The best repair manuals?
03-28-2004 | 09:10 PM
#3
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
If you can get a dealer service manual for your specific year, nothing will be more detailed than that. Haynes and Chilton usually try to cover more than one car per book and in doing so they don't mention vehicle specific items.
Not to mention the layout of Haynes and Chilton suck in my opinion. If you ever read one you'll see what I mean. When they go through an explination these manuals will often refer you to other chapters instead of telling you what to do. This is frustrating because of all the page flipping and looking back and forth for info. Even more frustrating is when this happens 2 and 3 times in one step. For example, "Step 4" might read "see chapter 4 for alternator removal", then you go to chapter 4 to read how to remove the alternator and step 2 of Alternator removal is "see step 3 of belt removal. By the time you've flipped around 4 different chapters you've forgoten what the hell you were trying to do in the first place.
Yes, I'm ranting but I'd rather you feel my pain now rather then when you're under you car and wiping you're @ss with the Chilton book cause you've just realized thats all its good for.
-Steve
Not to mention the layout of Haynes and Chilton suck in my opinion. If you ever read one you'll see what I mean. When they go through an explination these manuals will often refer you to other chapters instead of telling you what to do. This is frustrating because of all the page flipping and looking back and forth for info. Even more frustrating is when this happens 2 and 3 times in one step. For example, "Step 4" might read "see chapter 4 for alternator removal", then you go to chapter 4 to read how to remove the alternator and step 2 of Alternator removal is "see step 3 of belt removal. By the time you've flipped around 4 different chapters you've forgoten what the hell you were trying to do in the first place.
Yes, I'm ranting but I'd rather you feel my pain now rather then when you're under you car and wiping you're @ss with the Chilton book cause you've just realized thats all its good for.
-Steve
03-28-2004 | 09:40 PM
#4
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: Buffalo, NY
I have found that the haynes book for our cars is inaccurate. Its not bad for simple things (can't beat the $14 price) but it really isn't the way to go for big jobs (ie missing some torque specs for transmission install, things like that.
03-28-2004 | 09:57 PM
#5
yea I've got the Haynes manual 93-00 and its not the best. Sometimes when they're talking about something for the V8 the pics are of the LT1 and not to mention the other mistakes like saying the LT1 is Gen1 and the LS1 is Gen2 and its also a 350 
03-29-2004 | 01:48 AM
#6
check out www.helminc.com
Helm prints the official GM service manuals. They have way more detail than you will ever need.
Helm prints the official GM service manuals. They have way more detail than you will ever need.
Trending Topics
03-29-2004 | 08:24 AM
#8
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,726
Likes: 191
From: Eastern MA
I have the GM service manuals (3 green books). Its expensive, but worth it. I got them for less from a fellow board member who sold his Camaro for a Z06. Maybe you can post something in the "Parts Wanted" section to see if anything turns up.
--VIP1
--VIP1
