Finding Auto Repair and Service Manuals

In our travels into automotive repairs and time spent with wrenches there is often mention of consulting the service or repair manual. When it comes to a removal and replacement of something fairly straightforward and simple like an air filter or an oil and filter change, the procedure is more or less universal. A service or repair manual is probably a good idea when it comes time to tackle a more esoteric task like finessing the SPICA fuel injection system on a 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal into a steady idle.


While there is certainly a large part of the shade tree mechanic set who will generally throw directions to the wind no matter what the task, vehicle specific instructions can be a good thing when it comes to things like brakes and wheels. Finding the service manual can be half the battle. Locating a service or repair manual is much like finding a car. There are a few different kinds and more than one place to look for them. Read on for a few tips for locating the books for everything from a 1971 Ford Pinto to 2001 Toyota Camry.

Making the Books

There are more or less two kinds of books when it comes to automobile repair. The first and most expensive are the factory service manuals. These are the same books used at the dealership to help fix errant connecting rods or chase faulty electronics. Next in line is another kind of service manual. Companies like Haynes and Chiltons use factory service manuals along with cameras and writers to dismantle then reassemble automobiles to produce their own repair books. These are usually geared more toward the occasional mechanic.

The Dealer

The first and often most expensive option is to step up to the parts counter at the dealership. If the owner's manual in the glovebox has the same year on the cover as that calendar on the wall, then forking over a pile of cash may be the only option until some time passes. On the other side of the time machine is that the dealer is often the only option if the car has seen a few presidents. Stepping away from the parts counter with a genuine factory is usually a fairly painful financial experience. A used manual will have more greasy fingerprints but can cost a lot loss.

Brick and Mortar

Call us crazy, but we still cling to the antiquated idea that a bookstore is still a good place to find books. Bookstores that specialize in motorized interests are a good place to find a service manual new or used for that old SIMCA, oil-spewing NSU, or Fiat 500 Abarth currently stored in several five gallon buckets in the backyard. There are even bookstores that specialize solely in automobile factory service manuals! Not surprisingly a number of these booksellers also have online stores to help reunite repair manuals and interested car or truck owners.