Have a GREAT CHRISTMAS and may 2010 rid us of gremlins and make us all rich.
Have a GREAT CHRISTMAS and may 2010 rid us of gremlins and make us all rich.
Member since:30.11.2000
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Apart from buying your house the purchase of your first indeed your any car is a big decision. For those who can afford to buy new models great, for the remainder of us who purchase second hands cars we are perhaps a little bit more cautious. Which ever category you find yourself in you will have by now discovered the cost of maintenance and repairs. Even the smallest job seems to cost a fortune at a garage no matter how reputable it may be. The more expensive costs are usually met when one is forced to use the company from which the car was purchased. Not using them may in some cases invalidate any warranties. They are in the business of making money and as far as I can see they certainly make a huge wad when it comes to servicing and repairs, but that is a different matter and I digress.
With fuel prices
rising and falling like a roller coaster we drivers have to find a more practical solution to these ever rising costs. May I introduce you to Haynes, they produce comprehensive manuals which enable even a novice to complete many of the tasks your precious vehicle may need over the course of your ownership. They publish manual for most makes of car and are readily available in shops such as Halfords. For an initial outlay of around £14.99 you can have at hand a manual which will guide you through step by step just about any task you may need to get to grips with. The manuals themselves are published in hardback with a picture of the vehicle on the front. There is usually a cut away section showing the interior of the bonnet with parts of the engine showing. If like me you are a total numpty in things such as this have no fear even at this point. For every part of your car is explained with the hundreds of colourful and detailed pages.
The step by step guide to your chosen task is shown in pictures and quite a detailed explanation of what needs to be done. It is explained in such a manner that most people with a good grasp of English will easily be able to understand and indeed comprehend. When I first decided to save myself a fortune and do some of my own repairs I was scared to hell. After having made a bit of a botch up of my first effort , which was entirely my fault since I had failed to read a paragraph which explained the delicate removal of a part which should have been taken off first. Having missed the paragraph I ended up breaking the part which cost me a tidy some. Should you decide to partake of some of your own repairs keep this fact in mind and read each page well and possibly even twice before tackling the job.
The written explanations are clear and easily followed in conjunction with the detailed and good pictures. Apart from this very useful information there is a section on each task to be performed which details any special tools which may be required. The purchase of such tools may be of considerable cost but if you continue to do your own repairs you will re-coup this many times over.
Apart from the labour costs you will save which is where most of the garage costs are incurred, you will again save a large some of money buying your parts from the many quality suppliers which are scattered around the country. The Haynes manual is an absolutely essential tool for anyone considering their own repairs, it is also an invaluable guide to those who even though they do not want to do their own repairs may just want to have a little keek under the bonnet and see how the old girls works.
For £14.99 you are getting a tremendously useful tool which will help you save loads of dosh and may even help you find a new hobby. I am not by any means suggesting that doing all these repairs is great fun but some of them are actually quite enjoyable and the gratification from completing a task is a big ego booster. There is also a greatly deal of pleasure to be had from doing your own repairs and knowing that it is YOU who are keeping you on the road and not some garage which has just screwed you out of £145 for a £25 job.
If you do decide on doing some car DIY most of all have fun take your time and get a Haynes manual you will find it a positive gem
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Cheap, easy to follow if you've got half a clue, saves you a fortune on labour charges. Disadvantages: Photos in black and white, could explain things in a bit more detail.
rockandrollstar 01.05.2003 (12.05.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Haynes Workshop Manuals
Advantages: Cheap, easy to follow if you've got half a clue, saves you a fortune on labour charges. Disadvantages: Photos in black and white, could explain things in a bit more detail.
rockandrollstar 01.05.2003 (12.05.2003)
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Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Haynes Workshop Manuals
Oct 24th, 2006
exceptional by (2%):
very helpful by (98%):
