I have all three (Haynes/Chilton/FSM) for my Jeep Cherokee. The FSM generally has the best directions, but no pics, and references plenty of shop tools I don't have access to. The Haynes/Chilton manuals have pics, which are sometimes useful, as well as plenty of bad info. Honestly, w/o the FSM, I'd invest in both.
Haynes or Chilton's repair manuals???
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Neither one... they both suck. Too generic, just an oil change guide. I call them "Cliff-Hangers" because just when you need a paice of hard technical information, they leave you hanging. Furthermore, their generality can be very dangerous by leading you with inaccurate information.
Start here for the real deal....http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r=http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=AS5&q=helm+publications
I got a factory manual for my Toyota. It doesn't seem to have any info on routine maintenance, just diagnostic codes and repairs. It seems to be written for professionals rather than DIYers. I haven't had any problems with the car so I just use the Haynes; I haven't seen the Chilton's.
Haynes apparently owns Chilton now, and for my '98 Taurus the relevant manuals have identical text and pictures. (The Chilton manual I have, which I bought new right after buying the car in January, covers '96-'01 models.) The main difference is the typeface used for text, which in turn affects layout. The Chilton manual clearly identifies Haynes as the publisher, and if I had known the manuals were the same I'd have saved my money. Presumably for slightly older vehicles the manuals might still be different.
Cliff-Hangers! That's perfect! There's always something missing. My favorite Chilton line is "installation is the reverse of removal." Well, duh, but sometimes you need more info than just that.
John
John
Hayne's uses the same line....
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