Menu:

 

This post is about auto repair manuals. Where they came from and how they have progressed through the years.

At the end you will learn about the future of this very important automotive information and what you can get your hands on now.

Auto repair manuals are published by independent companies rather than the manufacturers themselves. However they do pay for and get most of their information from the carmakers.

These car repair manuals contain component information, diagnostic steps, repair procedures, and specifications for several makes of automobiles in one book. Information is usually condensed and is in more general form than a manufacturer specific manual.

This condensed format allows for more coverage in less space and therefore is not always as specific or helpful. A telltale sign of one of these overview manuals would be that they would contain several model years of a specific model car in one book. Example: Ford Pinto covered from 1974-1981.

Auto repair manuals on CD

The same information that is available in service manuals is also available on several different electronic formats. In the beginning, this information was offered on CD-ROMs. And next, they were offered on DVDs, which were able to hold more information per disc.

A single DVD disc can hold a quarter of a million pages of text, eliminating the need for a huge library to contain all of the printed manuals. Using electronics to find information is also easier and quicker if they contain a search feature.

It used to be that these discs were updated on a monthly basis and not only contained the most recent service bulletins, but also engineering and field service fixes supplied by that auto manufacturer.

Web based auto repair manuals

The latest wave of this electronic auto repair information is offered in a web-based format. All of the information once contained on compact discs or DVDs is now uploaded on a central server network. This allows subscribers to access the information that is required. It also eliminates the update procedure that was required on the disc format.

The subscriber simply pays a fee and has access to the latest and greatest auto repair information available. I put together a page that shows you how this system works for the do-it-yourself car mechanic. I also provide a video that shows you what it looks like after you log in to one of these web-based auto service manuals.

If you would like to find out more about this website and what else is offered here, please visit the online auto repair homepage.

 


Comments


Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply