Contributions are Welcome!

The Internet is a very large place, so it would be impossible to know every nook and cranny of it (unless, perhaps, you’re a Google spider or something like that). That said, we’d like to let you all know that Repair Manuals Online is accepting contributions to be posted on our blog. This is your chance to give your own insights as well as share information you think others might find useful.

Perhaps you’ve seen an excellent web site or even an online message board that deals with online auto repair manuals. Or you could have found a treasure trove of online car repair manuals that are hosted on some file server or another site. Maybe you know of a friend of yours that’s about to upload scans of his or her repair manual or car care manual. Or you could even be wanting to start your own blog that showcases particular online repair manuals. If so, do let us know and we’ll make sure that the majority of people looking for online automotive repair manuals will be able to find the one that suits their needs and requirements.

Standard rules apply; make sure you send us an active link and a brief description. Just leave it in the comments section so we can note it down, after which we’ll check out the link before we post it on our blog. We’ll take care of the writing needed for the blog post, so don’t worry about doing some pro-bono writing work. Haha. Just kidding.

Thanks in advance to the helpful people who want to contribute to our effort in bringing the best and brightest online auto repair manuals to the forefront. There’s nothing like getting information straight from the people who really use these online car repair manuals and resources.

Merry Christmas from Repair Manuals Online!

We would like to greet everyone Merry Christmas!

The year has almost drawn to a close, but we hope that you continue to get your fill of online repair manuals right here at our blog. It's been one heck of a year, and we hope to bring you more news, more information, more tips and tricks for 2011. Of course, this is a Christmas post and not a New Year's post, so we'll leave the “what's in store for next year” bit for a later post.

Remember, you can always get into the spirit in this season of giving. So why not hop on over to your trusted online auto repair manual tool or site and gift it to your friends? You can get them a subscription, or you can buy them an online repair manual, or you can simply forward a couple of useful links. Heck, why not tell them about http://repairmanualsonline.blogspot.com/ in the process? You might even be able to chance upon some holiday deals or some yuletide treats if you're lucky.

Of course, a standard car repair manual in paper or book format will do nicely for anyone, too. As long as it helps get the job done and get the job done right, then we're sure that whoever you gift that manual to will be very appreciative of your present. It's definitely going to help any mechanic or DIY auto enthusiast happy, regardless if the one you get is a digital or a physical repair manual.

Anyway, we all hope you're well and warm this Christmas, surrounded by your loved ones and confronted by a welcome barrage of gifts and good wishes. And food. Let's not forget the food. May you have a bountiful feast, or at the very least a modest meal to keep your tummy happy.

Again, Merry Christmas to all!

Some Quick Safety Tips for Christmas Eve

Since we’re in the topic of general car care, and we’re feeling really cold this Christmas Eve, we thought we’d share some quick safety guidelines for each time you work on your ride. These are compiled from some of our favorite online repair manuals.

- Simply avoid smoking every time you need to perform a task on your ride. You don’t want anything catching fire or blowing up now, do you?

- Avoid getting chemicals into your eyes. These include cleaners and antifreeze. Make sure you wash your hands after using such stuff and store them in places where your kids or your pets will be able to access them.

- Make sure that your garage or workshop has adequate ventilation at all times. This won’t be a problem if you work outside your place; otherwise, try to keep those doors and windows open to provide proper ventilation.

- Jewelry doesn’t belong in the garage. Sure, you look all bad-ass with all that bling, but if your necklace or rings get caught in some car part, you can get in serious trouble or you might even get into an accident.

- If you have long hair, tie it at the back so that it doesn’t get in the way. This will also keep your hair from getting ruined or caught in certain openings in your ride’s parts.

- We can’t stress this enough: make sure that your ride’s parking brake is engaged when you work on the vehicle. You must also ensure that the engine is shut off and that the car’s gear shifter is in the Park position.

- Use some wheel blocks to prevent rolling. If you don’t have proper blocks, you can use makeshift wooden blocks or even some decent-sized rocks.

- Have a fire extinguisher nearby in case of emergencies.

Anyone in DIY auto repair should keep those things in mind to prevent injuries and accidents. Remember: safety in the shop is the number one priority.

Advanced Merry Christmas, guys!

Things You’ll Find in a Generic Auto Repair Manual

Previously, we’ve already started discussing online auto repair manuals that have a generic approach. They help us get a good feel about the fundamentals of car repair and car maintenance, thanks to a complete selection of information about car parts and systems along with step by step guides on performing particular repair or maintenance tasks. But what exactly will you find in such types of car repair manuals?

First off, you get a dumbed-down approach to instructing about auto repair. That’s not a bad thing, and we shouldn’t be insulted. That approach will only help us better understand the contents. This serves as the primer to bigger and better things, the easy route to bridging the gap between understanding your vehicle and actually performing repairs and service on your ride.

In many ways, these generic auto repair manuals help establish the common sense behind how seemingly-complicated components work. You’ll know what it takes to get started, what you should know before you even pick up that wrench, setting up a toolbox, quick preventive maintenance tips, and other useful material for preparation.

