What spare parts should I keep in the car

[freesaints]

Trying to figure out what spare parts would be wise to keep in the car with me. My initial thoughts were: spare bullet fuses and a spare fan belt.

What else should I think about stocking up on?

[Jesse16]

Fuel pump relay, the one under your drivers seat next to the computer. I never used a belt in my 10 years of car ownership, or a fuse amazingly. In my case those items were bullet proof. Used the relay once, saved my butt. Whats amazing was me remembering I had it and thinking fuel, air, spark (after standing by the road for 10 minutes waiting for AAA, talking with a few interested bystanders, watching the world go by). Takes 60 seconds to install.

[juanbenae]

I keep a can of fix a flat, a half full qt of oil and a couple fuses. some will poo-poo the fix a flat, but I will soil a wheel before depending on a 35 y/o collapsible spare.

[freesaints]

@jesse16 - good call on the fuel pump relay. I'll look to add that to the stash. I had both fuel pumps go out on me before and left me stranded. If the fuel pump relay goes bad, what will happen? Car die as if I ran out of gas (like it did with the fuel pumps)? How will I know to replace that?

@juanbenae - already have the fix a flat and a quart of oil I'm with you on that collapsible spare.

[HarryD]

This has been discussed before

Originally Posted by HarryD

Essential 911 tools

What have you got in your tool kit......

What have you got in your tool kit......

Us former British Car owners long ago faced this quandry and through many, many years of diligent research discovered that you only need 10 tools. Fortunately for you, our list is good for all Marques regardless of year.

"Forget the Snap-On Tools truck; its never been there when you need it. Besides there are only 10 things in this world you need to fix any car, any place, any time.

1. Duct Tape - Not just a tool, a veritable Swiss Army knife in stickum and plastic. It's safety wire, body material, radiator hose, upholstery, insulation, tow rope, and more - in an easy to carry package. Sure, there's prejudice surrounding duct tape in concours competitions, but in the real world, everything from LeMans-winning Porsches to Atlas rockets use it by the yard. The only thing that can get you out of more scrapes is a cell phone.

2. Vise-Grips locking pliers - Equally adept as a wrench, hammer, pliers, baling wire twister, breaker-off of frozen bolts and wiggle-it-till-it-falls-off tool. The heavy artillery of your tool box, locking pliers are the only tool designed expressly to fix things screwed up beyond repair.

3. Spray Lubricants - A considerably cheaper alternative to new doors, alternator, and other squeaky items. Slicker than pig phlegm, repeated soakings will allow the main hull bolts of the Andrea Doria to be removed by hand. Strangely enough, an integral part of these sprays is the infamous Little Red Tube that flies out of the nozzle if you look at it cross eyed (one of the 10 worst tools of all time).

4. Margarine Tubs with Clear Lids - If you spend all your time under the hood looking for a frendle pin that careened off the pertal valve when you knocked both off the air cleaner, it's because you eat butter. Real mechanics consume pounds of tasteless vegetable oil replicas just so they can use the empty tubs for parts containers afterward. (Some of course chuck the butter-colored goo altogether or use it to repack wheel bearings.)

Unlike air cleaners and radiator lips, margarine tubs aren't connected by a time/space wormhole to the Parallel Universe of Lost Frendle Pins.

5. Big Rock at the Side of the Road - Block up a tire. Smack corroded battery terminals. Pound out a dent. Bop noisy know-it-all types on the noodle. Scientists have yet to develop a hammer that packs the raw banging power of granite or limestone. This is the only tool with which a "Made in Malaysia" emblem is not synonymous with the user's maiming.

6. Plastic Zip Ties - After 20 years of lashing down stray hose and wiring with old bread ties, some genius brought a slightly slicked-up version to the auto parts market. Fifteen zip ties can transform a hulking mass of amateur- quality wiring from a working model of the Brazilian Rain Forest into something remotely resembling a wiring harness. Of course it works both ways. When buying a used car, subtract $100 for each zip tie under the hood.

