I would hate to buy factory service manuals for each car. Do you use the web service AllData or something like it.
I'm trying to fix my 1993 Toyota Corolla, The speedometer is not working right. Today as I was driving in, it was reading thirty miles per hour. I was keeping up with the flow of traffic, which I think was going about seventy miles per hour.
How do you keep up with multiple cars repairs?
- Thread starter handyman
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Although not factory, I buy my service manuals off Amazon cheap.
JHZR2
Staff member
Though nothing seems to replace the FSM, why buy one until you need one. Ive gotten by with haynes and chiltons for many things, and Ive found that the Bentley manuals are quite good too.
There tends to be a lot of DIY for common things that even if not for your specific vehicle, can really help support knowing how to do stuff.
1. Go to forums that deal with specific makes and models. Fortunate for me Saturnfans.com has about all I need.
2. I do subcribe to AllData DYI. I need all the help I can get.
3. AutoZone has some service information for some cars. You register and get to view them. Similar to AllData DYI.
4. Search the Internet.
5. Post at BITOG. I have received a lot of helpful info here.
Originally Posted By: handyman
I would hate to buy factory service manuals for each car. Do you use the web service AllData or something like it.
I'm trying to fix my 1993 Toyota Corolla, The speedometer is not working right. Today as I was driving in, it was reading thirty miles per hour. I was keeping up with the flow of traffic, which I think was going about seventy miles per hour.
Originally Posted By: Tegger
https://techinfo.toyota.com
Click the "Subscription" button at top-middle.
That's the same factory info the dealer gets. Buy a subscription for $15 for 2 days. This is the very best there is out there, believe me.
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Originally Posted By: wirelessF
Originally Posted By: Tegger
https://techinfo.toyota.com
Click the "Subscription" button at top-middle.
That's the same factory info the dealer gets. Buy a subscription for $15 for 2 days. This is the very best there is out there, believe me.
Yeah, I buy the FSM for all my cars as soon as I get them. It's just me maybe, but I prefer the factory manuals and I like them in paper.
When I read your post about how do you keep up, I thought you meant as in time or effort. Considering the fleet in my sig that can be quite a bit of work, especially my old BMW. That car takes more work and time than the other three combined. But it's a lot of Saturdays and Sunday afternoons messing around out in the garage. Granted I like all four to be totally dripless and leak-free on my garage and the driveway, so I spend time replacing gaskets and anything else that goes bad.
I can usually find any information that I need on the Internet for any repairs that I need to make. I also select vehicles based on their need for maintenance-for the most part I've only needed to do relatively simple things. It's been a very long time since I needed to make any major repairs.
If a vehicle were to get to the point that I felt the need to spend a great deal of my time working on it, I'd sell it for something more economical. I don't mind maintenance but working on cars as a "hobby" falls under the category of things I don't have time to do. Right now I'd be comfortable jumping into any one of our three vehicles (2006 Outback, 2006 Elantra and 1999 Dodge 2500) and drive cross country.
It also helps to have all the equipment I need-along with almost every possible tool I have a KwikLift, so getting under any of the vehicles is a breeze (and safe).
I have all the manuals I need for my cars. For other people's later models, I just look online for specs and methods.
Originally Posted By: handyman
I would hate to buy factory service manuals for each car. Do you use the web service AllData or something like it.
I'm trying to fix my 1993 Toyota Corolla, The speedometer is not working right. Today as I was driving in, it was reading thirty miles per hour. I was keeping up with the flow of traffic, which I think was going about seventy miles per hour.
I buy Bentley manuals for my VWs. I've been able to find PDFs of the FSMs for my Toyotas and Mazdas, and I pay for an AllData account, as well (which is basically the same data but legal).
robert
Bentley manuals are great, if they have one for your vehicle. If I had done all my work on the Audi at a shop, rather than myself, I'd be in the poorhouse.
Don't forget youtube. I've even made a dumb video that's had dozens of hits, for fixing the rear heat pipes on a dodge caravan.
I get google adsense, so if my video becomes a smash hit, I could get fairly substantial pin money. Others may be thinking the same way.
You can usually get factory service manuals in PDF form on ebay for cheap. I've bought ones for my Nissan and Hyundai that way. I think they were each less than $10 each.
I also buy FSM's for all of my vehicles as they usually have more detailed info than Haynes or Chiltons. I usually buy my FSM's on ebay for a lot cheaper than new.
Wayne
Here's Hyundai's website with everything that the techs have access to.
http://www.hmaservice.com/
Originally Posted By: AdRock
Here's Hyundai's website with everything that the techs have access to.
http://www.hmaservice.com/
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