I considering going to the Toyota Technical Information System (TIS) web site to get the online shop manual for a 98 Toyota Corolla. As I understand, you can get one day on the site for $10 to view/download a manual in pdf form. Does anyone have experience with this site, i.e., can a person download/save all of the pdf's for a specific manual in a reasonable amount of time?
What information do I need to have before I go in so I don't have to spend a lot of time looking for my specific vehicle?
I've never used the TIS web site but for a hard copy factory repair manual, you will need series, i.e. Corolla, Celica, Camry, etc. and have a vehicle that is U.S. or Canada spec. Some series have multiple volumes and/or separate volumes for the electrical wiring diagram. Most have separate volumes for collision repair and new car features.
The manual is divided into sections, i.e., engine mechanical, MFI system, automatic transmission, manual transmission, brakes, body electrical, suspension, etc. It helps to know what system you're looking for ahead of time.
Thought some of you would like to hear my experience with the Toyota Technical Information System. I went on about 8 in the morning and paid the $10 fee for one day's use. You're supposed to get one day's access for $10 but, since they reset the subscriptions at midnight, you wind up getting the day you sign up plus the next day until midnight.
On the site you can access the manual for all models from about 1995 to present. You're not limited to a particular vehicle so you can move freely around to any vehicle. All of the information is in Acrobat pdf format so you can view, print, or save to file. The manuals are split up into a large number of files, so it's not easy to save an entire manual to your hard drive. You can search for specific repair information or for sets of infomation, such as AC, Brakes, electrical diagrams (wiring schematics or drawings), component locations, etc. There are a lot of links within many sections that take you to related procedures. There are many troubleshooting sections that list common problems and take you to related sections based on probable cause of failure. All of the service bulletins are there, as well as technician training, technician's reference, and owner's manual sections.
Be prepared to spend some time if you plan to get a lot of information. If you save or print, you definitely need to organize by section and plan to rename many of the files to more descriptive names. All in all, I'd say it is well worth the money spent. It's not hard to save the $10 on one repair job. Just one more reason why Toyotas are so popular.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.