7. Ridiculously Large Craftsman Screwdriver - Let's admit it. There's nothing better for prying, chiseling, lifting, breaking, splitting or mutilating than a huge flatbladed screwdriver, particularly when wielded with gusto and a big hammer. This is also the tool of choice for all filters so insanely located that they can only be removed by driving a stake in one side and out the other. If you break the screwdriver--and you will just like Dad and your shop teacher said--who cares, it has a lifetime guarantee.

8. Bailing Wire - Commonly known as MG muffler brackets, bailing wire holds anything that's too hot for tape or ties. Like duct tape, it's not recommended for concours contenders, since it works so well you'll never need to replace it with the right thing again. Bailing wire is a sentimental favorite in some circles, particularly with the MG, Triumph, and flathead Ford set.

9. Bonking Stick- This monstrous tuning fork with devilish pointy ends is technically known as a tie-rod separator, but how often do you separate tie-rod ends? Once every decade if you're lucky. Other than medieval combat, its real use is the all-purpose application of undue force, not unlike that of the huge flat-bladed screwdriver. Nature doesn't know the bent metal panel or frozen exhaust pipe that can stand up to a good bonking (Can also be use to separate tie-rod ends in a pinch, of course, but does a lousy job of it).

10. A Cell Phone"

[Jesse16]

What happened to me was the motor simply quit while I was lazily driving with my wife through a suburban neighborhood at 40 mph on a sunny day. I pushed in the clutch, told my wife the engine just quit and coasted onto a side street near her parents house. I had filled the tank the day before. So I stood there looking at the engine in the shade and talking to a friendly passer-by who wanted to look at my broken cool Porsche for some fun. Eventually I thought of the relay in the glove box and thought "what the heck". 60 seconds later we drove on our way and I ordered a replacement at her parents house. Drove 800 miles home a few days later.
Never considered replacing the frendle pin or using a bonking stick, glad I don't own a british car.

[pmax]

Jumper wire.

[freesaints]

HarryD - thanks and I'll take a look at that. I was thinking not so much of general supplies but rather actual parts that could break, leaving me stranded, that I could replace on the side of the road.

Jess16 - I hear you. My experience was similar with the bad fuel pump but had the symptoms of running out of gas...sputtering a little and then just quitting. So, is the fuel pump relay in the glove box or under the drivers seat? You mention both.

[Bitte ein Bit]

Always: DME Relay (small socket for install/removal) and 1 qt of oil.

Also -
I have a very small bag with 2 of each fuses, one spare headlight bulb, spare belt and fix a flat.

1986 Coupe 200,000 miles on the car, two recent 4,000 mile plus "across country" trips and (knock on wood) the only thing I've had issue with was the relay (once in 10 years) and of course adding oil on long trips.

After 5-6 years riding my motorcycle across Europe and N. Africa and a 4x4 across North America I stopped over thinking it with all vehicles (think kitchen sink scenarios) - with the 911 seems its the relay and flat tires that happen most.

From my experience - learning/doing a lot of my own work, replacing dated items (oil lines, electrical, etc) has put my mind at ease on the car mechanically. I've driven with fair weather/weekend drivers of 30 plus year old cars with nothing replaced or refurbished and it felt like they were constantly worried about the cars mechanical abilities. Beautiful to look at I will admit...but...

For years I have paged through the forum here and other sites learning - I know I will use oil and I know a lot have been stranded from the relay.

My .02

[freesaints]

@Bitte - good to hear your experience with preparedness and what actually seems to happen. I'm in the process of making the car more mechanically reliable so that I don't have to worry about those issues, not that things can't creep up. This involves replacing all the fuel lines, oil lines, various gaskets and seals, plugs, wires, bushings, etc. Nothing really electrical unless there's something I should consider?

Also thought about replacing the fuse panels to a modern unit but heard mixed opinions about this, with a lot of people saying that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Others think it's a no-brainer.

I did a quick search for fuel pump relay (my car is an '87 930) on our host's site but only saw several options for "Multi-purpose relay, round 5 pin" but nothing that says fuel pump relay specifically. Reading through the comments, it looks like this is the correct part despite the generic name. Is that so? If so, is there a particular brand that I should purchase. It looks like Uro, Porsche and Wittrin all have pretty anemic reviews.

