed a tool kit.
Whenever our cars break down, they have never needed something small. The current problem in the Cayenne is a failed alternator, which I would not have thought to take to the Alps. The 997 had a new window regulator recently, which I understand may be a bit more portable, but equally unpredictable.
BTW it’s illegal to do any work on a car on the Autoroutes - even changing a tyre, I think? You have to be recovered to an Aire or a garage to do any work AFAIK.
Have faith - just take a phone, credit card and breakdown insurance. You’ll be fine.
Wife and girlfriend optional - maybe not both though?
Rich
nw942 said:
I tend to carry the following:
1. Assume you have a spare wheel and jack, but I'd consider taking a puncture repair kit and some gunk to give yourself plenty of options.
2. Foot pump just in case the compressor fails - compressors are not usually the best quality I find.
3. Various cable ties and gorilla tape to hold your bumper in place if you have a nasty knock.
4. Jump leads so that you can ask someone for help rather than wait 4 hours for the AA/RAC.
5. Small toolkit - spanners/screwdrivers/torx/allen and some pliers.
6. Fuses and relays as you've said.
7. Oil 1L topup.
8. Gloves and cloths and small piece of cardboard to kneel on.
Bit excessive maybe, but based on experiences I've had.
That's a good list. My advice for the mechanically inept (like me) is:1. Assume you have a spare wheel and jack, but I'd consider taking a puncture repair kit and some gunk to give yourself plenty of options.
2. Foot pump just in case the compressor fails - compressors are not usually the best quality I find.
3. Various cable ties and gorilla tape to hold your bumper in place if you have a nasty knock.
4. Jump leads so that you can ask someone for help rather than wait 4 hours for the AA/RAC.
5. Small toolkit - spanners/screwdrivers/torx/allen and some pliers.
6. Fuses and relays as you've said.
7. Oil 1L topup.
8. Gloves and cloths and small piece of cardboard to kneel on.
Bit excessive maybe, but based on experiences I've had.
- If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.
- If it doesn't move and should, use WD40.
Seems to solve most problems!
Go to your nearest electrical wholesaler and buy a pack of the largest black cable tyes. Take a 5 litre container of water and make sure you have a good quality pair of plyers in your tool kit. I have used two cable tyes tightened with the plyers to mend a water hose that had blown off by the side of the road. Obs no need for a 993 or earlier non water cooler cars 😀
Sorry but this all sounds like overkill. What fuses/relays are really going to leave a modern car stranded on the side of the road for example? Or a faulty lightbulb? If a 996 turbo bursts a coolant hose do you really think some duck tape and sealant is going to get you on the road again quicker than a recovery service? Perhaps you'll have a freak occurrence and you hit an animal that dislodges your front bumper; fine, pack some duck tape.
The days of taking a spare ignition coil, a set of points, some spark plugs, a carburettor kit and a fanbelt are long gone. You're not going to get a snapped throttle cable that you can fix with your fair lady's pantyhose. Relax, get your car checked over before you leave, and enjoy the trip.
The days of taking a spare ignition coil, a set of points, some spark plugs, a carburettor kit and a fanbelt are long gone. You're not going to get a snapped throttle cable that you can fix with your fair lady's pantyhose. Relax, get your car checked over before you leave, and enjoy the trip.
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