need haynes manual

Nobody needs a Haynes manual. You are much better off buying a factory manual, used if need be to save cost.

Matt

No, you don't need a Haynes manual. You need a factory service manual.

The only thing a Haynes manual (or Chilton for that matter) is good for is for wiping your hands off after your completed the job correctly when using the Factory Service Manual.

Yes, more expensive, but worth the cost, as both Haynes and Chilton are chock full off errors and incomplete directions.

No, you don't need a Haynes manual for the following. You need a FACTORY service manual for the following. Haynes manuals are worse than worthless.

This should be included with every Haynes manual sold:

thank you (Matt, Joe, Mike, and Daniel (also for the link on the instructions:)) ... i get the picture. i have the fsm -- i need something simpler (that explains more simply) as an adjunct to the fsm. (please do NOT tell me i should not be working on a car if i cannot understand the fsm or similar:) any suggestions (relating to a book) would be very much appreciated thanks in advance!

Not a fan of these manuals, but here's a link to a chiltons book.

Thing is, the Haynes or Chilton book *won't* do that. What is it that you're having trouble understanding? Perhaps a basic automotive theory and nomenclature book would do the job...

To elaborate a little on my earlier comment -- one of the many reasons you don't want Haynes is that the way they "simplify" is by leaving out steps.

Asking questions is probably the best bet.

hi and thanks for answering! basically i have S.T.U.P.I.D. questions (for ex: what tools i would need) this is in the haynes manual for my other car -- i would NOT follow haynes / chiltons for procedures if they were outlined in the fsm.

do you know of any basic automotive theory / nomenclature books (more technical than for ex: "the complete idiot's guide to auto mechanics")? thanks sincerely Tanya

i would not rely only on the simpler books but use it / them as a guideline and follow the fsm etc.

my questions are stupid... how to access certain parts (what parts i need to remove). what type of tools are needed for replacing spark-plugs (for that vehicle) etc. the tool issue is the primary question for now. my haynes manual for my other car lists what i would need i imagine it is accurate wrt the list of tools

-- i should hope -- maybe not? thanks! sincerely Tanya

I wouldn't look to Haynes for that. I'd look for a general textbook on auto repair, in the short term. In the long term, I'd sign up for a class or two at a local Votech school.

Matt

"Tanya" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@attglobal.net...

Hi, Tanya.

Why don't you try posting about what task you want to perform, and we will give you an idea as to what tools you need to get the job done properly. Meanwhile, we'll assume you have some basic things you need for most automotive repairs:

Basic Tools o Socket sets: 1/2" and 3/8" drive, both SAE and metric sizes. Extensions for same; the more and longer the better. o Box-end or combination open-end/box-end wrenches. SAE and metric sizes. o Pliers. You can frequently get away with a standard pair, but adjustables come in handy. Needle-nosed pliers are especially useful as well. o Wire cutter/stripping tool. You don't need anything fancy. o Screwdrivers. A selection of both Phillips and flat-blades. Long, skinny flat-blades are often handy. o A utility knife, or other similar instrument. o Hammer. If you have a typical claw hammer, it will do. A ball-peen hammer is useful. o Rubber or (less desirable) wooden mallet. Used for "gently" "persuading" things, where a regular hammer would damage parts. o Scraping tool -- a putty knife or razor-blade scraper will suffice. You may also require a plastic scraper if you're going to be removing old gasket material from soft aluminum surfaces. o A pry (or crow) bar of some sort. o A magnetic tool, usually telescoping, for retrieving dropped fasteners or sockets o An oil drain pan o A small floor jack and a pair of jack stands. Choose carefully if you're working on a large SUV; some are heavier than the rating on the less expensive jacks/stands, and are too high off the ground to be lifted. o Something to block the wheels when lifting the vehicle with the jack. A couple of bricks work fine. o A shop light, with a steel or plastic protective cage surrounding the bulb. An inexpensive incandescent light works fine, but you'll want to spend an extra dollar or two for the 'rough service' lightbulbs.

Consumables o A wire brush o An aerosol can of penetrating lubricant. o An aerosol can of carburetor cleaner or brake parts cleaner o A small blowtorch and a cylinder of propane, along with matches or a spark igniter o An abundance of old rags, paper towels and a good waterless hand cleaner. Lava soap works as well. o A roll of electrical tape

There are obviously many, many other items you could add to this list. These are probably the bare minimum you will want to have to tackle light repair work. Being that winter is setting in for many parts of the country, you will likely need to find a sheltered location to do your work.

If you're going to be doing much at all, add a torque wrench to the list above. You'll probably actually want two: one with a range in inch-pounds for small fasteners, and one with a range in foot-pounds for larger fasteners. Basic units start around $25, but the quality is questionable.

--Geoff

Tanya, if you read the section in the FSM and don't understand it, your questions aren't going to be stupid.

Some joker asked if he could feed his car vegetables a couple days ago in rec.autos.tech, THAT is a stupid question.

You may not think so but it is as easy as pie to tell the difference between a fool who doesen't have a FSM and asks a stupid question, and someone who does have a FSM, reads the pertinent section, then asks questions.

In fact questions like this are why we all bother reading this ng.

You aren't going to help yourself by asking something like this and not telling us why.

Here's a start, you can let me know if I'm wrong or not:

"My car is running like crap and I want to do a basic tuneup to eliminate obvious bullshit, so I'm replacing the coil/plugs/wires, I read the FSM and what tools should I use"

Ted

>

Try also

"When a legislature undertakes to proscribe the exercise of a citizen's constitutional rights it acts lawlessly and the citizen can take matters into his own hands and proceed on the basis that such a law is no law at all."

- Justice William O. Douglas

hi Geoff thanks very much for posting the tool list! i REALLY appreciate it i *do* have some of tools that you mention... thanks again sincerely, Tanya

Geoff wrote:

close car runs poorly when it is cold (even without the blower (fan in the car)) -- it

*does* start with no problem ... the spark plugs were changed last week (the ones that were replaced are VERY black and were only in the car for ~ 10 months)

i want to look at the spark plugs -- i don't know how :-)

thanks again sincerely Tanya

hi, thanks for the suggestion i have the factory manual. sincerely, Tanya

Leave the plugs alone. If your plugs were very black when changed last week after only being in the engine for 10 months, then your engine is burning oil, unless they were the wrong plugs. If nothing has been changed since 10 months ago other than the plugs, the ones that are in there today are rapidly on their way to getting black.

What does the inside of the end of the tailpipe look like? Is it black and sooty?

If you have the car idling in the driveway on a sunny day and someone guns the engine, does a big puff of stinky blueish smoke come out the back?

How many miles are on this 1989 Colt? How many quarts of oil is this car going through in between oil changes?

The cold drivability problems are just a side effect, and are not important. They are probably happening because this is a high-mileage engine with worn rings, which is why it's burning oil, and the compression on this engine is in the toilet. As a result the engine systems are way out of wack, trying to overcompensate for this.

If your using more than a quart of oil every 2000 miles then your not going to fix this by adjusting and tinkering with the engine. You either need a new engine, or a rebuild on the one you have, or a junkyard engine that isn't worn out.

Ted