# Haynes Manual=Waste of Money!



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Just as the title says. 
I'm not a mechanic, my mechanical inclination is not too great, but I do enjoy turning a wrench here and there and I definitely appreciate saving a penny on labor charges when I can. I've always worked from a Haynes manual when dealing with little issues on my vehicle, and nothing was ever straightforward. Pictures didn't match up, parts were missing in real life or in the manual, it just was not very easy. Case in point: This past weekend's brake rotor replacement on my 1990 4Runner. I started Saturday afternoon working on this, thinking it would be pretty straightforward. Cracked open the Haynes manual, dug around until I found 'hub removal', lifted the front end and removed the front wheels. Lo and behold, my hubs looked nothing like those pictured in the manual, even though my truck was smack dab in the middle of the manual's covered model years. I found all the variations, and nothing matched. Figuring I could wing it, I tried, but I couldn't. Nuts and bolts were unaccounted for here in the manual, there in real life, vice versa. 8 hours of intense head scratching and occasional wrenching later I surrendered, hit the internet, and found a free Factory Service Manual. Looked up hub removal, and what do you know--there it was! My hubs, bolt for bolt, grease cap for grease cap. 30 minutes later both hubs were off, and within a couple hours new calipers, rotors, and pads were installed, bearings were repacked and installed, brake lines bled, all good. 
Next car up, 2000 Mazda 626 (wife's) just needed brake pads. In spite of my reservations, I cracked open her Haynes manual. Lifted the caliper, removed the old pads, removed the pad retainers, tried to re-install the retainers, tried some more......if only I had NOT removed the retainers, they would have been fine. They were seated nicely, the retaining portion was nice and springy, all good. Once they were removed, they were impossible to reseat. Nearest parts house stocking them was 30 miles away, and definitely closed by 8PM Sunday night. Had to leave it sitting overnight, thanks to Mr. Haynes! 
There's other instances too......dash panel removal, Haynes manual didn't cover my vehicle. Valve adjustment, Haynes manual's wording was vague at best, terrible compared to FSM. I always thought I was terrible at this stuff, and maybe I am, but if I'd just used the FSM all along I could have saved myself hours upon hours of time working on my vehicle. Just a word to the wise, before you decide to tackle one of those half-day fixes on your car get a FSM.....step away from the Haynes book!


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Like you, I prefer to save money when ever I can and do my own work on my vehicles. I'm not a mechanic either, and usually end up using the Haynes manuals I have. I have not encountered yet (thank goodness) not having my particular job shown in the manual. My wifes old Ford Windstar had me cursing years ago and I ended up buying a Chilton manual that had the fix in it. If you have a chance to post the web site you used I'd like to take a look at it. Any little help is still help! Glad you got through it!


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## scavengerj (Sep 10, 2007)

I tried a Haynes years ago...threw it in the trash. As lil red jeep pointed out, Chilton's is much better. But as you learned nothing beats an FSM. 
I got FSM hard copies as well as having them on CDs for my vehicles and wouldn't use anything else.


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## 2000Chevys104x4 (Jun 15, 2009)

its not the easiest thing to understand how to use but they are a lifesaver if you know how to use it.. i love em


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## welshman (Sep 28, 2005)

AllData is another good resource. After breaking out the Haynes for rebuilding the rr brakes on my pickup, I found out it is a different design.

So I went online, paid the money to AllData, and had immediate access, to the correct illustrations and parts breakdown.


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## MetroMan (Mar 7, 2009)

FSM is THE way to go! I learned SO MUCH about cars when I had my Saturn & FSM (scored the hard copyset off of ebay).


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## 2000Chevys104x4 (Jun 15, 2009)

shopkey5 is amazing but i think you might have to be a shop just to get it


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## Al Kai (Jan 8, 2007)

I have the FSM, Chiltons and Haynes manuals for my 84 Ford F150 and my sons 89 Ford Mustang.

The Haynes is lousy. For my Sons Mustang the Haynes manual has Ford Mustang and Mercury Capri tied to together in the same manual. 

That's about as useless as tits on a boar hog but I bought the manual anyway.


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## atblis (Jul 20, 2003)

The Capri and Mustang were more or less the same car (79-86).


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## RW_20 (Oct 16, 2007)

welshman said:


> AllData is another good resource. After breaking out the Haynes for rebuilding the rr brakes on my pickup, I found out it is a different design.
> 
> So I went online, paid the money to AllData, and had immediate access, to the correct illustrations and parts breakdown.


Alldata is a great resource. I did not realize it was available online now. It use to be very pricey, but worth it if you needed it daily. It is actually a quick reference to factory service manuals, including any bulletins, and updates that have been made sense print.

Rebel, You have a close resource only a few miles away. Give me a shout if you have trouble in the future. I have 30 years of experience manuals  I'd be glad to help


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## Bobmac (Oct 11, 2008)

Haynes very seldom matched up to anything up here either. I don't know where they got the vehicles they were working on but they sure weren't from North America.


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## OtterPop (Oct 24, 2006)

I stopped using em, Really with the internet you can type "so and so DIY" and you will see picture for picture how to do it.


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