Germany gets greasy. More and more vehicle owners are tinkering with their cars and carrying out repairs themselves. It saves money and really makes your car your own. kfzteile24, Germany's best-known brand for car parts and car accessories, used the sales data from 2022^* to take a close look at DIY mechanic habits in the individual states: In addition to many similarities, there was also some unusual purchasing behaviour. North Germans like a clear view, while in the west the focus is more on the wheel housing. In the south people get under their cars remarkably often, in the east they like to spruce them up.

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Everyone loves it: brake cleaner is the all-round-talent on the car scene

It cleans, lubricates and loosens – brake cleaner is by far the most popular product on average across Germany. More than every tenth article ordered is a cleaning agent. It ranks number one in every state. Even if the name suggests otherwise, the cleaner is not only used when changing brakes. The universal genius has several names due to its versatility: It is also known as a parts cleaner, rust remover, cold cleaner or chain cleaner. It can be used to clean virtually any metal surface with ease. North Rhine-Westphalia is the absolute leader in terms of use: Every fourth brake cleaner is sent to Germany's most populous state. 

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In the west, grease monkeys are working on the wheel housing 

Look south from North Rhine-Westphalia and you will see that they like to spin their wheels in the Palatinate region. The wheel nut is sold here more often than anywhere else. In 2022, it ranked fourth - higher than in any other state. When changing a wheel at home, wheel nuts often seem to disappear or are tightened so tightly that they break and a new one is urgently needed. Even the Saarlanders don't always seem to be fully on the ball. Here, where around a tenth of all employees have a job in the automotive industry, there's an item in the top 20 that has not made it into the top 50 anywhere else: a screw to attach the engine/underride guard to the wheel housing. Whether you're offroading here or just going off the track? In any case, the Hessians are also out of line. They're the only ones in the West that don't have any screws loose. But they do need a particularly large number of spark plugs in order not to to get out of step. Out of 100 parts ordered, almost 13 are spark plugs. Only Lower Saxony (12) has a similarly high rate.

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Greasy, but not streaky: the north is divided into two

In the Volkswagen homeland, however, one rhythm seems to be consistently adhered to above all: that of the oil change. There is no other explanation for the fact that relatively speaking the most screw plugs for sumps were bought here. Two products from different manufacturers can be found in the top 5. In Hamburg, too, everything runs like clockwork: every 100th order here is a universal lubricant that is mainly used when changing brakes and is intended to prevent squeaking. The item is popular nationwide (ranked fifth), but those living in the Hanseatic city are just ahead: Here it made it to fourth place. It's also oily in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Here in the northern high-traffic state their greatest need is 5W-30 engine oil. A tenth of all items ordered is motor oil with a viscosity of 5W-30. Schleswig-Holstein follows. 

But around Flensburg you have one thing above all: the lights are on. This is the only state where bulbs appear in the top 20. They want to see and be seen. The people of Bremen also need a perfect view. Their favourite part: a windscreen wiper. Two different wiper models appear in the top 20. Is it because the air is saltier here and the rubber on the wiper blades becomes porous more quickly? In any case, the people of Bremen seem to clean their screens a lot. They also bought the most anti-freeze for windscreens, putting them ahead of the Bavarians, who you would have thought need this item most because of the mountains. 

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If things start slipping in the South, they know how to help themselves

In the Free State, the land of picturesque forests and fairytale castles, they are more into sealing things than spinning yarns. Exhaust assembly pastes are ordered more frequently here than in any other federal state. Either you are particularly into tuning because you want more power and sound, or you're more often on the wrong track - to the dismay of the exhaust system. 

Besides damaged parts, people can also get hurt and in Baden-Württemberg they are well-prepared for emergencies. In 2022, residents of Swabia and Baden bought the most first-aid kits. More than every tenth kit went to southern Germany.

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Always current: the East spruces itself up

If you're stuck after a breakdown, the people of Brandenburg are also prepared: Because in the east, people prefer a vest to the west! In percentage terms, in 2022 the most high-visibility vests were ordered here in Germany. Every 20th item was a high viz vest. They like visibility in Saxony too, preferably with LED lights. Converting headlights to modern technology is popular here. Although most bulbs went to North Rhine-Westphalia, if you look at all the orders per state, Saxony has the highest quota. Cars shine brighter than the Zwinger palace, Frauenkirche church and Semperoper opera house combined. 

In the singles capital, they also stand out. Here they like to adorn their cars with new licence plate holders. Every tenth holder was ordered in Berlin. Whether dented when parking or damaged by a bicycle pedal - the old bent ones have had their day. It's not just dating that goes click! In Saxony-Anhalt, people want to make a good impression on passengers with fresh cabin filters that keep the driver's cab clean and free of pollen. Every 20th part ordered is one of these filters. There's no bad air when they go out for the day. 

Only in Thuringia does practicality come before beauty. In the heart of Germany, you can't be slowed down. At least the wear on brake discs is pretty high. In 13th place, the brake disc is more popular in Thuringia than in any other state. 9 out of 100 products ordered are brake discs.

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^* The press release is based on sales data for 2022. Only data from online purchases on www.kfzteile24.de were analysed here.