Buying Honda Accord off ebay....

luvya

Banned
Nov 19, 2001
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Should I or Should I not? I invested $15 on a set of toolbox this afternoon and plan to do all the easy maintenance by myself from now on. (not ruling out the possibility of more complex repair, but let's be realistic here). I have absolutely no hand-on experience in car repair except that I've removed pretty much everything on the dashboard before. I wonder if the factory service manual will be adequate enough for me to take care of my own car.

Would love to hear someone with the service manual book to speak out.

Btw, this is what I am looking at right now. Text
 

fredtam

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
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Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
Originally posted by: fredtam
Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
I hope the $15 was just for a toolbox, not including tools.

My 9mm wrench cost twice that. :D
Which is my point :Q Not like I have some super nice set...but...

Yeah...I didn't want to mention the insane amount I spent on the box. Mentioned the 9mm because it seems to be a Japanese favorite.
 

luvya

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Nov 19, 2001
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Actually...it includes tools. Yeah yeah...I know I know...but the set looks quite complete to me, more tools than I've ever used in my lifetime.

About the "service CD".....mmm, I think it would be nice to have graphic to look at when I am doing the repair. Does it have the exact same content as the book? I think the CD is made up by aftermarketer..Honda only released the paper-based version. Correct me if I am wrong here.
 

jarfykk

Senior member
Mar 29, 2001
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Well, maintenance and repairs come in many different difficulty levels. The most basic follow. You should be able to do all of this without a book/manual. They should be explained in your car's owner's manual, or be self-explanatory.

-Changing the air filter
-Checking the oil
-Adding washer fluid, AT fluid (if needed, sometimes complex issue)
-Changing windshield wiper blades
-Checking your tire pressure
-Adding fuel and, if needed, fuel additives.

These are all VERY basic and would require no tools (except for the ait filter, sometimes has a bolt, usually a clip though.) Good place to start.

After this is the stuff that you can do with basic tools. A manual would be helpful if you've never done it before. Ask questions before doing stuff you're unsure of, but most of these aren't too hard.

-Change your oil and oil filter. (I will say it is often cheaper, if you use regular organic oil, to take your car to a shop and have them do it, especially with a coupon. It might be a wash in money spent, but the time and possible mess makes it fun. Also, a jack and jack-stands are almost a must.) That said, it is worthwile to do it a few times, if only for the experience.

-Change your spark plugs. Not markedly difficult to do, but has some intimidation factor as you are opening up your engine. Care is needed, as are the proper socket-wrenches, gapping tool, and some knowledge of what to buy.

After this the list of things to be done to a car goes on forever. The difficulty level varies quite a bit. Maybe give it a go with the basics. Have a knowledgeable friend change your oil with you some time (hopefully they have jack/stands). A good tool set would inclue the following, people, post other things that you think would be good too:

-Socket set (metric or standard, depending on your car's make). I have both.
-Crescent wrench.
-Screwdriver set (couple sizes, Philips and flat-head).
-Allen-wrench kit.
-Hex-bit (star-shaped screwdriver bits) kit.
-Some wrags.
-Latex gloves if you want cleanup to go quicker. I don't use them but many do.
-Spark plug gapper (cheap one that does the trick costs $2 at Pep Boys, better one a good idea for serious work).
-Jack and jack-stands. Don't buy these unless you're going to get reasonably involved with your car's maintenance and repair.
-More wrags. :)

Good luck, questions always welcome.
 

vegetation

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2001
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Originally posted by: luvya
Actually...it includes tools. Yeah yeah...I know I know...but the set looks quite complete to me, more tools than I've ever used in my lifetime.

About the "service CD".....mmm, I think it would be nice to have graphic to look at when I am doing the repair. Does it have the exact same content as the book? I think the CD is made up by aftermarketer..Honda only released the paper-based version. Correct me if I am wrong here.

CD versions are usually not legit. Just some guy who has access to a batch scanner and puts everything in the factory print manual into pdf format. But the quality is usually very good. You can of course print what pages you need, and not worry about getting oil and gunk all over. Service manuals are very detailed and unless you're running a shop, it's unlikely you'll ever be using a whole lot of pages in there, though it's fun just to browse through it all.
 

ThisIsMatt

Banned
Aug 4, 2000
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Originally posted by: luvya
Actually...it includes tools. Yeah yeah...I know I know...but the set looks quite complete to me, more tools than I've ever used in my lifetime.

About the "service CD".....mmm, I think it would be nice to have graphic to look at when I am doing the repair. Does it have the exact same content as the book? I think the CD is made up by aftermarketer..Honda only released the paper-based version. Correct me if I am wrong here.
Not trying to rain on your parade, but you're gonna be pissed when you're working with them and your 3/8 to 1/4 adapter snaps off in the middle of a job :p

Have you looked into Haynes or Chiltons manuals for your car?
 

luvya

Banned
Nov 19, 2001
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I have...but since it will be the first time I work on my car...I want to be 100% sure what I am doing. Somehow I just don't feel very confident in Chilton or Hayns (the worse of the two) manuals.
 

Locke

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2001
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Chilton and Haynes don't cut it.

I ordered the factory service manual directly for $70, and it paid for itself in the first repair I made.... My brake pads!

I also just replaced one of my CV axels which would have been a $250 expense. Cost me about $70 for the part, and another $15 for misc stuff. If you havea full metric ratched set with a couple extensions, I've found you can do just about anything to a honda!