You make it sound like alldata and shop manuals fix the car for you. NOT! You are no more likely to misdiagnose a problem with a haynes manual than you are a shop manual. Just cause you "know a guy" who bought an unneccessary part doesn't mean it's the manuals fault. Diagnosing problems and getting the right fix the first time boils down to experience. EVERY home mechanic has gone down the wrong path at some point, particualarly when they are new to working on cars or new to the vehicle itself.
I have all three and I can tell you the haynes and Chilton manuals are fine. I really don't see what you have against them or why you think the more expensive routes are so much superior? I'd also like you to post up which are these "inncorrect" electrical diagrams? Not having been through everyone one with a finetooth comb perhaps I missed something. But don't pull the wool over everyone's eyes. Half the shop manual is electrical diagrams. The Haynes/Chilton manuals are not incorrect, they just don't supply electrical diagrams to things the average home mechanic isn't going to need. Why would a hoem mechanic need the circuit board layout of the BCM? The average home mechanic is gonna go to a junkyard and just get a new one! Perhaps Haynes/Chilton knows this and doesn't bother supplying such diagrams. Usually it's not even the money it's the hassle of finding a manual or having to pay a yearly subscription and then print stuff out and deal with all that. I've read both the shop and Haynes/Chilton manuals for all the work I do on my Trep and I can tell you the H/C manuals are good manuals and in many cases pull their how-tos right out of the shop manuals, illustrations and all. The haynes/chilton manuals have served me well for 8 years. Yes there are some things they lack when you get into the really nasty repairs. But they are a great starting point. I have no idea what the tempature has to do with how good a manual is? If the cold bothers you that much, then do your repairs in the summer or get a pair of long johns. :P Mike --- Geoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 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/
