I'm sorry, but there's no excuse for incorrect electrical diagrams. The fact that the electrical diagrams only show what is 'typical' instead of what is the case for the specific application on that vehicle has misled MANY a home mechanic trying to find out why his car won't start. There's a guy on rec.autos.makers.chrysler who likes to talk about the alternator he spent $100 on because the diagnosis the Haynes manual lead him through caused him to condemn his unit incorrectly, only to find out the problem was elsewhere once he chucked the Mickey Mouse manual and sprung for an AllData subscription.
There is no such thing as a simple mechanical repair anymore when it's a no-start condition. Much of the time an electrical component is implicated. Nearly 100% of the time you will use an electrical test to perform a complete diagnosis. Now how much of your time do you want to spend out in the cold, after dark, on a night before you have to use a dead car to get to work in the morning, following a 'typical' but incorrect Haynes or Chilton's manual's substandard wiring diagram, spending money you don't have for parts you don't need? As for me, the answer is 'none at all'. Haynes and Chilton manuals are often so incorrect it's irresponsible and dangerous, in my opinion. But I suppose you get what you pay for...and what you deserve. For $5 more than the price of that Haynes manual, you can purchase a 1-year subscription to Alldata, and get good information. (Or if you live in a municipality such as mine, you can use it for FREE at your local public library. Try beating FREE with a Chilton's book.) For $15-$20 more than the price of that Haynes manual, you could also contact a seller of used automotive manuals (NOT on eBay) and get a good, used factory shop manual. No bidding required. Try Vogel's Shop Manuals. I've purchased from him and had an excellent experience. http://www.auto-shop-manuals.com/shop_manual_request.html. Penny wise, pound foolish. The first time you buy a part you don't need, you've erased any 'savings' you might have had buying cheap Chilton's or Haynes garbage. Okay, okay, rant off. --Geoff On 1/18/06, Mike Busch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I have to disagree. Haynes and Chilton are fine > manuals. I have both plus the factory shop manual and > while you are right the factory manual has far better > electrical diagrams, I find the mechanical stuff to be > pretty good. Most home garage mechanics are only > doing simple mechanical repairs and not major > electrical work. In that respect you're wasting your > time trying to find and bid on a factory manual. The > Haynes or Chilton manual will work fine. In many > causes have copied their procedures right out of the > factory manual(diagrams and all). > > The factory manuals do have more of the specific type > of repairs that cert mechanics would need but your > average home mechanic is not gonna mess with. > > I mean if a person is planning on doing all the > repairs to the car as some of us try and do, then yeah > spring for the shop manual. But if you're just gonna > tackle the easy stuff and take the tough nasty jobs to > a mechanic then Haynes and Chilton more than have you > covered. > > Just my $0.02 > > Mike > > > > --- Geoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Yikes! Stay away from Haynes, Chiltons and the > > like. Their electrical > > diagrams are complete crap, their mechanical > > diagrams are likewise, and the > > information is sooo much better on either Allpar.com > > or from the factory > > shop manual. > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > Web: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid> > Subscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]<//[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Unsubscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]<//[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Moderator: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]<//[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > -- --Geoff MML Moderator/Admin/Occasional SAA/Keeper of the MML Map '92 Acclaim; '98 Intrepid; '03 Grand Caravan Read about AND join the MML at: http://www.moparmailinglist.com Skype: ggariepy68 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Web: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid> Subscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Moderator: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
