I'm planning to take my car onto the continent this summer. I'll use this page to hold notes which you might find useful if you're planning something similar.
Things to take
This question seems to come up quite often, here's a list which I've put together which is probably over-kill. However I'm trying to cover most eventualities in the hope that I won't need any of it.
General
These are generally useful items which often don't take up much space and may make life easier in the event of a problem.
Spare Wheel*
Scissor Jack
Wheel Brace
Wheel lock key
Tyre-weld
Oil
Octane Boost
Water bottle
WD40
Super Glue
Jubilee Clips
Mobile Phone Car Charger
Cable Ties
Duct Tape
Electrical Tape
A copy of (Steve Heath's) Bible
Latex gloves
Some string
Spares
There are lots of items on here, you probably won't need any of these but it might be worth making sure that the items on the car are in good condition.
Fan Belt (plus a diagram of how it's fitted as it's not obvious and varies depending on the engine)
Throttle cable
Fuses (including 40 and 100amp)
Keyfob batteries
HT Lead (longest)
Rotor arm
Fuel Pump Relays
Various Electrical Connectors
Wire
Terminal block (useful for repairing throttle cable)
Top and bottom radiator hoses
Otter Switch
Blue coolant Cap
Tools
Small Socket Set
Multimeter
Various Screwdrivers
Various Spanners (metric and AP)
Tyre pressure gauge
12v tyre pump
Set of allen keys
Stanley Knife
Small Hacksaw
Pliers
Cable snips
Torch
Jump Leads
Spark plug brush
Spark plug gap gauge
Tyre depth gauge
Legal Requirements**
Bulbs
First Aid Kit
Warning Triangle
Fuel can
Hi-vis Jacket
Fire Extinguisher
Beam Deflectors
'GB' Sticker
Believe it or not most of the stuff will fit into a modest bag, here's my kit:
Here's the bag which is pretty tough, I got it from John Lewis:
Documents
Proof of insurance (Green card if your insurer supplies one)
Copy of the V5
Breakdown cover details (eg. AA European cover, RAC etc.)
Common Failures
These are the most common failures which appear on Pistonheads. The parts above should cover most of them.
Fan Belt Failure
40 amp fan fuse blows or otter-switch gives up
100 amp alternator fuse goes
Coil or HT Lead degrades
Throttle cable snaps
* I've highlighed spare tyre because some people prefer to leave it at home to free up boot space. Tyre-weld and a tyre pump should get you going again after most punctures. However if the tyre is shreaded then tyre-weld won't help. That said, apparently driving on the space-saver spare isn't a pleasent experience either.
** Depends on the country, I'll see if I can find a definitive list.
