Car accessories

CarPlay screens, air fresheners, dash cams and the bits worth keeping in the boot: popular add-ons from Irish and UK sellers on eBay.ie.

Phone, music and screensAir freshenersKeeping it cleanWinterFor breakdowns

Phone, music and screens

The upgrades people fit most: an older car gets maps, music and hands-free calls on a proper screen.

CarPlay screenAdds Apple CarPlay (and usually Android Auto) to any car: sits on the dash and plugs into the 12V socketSee on eBay.ie →Wireless CarPlay adapterFor cars that already have CarPlay with a cable: it connects by itself when you get inSee on eBay.ie →Wireless Android Auto adapterThe same for Android phones, in cars that already have Android AutoSee on eBay.ie →Bluetooth FM transmitterPlays your phone's music and calls through an older car's radio, and charges the phoneSee on eBay.ie →Phone holderKeeps your phone in sight for directions, not on your lapSee on eBay.ie →USB-C car chargerFast-charges a modern phone from the 12V socketSee on eBay.ie →Dash camFootage settles insurance arguments quicklySee on eBay.ie →Reversing cameraMakes parking easier; some CarPlay screens come with oneSee on eBay.ie →

Example photos, not the exact product (Wikimedia Commons): Butterhimmel, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sunnyboy122, CC0; Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia, CC BY 2.0; Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0; Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0; Dmitry G, CC BY-SA 3.0; Ellin Beltz, CC BY-SA 3.0; https://www.flickr.com/photos/banoootah_qtr/, CC BY 2.0.

Air fresheners

Cheap, and the first thing anyone notices getting into a car.

Hanging diffuser air freshenerGlass diffuser bottles that last for weeks, in the scent you pickSee on eBay.ie →Vent clip air freshenersClip onto the air vents and the fan spreads the scentSee on eBay.ie →Novelty air freshenersFunny and unusual ones: an easy presentSee on eBay.ie →

Example photos, not the exact product (Wikimedia Commons): www.Pixel.la Free Stock Photos, CC0; Rowanswiki, CC0; AndreiRosca, CC BY 2.0.

Keeping it clean

Worth doing before you sell, too: a clean car gets better offers.

Car vacuum cleanerPlugs into the 12V socket or runs on a battery, for crumbs, sand and dog hairSee on eBay.ie →Microfibre clothsStreak-free glass and a wash without scratchesSee on eBay.ie →

Example photos, not the exact product (Wikimedia Commons): Gophi, CC BY-SA 3.0; Polyesterchen, Public domain.

Winter

For frosty mornings and tired batteries.

Ice scraper and de-icerScrape and spray instead of using boiling water, which can crack the glassSee on eBay.ie →Jump starter packStarts a flat battery without another car, and charges your phoneSee on eBay.ie →12V tyre inflatorTops up tyres that lose pressure in the coldSee on eBay.ie →

Example photos, not the exact product (Wikimedia Commons): Bearas, CC BY-SA 4.0; Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0; Michael Sheehan, CC BY 2.0.

For breakdowns

Things you'll be glad of the first time something goes wrong.

Car emergency kitFirst aid, hi-vis, torch and gloves in one bag for the bootSee on eBay.ie →Warning triangle and hi-vis vestFor breakdowns on the road, especially at nightSee on eBay.ie →Tyre plug kitFixes a nail in the tread at the roadside, to get you home or to a tyre shopSee on eBay.ie →Tow ropeFor a short tow when a car won't startSee on eBay.ie →

Example photos, not the exact product (Wikimedia Commons): OregonDOT, CC BY 2.0; Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0; Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, CC BY-SA 2.0; Iswoar, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Fixing something yourself? See the DIY guides and the buying kit.

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