Books to learn

[npoe1]

I am interested in learning to repair cars as a hobby; now that my warranty is about to expire I can start messing with my car and someday save money repairing it myself.

Any recommendation of books, manuals or website to learn? I will not have time to assist a school before spring 2014.

If books are in Amazon is a plus.

 

[PottedMeat]

get yourself the factory service manual for your vehicle. learn to read the wiring diagrams. if it says 'use special service tool xxxx' look online and see if there's a generic tool available or if someone's found a way around it.

 

[npoe1]

Thanks PottedMeat! I'll give it a try.

 

[Kaido]

I'm just starting out with basic maintenance myself, for fun. Here's what's helped me so far:

1. Service manuals: Chilton, Haynes, or ALLDATADIY (online version). I like ALLDATADIY because I can access it from any computer and they have service bulletins and stuff, especially since my project car is older ('99 model) and it's a bit harder to find info on it. There's some coupons on Retailmenot.com if you go that route.

2. Dummies Books: In particular, Auto Repair for Dummies. It's a great starting point and gives you all of the basic concepts about cars. They also have a lot of other good books on stuff like buying a car, car audio, insurance, etc. I like these books because they are written in English and not gearhead-speak, so it's much easier to start out and get your feet wet with the ideas behind how things work.

3. Tools: Harbor Freight is the standard for cheap tools. Not great tools, just cheap tools. Also check Craigslist & eBay.

 

[npoe1]

I am starting because I would like to have fun in the future improving my car; also, I do not see a point in paying a lot for simple repairs or maintenances.

I was checking the Ford Fiesta 2011 workshop manual; they are very detailed and shallow at the same time… they are a bunch of instructions and none of the background I would like to see.

The Dummies book seemed like a nice start, but there are many different ones; thanks for the recommendation I will give a try to that one and is not expensive.

Any advice on tools that I should have besides wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers.

 

[PottedMeat]

Any advice on tools that I should have besides wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers.

got a good (preferably 6 point) socket set? box of nitrile gloves? oil/fluid pan? jackstands and jack?

anything special wait until you need it.

 

[Kaido]

I am starting because I would like to have fun in the future improving my car; also, I do not see a point in paying a lot for simple repairs or maintenances.

I was checking the Ford Fiesta 2011 workshop manual; they are very detailed and shallow at the same time… they are a bunch of instructions and none of the background I would like to see.

The Dummies book seemed like a nice start, but there are many different ones; thanks for the recommendation I will give a try to that one and is not expensive.

Any advice on tools that I should have besides wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers.

Yeah, my situation is similar. I've been working on my 1999 Ford Escort coupe as kind of an intro-to-car-repair project. It's just not worth paying someone to fix because I can buy one in running condition for $1700 off Craigslist, and by the time you throw in parts cost & the labor to install them, it just gets kind of ridiculous. But it's not bad if I do it myself or pay a mechanic buddy a lower rate to do it for me.

 

[jagec]

I'm just starting out with basic maintenance myself, for fun. Here's what's helped me so far:

1. Service manuals: Chilton, Haynes, or ALLDATADIY (online version). I like ALLDATADIY because I can access it from any computer and they have service bulletins and stuff, especially since my project car is older ('99 model) and it's a bit harder to find info on it. There's some coupons on Retailmenot.com if you go that route.

2. Dummies Books: In particular, Auto Repair for Dummies. It's a great starting point and gives you all of the basic concepts about cars. They also have a lot of other good books on stuff like buying a car, car audio, insurance, etc. I like these books because they are written in English and not gearhead-speak, so it's much easier to start out and get your feet wet with the ideas behind how things work.

3. Tools: Harbor Freight is the standard for cheap tools. Not great tools, just cheap tools. Also check Craigslist & eBay.

Between resources like these and model-specific forums, this is a golden age of DIY wrenching IMHO. And let's not forget that many auto parts stores will loan specialty tools for free...

 

[Harrod]

Ball joint splitters are nice, if you plan on doing a cv joint repair, another thing that I have found really useful is a pry-bar that is round(doesn't flex), this has saved me tons of time with cv-joints that wouldn't release.

Pick up a breaker bar and a torque wrench as well to keep you from having to buy a helicoil kit by accident.

 

[jlee]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2153449

Check out his threads.

 

[bryanl]

Your library may have the old John Muir Publishing 'How to Keep Your...Alive' books. They cover only a few models and haven't been updated since the 1980s, but they're useful for learning the very basics, regardless of what vehicle you own. They are not at all like other repair books.

To learn about individual subjects, like engines, fuel systems, and brakes, there are many books from Motorbooks and HP Books about creating race cars (street and track) or boosting performance, and Haynes, a company known for fairly bad repair manuals (as is Chilton), puts out very good books in their 'Improve and Modify' series.

Next to factory manuals, Mitchell manuals are best.

 

[twinrider1]

Big +1 to model-specific forums. Each car seems to have it's quirks, certain weak spots that many seem to experience. Whatever happens to your car, chances are someone else has already dealt with it. And you might get lucky and someone already posted .pdfs of your factory service and parts manuals.