[911obgyn]

DME relay, get one!
Install it and start the car, put the one you took out and put it in the glovebox. Then you know you have a good one. I have used a spare fan belt. The tool kit that comes with the car is adequate for most tinkering, I like to carry a test light in the car to diagnose bad fuse connections and power issues. Auto club card works too.

[freesaints]

Okay, as a complete noob when it comes to electrical and wiring, I'm a little confused. I've read that the 930's don't have DME relays. Under the driver seat is a speed relay (part 93061812301, which happens to be discontinued on multiple sites, including Pelican). What's the difference between the speed relay and the fuel pump relay?

I can see that I have a fuel pump fuse in the front fuse box but can't seem to find a fuel pump relay (nor have I been able to find the product itself). Am I missing something here?

[theiceman]

what car are you talking about here ? isnt the 87 turbo CIS ?

oh... a flashlight .. dont assume it will break down when its light out .

[GH85Carrera]

If you like to drive until the light on the fuel gauge comes on, or if you ever take road trips, a 20 inch long piece of string trimmer cord is lightweight, and easy to slip in the glove box and truly insignificant cost.

If you have ever pulled the knob that releases the gas tank flap and wondered, what you would do if the cable pulled out, the answer is to use the string trimmer line.

Just loop it under the flap, and pull it back against the finger that holds the flap down. Without a way to open that flap you might not have enough gas to get home.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

If you like to drive until the light on the fuel gauge comes on, or if you ever take road trips, a 20 inch long piece of string trimmer cord is lightweight, and easy to slip in the glove box and truly insignificant cost.

If you have ever pulled the knob that releases the gas tank flap and wondered, what you would do if the cable pulled out, the answer is to use the string trimmer line.

Just loop it under the flap, and pull it back against the finger that holds the flap down. Without a way to open that flap you might not have enough gas to get home.

It is reported that the hem of a T-shirt works for this too...

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by freesaints

Okay, as a complete noob when it comes to electrical and wiring, I'm a little confused. I've read that the 930's don't have DME relays. Under the driver seat is a speed relay (part 93061812301, which happens to be discontinued on multiple sites, including Pelican). What's the difference between the speed relay and the fuel pump relay?

I can see that I have a fuel pump fuse in the front fuse box but can't seem to find a fuel pump relay (nor have I been able to find the product itself). Am I missing something here?

All 930's have a variety of arrangements unique to the breed, later ones have extra "stuff". These can cause problems that are unique to the model. One reason for the 930 sub-forum - it's not all HP junkies, there's much knowledge about stock 930s in there too (many guys started with one).

Take a look at Bill's excellent post in this thread: Speed Relay

[Noah930]

930 has no DME relay. But there is the squarish yellow overboost relay in the driver's side engine compartment.

Some carry a spare igntion coil.

Jumper wire (see that thread in the post immediately above for more details). There are a couple places where circuits can be bypassed to enable you to limp home.

[freesaints]

Thanks gentleman, this has all be very helpful. After digging in to Bill's other thread on the Speed relay and other threads around that, it seems that the speed relay, the overboost relay and the boost pressure switch all kill the fuel pump.

I know we've digressed from the original question about which parts would be good to carry with me to replace as necessary and one of the original answers was the fuel pump relay. Bill's diagram shows that the later 930's have two fuel pump relays. Would it still be good to carry one of those? Should I look at getting a spare speed relay, overboost relay and/or boost pressure switch? Are those even easy to swap out on the side of the road? Are those even likely to fail?

Having already gotten stranded when my fuel pumps went out, anything related to that that I could be prepared for would be great.

[freesaints]

Just did a deep dive on Shadetrees' thread for a fuel pump relay solution and Flightlead404's thread on relay adapters. Looks like taking measures to upgrade the electrical system wouldn't be remiss. Anyone done these projects? It seems like these would go a long way in making the whole thing more reliable, which is one of my main goals. Any other solutions that folks have tried to make the electrical system more modern (other than the modern upgrade to a blade style fuse box)?

[911obgyn]

Ahh didn’t see it was turbo