For the information of all those people looking for help on their Saturns or other cars. While these sites are great places to learn things about your cars and get help figuring things out about them. If you go out and buy a Chiltons manual (retail $15-$20) it will save you alot of heart ache. There are alot of people oput there that say they don't help. But those people are idiots. I am a decent mechanic and I still use them constantly on all the vehicles I work on. Shop manuals are even better but far more expensive. But if you plan on doing your own work and saving yourself some money buy a Chiltons (at least).

 

Wise words there "Q"


A little research can go a long way...If not to repair...but to prevent.


gpers


[img]smileys/smiley14.gif[/img]

 

Do you prefer the Chiltons over the Haynes? I have always bought the Haymes, but we used Chiltons in High School

 

I've only own haynes manuals, let alone seen more than them.

 

I've found Chiltonsand Haynes to be pretty similar. The limitations of both are that they cover many years so are not very specific. Very good for step by step instructions though. As posted above, the service manyals are the best bet, but they are pretty expensive, hard to find and they assume that you already have a working knowledge of the car. Good if you do, frustrating if you don't.

 

i've found that both the chilton and haynes manuals are horrible for most things that i've had to do to the car over the years. by far the best investment i've made is to spring for a set of factory service manuals. you can get them from the dealerships for about $120-$150 for a very comprehensive set. i'll say "comprehensive" here, because a "full" set would include both the auto and manual gearboxes (obviously you'll only have one type installed in your car, unless you swap) and body repair and collision pubs, too.


they come in a 3 volume set. each volume is the approximate size of a LARGE phone book. they give new meaning to the phrase, "step by step instructions"...





s3aturnr

 

I happen to like Hayes manuals... Granted, I've never really used Factory Repair Manuals... But I do like the broad range of years and general guidelines the Hayes gives me so I can actually learn something instead of just doing whatever the book says.

 

haynes is definitely a cheaper alternative. if you go it without ANY manual, you're in for a bumpy ride. but, once you go fsm, you never go back... [img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]





s3aturnr

 

Granted, I wish I had the real Manuals... But I don't have that sort of extra cash... And as for Chilton vs. Hayes, I just pick up whichever is handybecause it's what I find at AutoZone when I go there to get tools, parts, or other accessories...

 

Very true the FSM will allow you to get more done easier, but the average car owner relies on others to maintain their car. Oh how it would have been nice to have been alive during the muscle car era...but I own a Saturn for the mileage and cuz i'd heard good things about them. I buy a Chilton for any car I own the day after I buy the car because it's inevitable that SOMETHING will break. Or that's just my luck. o.0