Yoda117

I was just reading a locked thread that had it's complaints about the Acura TLC plan, and while I have no intention of reopening that wound, this does bring up something which I feel that too many of us overlook... a roadside assistance kit.

Being the paranoid that I am, I can just imagine having some kind of mechanical problem at just the wrong time, in just the wrong weather, so I put one together for myself.

How about the rest of you TLers out there? Anyone else use one?

EluSiOn

I did try to use TLC once. Someone rear end me and I need to call a tow truck. However, Acura representive said that the road side assistant does not include accident.

New2004AcuraTLman

Since my thread as unethically closed, I will post here and say that you all better sign up for AAA or a similiar service because acura TLC will NOT help you in NORMAL situations. They are a scam artist company who only profits by screwing people and demanding that they take the care to their dealer whoh will take you for all you are worth.


Heed my warning. As for them, they will get what is coming to them for sure because of the hell I went through. You can bet on it

vp911

Oh god. Here we go again. Granted I had problems with the TLC, we are past it now.

As far as your question Yoda 117, when I get the TL, yes I will put together something. My Infiniti FX came with a kit in the trunk. Mostly medical supplies, but you really never know when something is going to happen. I think Acura should have included something, it really can't cost more than $10-$20 bucks, especially if they ordered it in mass qtys.

Better safe than sorry.

greg cormier

I ran down the battery while washing and polishing the TL with the radio on one saturday last month. called TLC. 15 min later a towing company was at my house jump starting my car with a smile. No questions. No problems. No charge. Was I just lucky?

Yoda117

Okies... how about this?

Let's keep to the topic at hand.

I'm not getting into the TLC, because it was obvious from the info provided by Acura that it was just a means of getting you to bring a car to the dealership for repairs. If you didn't get that message from the dealership, then I can't help you.

What I am getting into is the use of roadside assistance kits so that in the event of a problem, you aren't up a creek without a paddle. Personally, I have never had to wait less than 40 minutes for any kind of car assistance, be it from AAA, rental agency, or even the police. That said, I decided to make my life easier, and probably safer by compiling together a few tidbits that I felt would come in handy, should I ever need them. For myself I have the following items in a kit that go with me in any car:

Sears 71 piece roadkit (includes general first aid, jumper cables, toolkit)
5 ton tow rope
jumper cables
road flares
flashlight
can of fix-a-flat
bottled water
blanket
collapsable shovel
MREs
leatherman
spare rescue hammer (I keep another in the glovebox)


So does anyone else have stuff like this in a bag somewhere in the car? I figure with your original thread, it was a nice compliment to see people's thoughts on them.

Repecat

I really don't have a "kit", but I do keep a first aid packet, flashlight, camera, fire ext., and one of those "Leatherman" all-purpose tools in the area by the spare tire, plus the tools that came with the car.

vp911

Yoda - That is a nice list. I would have only thought of a few of those. If you don't mind me asking, how much $ was it?

I would have to think that your kit is a pretty damn good idea and even if you never need it, the peace of mind is always there.

Now, I do have to say - speaking of safety and such, personally (and I know I am in the minority here) something like Onstar would be good in the TL. I wish it had it. I know ADT and Radioshack have their version of onstar (well for safety only, not for concierege services... and of course not as elaborate as onstar) but for $10 a month you can push the red help button and it will connect you with somebody who can help you. I also found the closest thing to onstar - www.guidepointsystems.com but I don't know costs for that.

Neorick

I live in San Francisco (earthquake country)and emergency kit is a must.

One thing I would add to the safety kit is a pair of gloves. You never know how many times I've cut myself with underbody trims while replacing flat tires or putting in tire chains (when we go up to Lake Tahoe for skiing). A cheap handyman glove from Home Depot should be good.

New2004AcuraTLman

i'd say it was a freaking miracle they even showed up at all. Read my thread and the post about my friend who owns the same car and they left him standed in a bad neighrhood at night with nobody to send after 3 hours. He had to cal the police and wait another hour to have his car towed the heck out of there or he could havebeen killed

rifleman-cl

Is this good enough?

http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages...id=AUDIO_VIDEO

Yoda117

Sorry, forgot about the gloves... came with the Sears kit (as did a nice poncho).

