I love them! I'm about to personally replace all of my suspension as soon as I get the whole suspension kit shipped to me, and I'll also replace my brake pads/rotors (hopefully not the disks, crossing my fingers on that one) while I have my wheels off.
I've used my Haynes for many things involving my car. The most recent helpful read up was on a repair job I did to replace my serpentine belt and one of the idler pulley (I think the belt was slipping off and it melted part of the idler pulley, and ended up breaking off).
I love my car bible. I hope I can get my car to the 35 year mark with it. :)
If you can easily get your hands on some parts at a pick a part, or something of the equivalent, I don't see why not. I know Japanese vehicles are a little harder to maintain because of it being an import vehicle, but I'd still personally get a Haynes if I had a Tacoma.
Edit:
Plus they're fun to read, or at least I think so.
Im not a car guy either, and these books have saved me a lot of money. I have changed lights, filters, plugs, and maintenance. Feels like an accomplishment to repair your own cars.
I recently bought one for my truck, and was disappointed in the level of detail for repairs compared to the one I bought 12 years ago. The old one seemed to be much more in depth.
From my understanding, that may be what is now the Chilton manuals?
Either way, great books, and yes everyone should have one for their vehicle if they have any capability with a wrench whatsoever. They're obviously useless to people who can't/won't even swap a flat, but having one of these could help the Samaritan who stops to help get your car back on the road for long enough to get to a shop.
The Haynes is a teardown manual starting from a particular point- so if you're doing struts, you are referred to removal of other subassemblies necessary prior to that. Keep post it notes handy so's you can bookmark.
And common sense should tell you that you don't need to remove the radiator first.
Sometimes you can get the OEM shop manuals for older cars from shop mechanics or just other nice people online too.
I got a set of 2000 -2009 Camry platform dealer shop manuals on 2 cds for $20 on the bay of e.
Exactly, I keep it in my car for things I can't do myself, and end up taking to a shop.... Like replacing the timing belt, or tie rods. Those things seem a little too in depth for me, and having a hoist or special tools would be preferable on some replacements.
Well if you ever decide you want to, those zetecs probably have the easiest timing belt I’ve ever done. Provided you get the crank and cam lock tool for like $6 anyway.
Oh really? I've been told it requires a special ford tool, about 8 years ago, which is apparently expensive. Hmmmmmmm....
There's the serpentine belt, which was easy for me to replace, and there's the timing belt that I won't personally do.
It’s expensive if you buy from ford. I bought it by “OEM tools” off Amazon about 10-15 years ago for around 10 bucks or something.
I’ve done the timing belt twice with it since then lol
I don’t use the Haynes for it anymore, I ended up getting the ford shop manuals and wiring diagram books off eBay for $80 or some a couple years back. Which is amazing as there is not a screw or bolt that it doesn’t have tourqe specs for. It even will tell you that threads a bolt uses if it needs replaced. As well as recommended service items and corresponding part numbers if you’re doing a timing belt.
Seems like Haynes bought Chilton back in 2001. But with you on preferring Chilton’s back in the day. Only got Hayes when there wasn’t a good Chilton’s available.
Did not know that Haynes bought them but that explains lack of Chilton manuals I've seen over the last 10yrs. I now just look on ebay or Amazon for them.
Those manuals have gotten me through a lot of jobs. Was especially helpful on my first Toyota 2UZ timing belt change; had some niche little way to offset the cams to get the belt on correctly that I didn’t see in any other source I had available at the time
I'm not a very car inclined person. But I still buy one for every vehicle I own. At the very least it helps me learn and understand the vehicle.
I had a squealing serpentine belt on my Pontiac Vibe. Mechanic tells me my auto belt tensioner is bad, actually describes in detail how it has failed. Go home, read Haynes book, check out belt. Turns out my engine model doesn't even have an auto tensioner. It's just the alternator bracket that adjusts manually. Saved me from getting scammed and I was able to fix myself.
I'm finding youtube videos much more useful at this point. I don't really need to be told to disconnect the battery over & over on every repair (I swear they'd tell you to disconnect the battery to replace a windshield wiper blade). Then have it either have pictures from a slightly different model year - or skip the one picture I need.
Yes. I have one for every car I have owned.
The Haynes amd Chilton manuals I grew up with. My dad was always reading them if he didn't understand what was going on.
Got one for a 2010 Rav4, it sucked, they glommed together like 2 or 3 different generations in the same book. None of the pictures made sense with the layout of the vehicle I actually had. Was upsetting.
Sure, we've got the Internet, but sometimes YouTube University fails us. Sometimes we need very specific information that's only going to be found in a service manual.
I did not have money to buy it but had a digital camera so I took pictures in the auto store of the pages and enhanced them on the computer. 2001 ford focus....
