Haynes vs. Chilton's

I found it depends on your car, on my Taurus both where good, Chiltons was better, on my VW rabbit Chiltons was almost useless and Haynes was good. With my Taurus I liked having them both because there was some stuff that the other wouldnt list, I eventually got the factory set which is the way to go.

For which purpose?

Haynes manuals are good for the DIY home mechanic. I've used several for cars I've owned over the years. They're generally good on procedures, parts locations, system schematics, etc. They're also good about telling you when to seek professional help. Their web site is

The Chilton manuals I'm familiar with are the comprehensive shop repair manuals, comparable to the factory manuals. They're aimed at the professional technician, and are priced accordingly. Looking at the Chilton web site,

I've found the same as Pete says, as far as the DIY versions are concerned... you shoulld ask to look at the other if you arent satisfied with the one you first pick.

Petebert opined in news:2hCYc.1$ snipped-for-privacy@news.uswest.net:

Robert Bentley publisher's Ford manual selection is rather limited. It appears that the main source for Ford service manuals is Helm

If I'm going to keep the car until it dies I spring for the Helms. They are not cheap but well worth the price for the knowledge. I bought them for my Tempo and they were worth every dime considering what they saved when I'd have to take the car in for a repair I couldn't do or my ex wouldn't do. At last I knew what they were talking about and I was able to explain it in terms they understood. Linda

I ordered a CLYMER from