Total cost was less than $100, and most of that is a one time deal... save for the MREs, flares,batteries, and the fix-a-flat, most of that stuff will outlive your car (and the items that need replacing still last 5 years each).

Road Rage

Yoda: I agree with you, and applaud your "self-help" planning and attitiude. I have my own little kit, that I keep in every car but the S2000 (no room).

It includes some hi-intensity glow sticks, aspirin for heart attack victims, pseudo-epinephrine and diphenhydramine for insect bites/anaphylaxis (I was pre-med and have not forgotten much), a cheap walkie-talkie on channel 19, a flashlight that powers using induction (no batteries ever), jumpers, extra fuses, a disposable rainsuit for changing a tire in mud if necessary, a big candle (for light and heat in winter), a small wool blanket, some butterfly closures/bandaids.

I have also checked ALL the safety equipment that is supposed to come with the car: jack, jack handle, lug wrench, the inside trunk release in case a little one gets shut in (and had a training session with my 6 YO daughter), etc.

While I sympathize with New2004AcuraTLman, I believe that in the final analysis, the individual is accountable for much of his/her own happiness and safety. While I might stew about not having the locking wheel nut "key", I would curse myself if it ended up not being where I assumed it should be.

I guess it comes down to a different world view, but it helped me and others I led in combat, in my private life, in my modest success in the business world, and other social endeavors. I will mnot be messing with it without good cause.

Yoda117

Agreed.

I have the flashlight that came with the kit, a nice little scorpion and an induction flashlight. I don't know why but Sears included medication needed for allergic reactions to insect bites (I've never seen another kit that did this).

For me, I am a big fan of finding a pre-made kit, and then adding those items which you feel are of critical need. A person in Florida will not have many of the same needs that a person in New England might have...

That said, I cannot stress enough the need for a handy escape tool. Whether you need it or find yourself in a situation where others need it, they're good to have. Believe it or not, seatbelts are tricky to cut with a straight blade, and car windows can be rather durable as well... a good escape tool can quickly take care of both of these.

The walkie talkie is a good idea, despite the use of cel phones... I might want to add one of those to the kit before my next big trip.

I think the best bit of advice that Road Rage has (and it's tough to choose since his post had a lot of good info) was his knowledge of the equipment in his vehicle that came standard. You can't know what you need, unless you know what you have.

Yoda117

It's not a bad start... though I prefer the kits currently offered by Sears since I trust the tools a bit more, but that's just me

P47ch

A previous vehicle came with a roadside assistance kit which I pilfered and combined with other items I'd collected over the years to assemble a kit for the TL. In addition to the normal items I have a professional tire patch kit (which I've used once on another vehicle with great success) and a 12V air pump. For most normal flats I should be able to repair the tire right on the car. I also bought a couple Surefire flashlights that use lithium batteries. They're small, very bright, and the batteries have a 10-year shelf life.

I used to carry a small tube of Goop (hand cleaner), but it's not stable at the temperatures typical inside a parked car in the summer (de-emulsified and eventually leaked out of the tube). I've been carrying little packets of hand wipes instead, but they aren't ideal either. I'd love to find some kind of grease-cutting hand cleaner that remains stable at 150+ degrees.

I also carry trash bags and smaller ziplocs, for no particular reason.

Road Rage

I found a product that will sit in the car for years, but work when you need it.

Castrol of all people makes a "dry" handcleaner that is awesome. I found it at Advance or Pep Boys. Anyway, it is a cream, and you rub it all over your hands, and by the time it "dries", it is just a flaky material you "dust off" by rubbing your hands together. I recommend doing it outside of the car. It is great for 6 year old's wityh chocolate all over their hands, or for cleaning your own after gassing up the car. In cold and flu season, it also helps reduce the spread of viruses. It works on oil/grease better than Purell.

bigman606

Old thread, but in light of some of the recent disasters, has anyone found anything else they would have added to their kit.

vp911

I don't really have a kit anymore - I had put one in the trunk of my TL but when it was totaled it wasn't possible to get into the trunk, so I left it there. In the RL I have a good old first aid kit for emergencies.

AMIC

I have a first aid kit that I got at my old job like 5 years ago. The aspirin and other meds are probably ineffective, but it has band-aids and other good stuff. I have the roadside assistance from Cingular. I think it's like $3 or $4 a month. I actually used it once a few years ago cause I had a dead battery. It took them 45 minutes to come out.