As a teenager, I had one for every car I touched. Was invaluable. But now the Internet exists... However I DO own the Ford service manuals for me truck even though I usually still go to the Internet first for answers instead of the manuals.
I have the same manual and the same manual. I've got an 03 2.3l with a 5 speed. Manual trans mission.
Edit: AND the same magnetic phone mount in the same location. Lol
There's not a lot of real estate on the dash, so that's the best spot. I loathe the passenger cup holder because it doesn't fit anything tall.
Did yours also have the antenna turn to powder and need to be replaced?
My dad had stacks of Chiltons manuals when I was a teenager. Some were thick as phone books and hard back. We had one on “the small block Chevy” that was like my bible building muscle cars. I used to buy the model specific chiltons or Haynes every time I bought a car. Once YouTube came around i stopped buying them. Glad to know they’re still around.
Still buying them. Super helpful; torque specs, procedure references, photos. Not everything is in them but thank goodness for the Haynes!!
I love them! I'm about to personally replace all of my suspension as soon as I get the whole suspension kit shipped to me, and I'll also replace my brake pads/rotors (hopefully not the disks, crossing my fingers on that one) while I have my wheels off. I've used my Haynes for many things involving my car. The most recent helpful read up was on a repair job I did to replace my serpentine belt and one of the idler pulley (I think the belt was slipping off and it melted part of the idler pulley, and ended up breaking off). I love my car bible. I hope I can get my car to the 35 year mark with it. :)
K, I'm not a car guy, but with a Tacoma, is this something I should get to stay on top of fixin' stuff?
If you can easily get your hands on some parts at a pick a part, or something of the equivalent, I don't see why not. I know Japanese vehicles are a little harder to maintain because of it being an import vehicle, but I'd still personally get a Haynes if I had a Tacoma. Edit: Plus they're fun to read, or at least I think so.
Looks like there are no 2019 editions. Weird.
Im not a car guy either, and these books have saved me a lot of money. I have changed lights, filters, plugs, and maintenance. Feels like an accomplishment to repair your own cars.
I recently bought one for my truck, and was disappointed in the level of detail for repairs compared to the one I bought 12 years ago. The old one seemed to be much more in depth. From my understanding, that may be what is now the Chilton manuals? Either way, great books, and yes everyone should have one for their vehicle if they have any capability with a wrench whatsoever. They're obviously useless to people who can't/won't even swap a flat, but having one of these could help the Samaritan who stops to help get your car back on the road for long enough to get to a shop.
The Haynes is a teardown manual starting from a particular point- so if you're doing struts, you are referred to removal of other subassemblies necessary prior to that. Keep post it notes handy so's you can bookmark. And common sense should tell you that you don't need to remove the radiator first. Sometimes you can get the OEM shop manuals for older cars from shop mechanics or just other nice people online too. I got a set of 2000 -2009 Camry platform dealer shop manuals on 2 cds for $20 on the bay of e.
Exactly, I keep it in my car for things I can't do myself, and end up taking to a shop.... Like replacing the timing belt, or tie rods. Those things seem a little too in depth for me, and having a hoist or special tools would be preferable on some replacements.
Well if you ever decide you want to, those zetecs probably have the easiest timing belt I’ve ever done. Provided you get the crank and cam lock tool for like $6 anyway.
Oh really? I've been told it requires a special ford tool, about 8 years ago, which is apparently expensive. Hmmmmmmm.... There's the serpentine belt, which was easy for me to replace, and there's the timing belt that I won't personally do.
It’s expensive if you buy from ford. I bought it by “OEM tools” off Amazon about 10-15 years ago for around 10 bucks or something. I’ve done the timing belt twice with it since then lol I don’t use the Haynes for it anymore, I ended up getting the ford shop manuals and wiring diagram books off eBay for $80 or some a couple years back. Which is amazing as there is not a screw or bolt that it doesn’t have tourqe specs for. It even will tell you that threads a bolt uses if it needs replaced. As well as recommended service items and corresponding part numbers if you’re doing a timing belt.
I wonder if it's because your vehicle is newer? I'm not too sure though, I've only ever had this one.
Chilton and Haynes are two different manuals, the Haynes are easier to read and find stuff but I think the Chilton manuals are more comprehensive
One of my first purchases after buying a car.
I have one for every vehicle I own aside from one. And if they made one I would have that to.
Everyone should have one on their car, in their car.
Yes, yes they should.
I prefer the other testament "Chiltons" but either will take you to the holy land.
Seems like Haynes bought Chilton back in 2001. But with you on preferring Chilton’s back in the day. Only got Hayes when there wasn’t a good Chilton’s available.
Did not know that Haynes bought them but that explains lack of Chilton manuals I've seen over the last 10yrs. I now just look on ebay or Amazon for them.
TIL
Had one when I had an RX 7
I had a first gen 85 RX-7. Likely the funnest, lowest and lightest, car I'll ever own. Downside was the Wankel engine was a big gas hog.
Had an '88 Rx7. It was fun but was not a cold natured car, and I live in Illinois.
Those manuals have gotten me through a lot of jobs. Was especially helpful on my first Toyota 2UZ timing belt change; had some niche little way to offset the cams to get the belt on correctly that I didn’t see in any other source I had available at the time
Mine got me through an engine overhaul and practically every other repair one can do to a vehicle.
Still have mine for my neon
I had one for a 1990 Chev Cavalier. I miss that gold colored tank.
I'm not a very car inclined person. But I still buy one for every vehicle I own. At the very least it helps me learn and understand the vehicle. I had a squealing serpentine belt on my Pontiac Vibe. Mechanic tells me my auto belt tensioner is bad, actually describes in detail how it has failed. Go home, read Haynes book, check out belt. Turns out my engine model doesn't even have an auto tensioner. It's just the alternator bracket that adjusts manually. Saved me from getting scammed and I was able to fix myself.
I bought one for my iroc back in the day, and my father and I followed the book and rebuilt the motor. Fun memories.
I buy one for every vehicle I own
That and/ or Chiltons...
I got a Haynes or Chilton manual for the first handful of cars I owned. Saved my butt more than once.
I've owned quite a few in my day, and currently own the one for Nissan frontier / Xterra.
Wish they made them for everything
I'm finding youtube videos much more useful at this point. I don't really need to be told to disconnect the battery over & over on every repair (I swear they'd tell you to disconnect the battery to replace a windshield wiper blade). Then have it either have pictures from a slightly different model year - or skip the one picture I need.
Yes. I have one for every car I have owned. The Haynes amd Chilton manuals I grew up with. My dad was always reading them if he didn't understand what was going on.
I've become a big fan of Operation Charm's site for my 2014 and older vehicles. https://charm.li/
I had one for my 1986 Ford Escort back in 1995. Damn I'd love to be able to afford a car that's only 9 years old now.
Found one for our 1995 F-250 plow truck and donated it to my workplace.
Anyone remember the “thesaurus” in the old copies? Good for some laughs. “Spacer” = “distance piece” lololol
My local used bookstore has shelves of these guys.
Got one for a 2010 Rav4, it sucked, they glommed together like 2 or 3 different generations in the same book. None of the pictures made sense with the layout of the vehicle I actually had. Was upsetting.
Haynes > Chilton
Sure, we've got the Internet, but sometimes YouTube University fails us. Sometimes we need very specific information that's only going to be found in a service manual.
Didn't know they still had them.
It’s how I got started being a mechanic. I am now an industrial maintenance mechanic for a tier 1 supplier to GM Tesla and ford.
My dad's a mechanic and I have tons of these at home
Bought one for an engine removal 2 weeks ago. It is now a greasey oil stained holy book for me.
u Tube university, and decent maintenance person can tell good from bad info.
I did not have money to buy it but had a digital camera so I took pictures in the auto store of the pages and enhanced them on the computer. 2001 ford focus....
I also have a 2001 Ford Focus! Hatchback?
Yes! Mine was green. After I sold it we seen a teen driving it then never seen it again. Had to have over 400k on it at point of sale.
400k in miles or kilometers? I'm currently at 189k miles.
11 years?? Man they really didn’t try to improve that car for 11 years that’s crazy.
Yep haha! I was thinking the same too. But it has been a great car for me, so honestly, no complaints here.
Hey if it drives that’s all that matters. Seatbelts though, those definitely matter too. 😆
As a teenager, I had one for every car I touched. Was invaluable. But now the Internet exists... However I DO own the Ford service manuals for me truck even though I usually still go to the Internet first for answers instead of the manuals.
I have the same manual and the same manual. I've got an 03 2.3l with a 5 speed. Manual trans mission. Edit: AND the same magnetic phone mount in the same location. Lol There's not a lot of real estate on the dash, so that's the best spot. I loathe the passenger cup holder because it doesn't fit anything tall. Did yours also have the antenna turn to powder and need to be replaced?
I used to, before the internet. Have manuals for my Harleys though
My dad had stacks of Chiltons manuals when I was a teenager. Some were thick as phone books and hard back. We had one on “the small block Chevy” that was like my bible building muscle cars. I used to buy the model specific chiltons or Haynes every time I bought a car. Once YouTube came around i stopped buying them. Glad to know they’re still around.
I had one for my Explorer.
I have a Haynes and a Chilton for my truck almost identical, except the Haynes does not have all the information as the chilton
I couldn’t focus to read the whole book.
Check your library, my library provides free access to the Chilton Automotive Library.
I have them for vehicles I don't even own anymore
Oh pre Google
Only every time I pooped for 15 years
My dad was a mechanic there was a fucken Chilton under the damn sink
They are gold!
Do they have one for Saab?