Some car care manuals provide a per-system overview of general car maintenance and repair, plus some tips and tricks all about troubleshooting. You’ll also get some information about popular car care myths along with the secrets of your vehicle. Others offer glossaries that will aid in the understanding of the text itself. You get all of that in one practical package.

If you think that DIY car care and auto repair is very complicated and not very fun, then these generic auto repair manuals will be able to dispel those misgivings by letting you understand the inner workings of your vehicle using a language that most people will understand. Everyone has to start somewhere, and for most of us, we start with these kinds of manuals if we want to get a foot in the world of DIY auto repair.

Online Auto Repair Manual Reviews: Freeonlineautorepair.com

We’ve already provided a bunch of reviews centered on some of the preeminent paid or premium online car repair manual services on the world wide web, along with some posts pointing to a couple of free online repair manuals. Today, we’ll be setting our sights on a free online auto repair manual site, the aptly named Free Online Auto Repair web site over at http://www.freeonlineautorepair.com/.

The one positive that stood out for us is that the information at freeonlineautorepair.com is organized in a variety of ways. You can browse through listings like Common Diagnostic & Repair Topics, Quick Tips for cars and trucks, and an alphabetically arranged Repair Directory.

The Repair Directory is perhaps the most useful for many who are looking for something close to a repair manual specific to particular makes and models. Just click on the link to your vehicle’s make and you’ll be taken to a page that lists all the site’s entries featuring that automobile manufacturer. There are some active links for certain vehicle models, although it’s more of a hit or miss thing here. You can also find some pieces of general reference material that you can use, like tip and tricks for general automotive care and maintenance and a fancy online PDF glossary of car-related terms.

Perhaps the biggest drawback even with the seemingly numerous listings is that the information can be really limited. The coverage isn’t very comprehensive, with only a few entries included for some makes. Well, what can you do? It’s a free site. You’re in luck if you can find what you need in their listings.

When push comes to shove, freeonlineautorepair.com is not the best automotive repair resource on the Internet, and it certainly won’t be an alternative for premium auto repair manuals that you can use for comprehensive data. Still, there are some features on the site that you can use, albeit only a very limited amount.

Mitchell 1 DIY Offers Discounts for the New Year

There are always great deals in store every Christmas season, including sales and promos for gadgets, gaming consoles, computers, furniture and even clothing. New Year also brings inventory clearance sales and price drops. But did you know that you can also get premium online auto repair manuals at a cheaper price during this season? That’s just what Mitchell 1 DIY has in mind.

Here’s the official word on the Mitchell 1 DIY home page:

“Mitchell 1 DIY would like to help you keep that New Year's Resolution to repair the things on your vehicle that you have been putting off. That's why we're offering our One Week Subscription, regularly priced at $11.99 for $10.49.

Mitchell 1 DIY Online repair information features over 16,000 vehicles with more than 19,000 repair articles and thousands of technical service bulletins, including recalls, and millions of supporting graphics.”

Of course, this offer has been in place for quite some time now, and granted, it’s just $1.50 off. But hey! We’re not the kind to spurn any discount or slashed price. $1.50 off quality premium online car repair manuals is still a very good offer.

Also, if you haven’t done so already, you can check out our overview of the Mitchell 1 DIY service over at this link. And the pricing there is even updated to reflect the current discounted rate. Now is your chance to avail of detailed repair manuals online, with an extensive coverage when it comes to model years and vehicle makes.

What better way to spend some of that excess Christmas bonus money than to get a reliable online repair manual for you or your enthusiast friends? Plus, it’s discounted, too! Now that’s better value for your hard-earned moolah.

Happy Holidays!

Preventive Maintenance through Online Repair Manuals

If your vehicle has ever broken down on you while you sped through the highway, then you know how much hassle that entails. Basically, there’s only one proven way to prevent that from happening to you—the key is preventive maintenance, and you can accomplish this with any reliable online auto repair manual.

You’ll be able to find a wide selection of online car repair manuals that will give you the necessary information that you’ll need to carry out monthly inspections on your car. Spending a small amount of time under your ride’s hood each month is guaranteed to reduce the chances that your vehicle will break down on you some time or another. In fact, some repair manuals even say that as much as 70 percent of highway breakdown causes can be prevented by simply taking a mere 15 minutes to check up under the hood of your vehicle.

You have to check components that lose vital fluid, lose air, come loose or get damaged after some time in use. When the level of fluids like oil, coolant, brake fluid and others start to get dangerously low, you should refill the fluid back to their operational levels.

Make sure to inspect such components as your car’s radiator, the drive belts, the accessory belts, the air filter and even the car battery. Inspect the different hoses that you find under the hood as well. All of the electrical wiring should also be checked every month to guarantee proper function out of your ride’s various electrically-powered components. Lastly, make sure your ride’s tires are in good condition.

Once you’re done with your monthly vehicle inspection, you’ll be able to have peace of mind knowing that there is little chance your car will break down on you when you go out for a drive. You’ll also effectively prolong the service life of your vehicle’s parts and spare yourself the hassle of fixing your vehicle in the middle of the highway.

Haynes: Our Online Auto Repair Manual of the Year

Since 2010 is coming to a close, I guess it is high time to give credit where credit is due. Thus, we present our 2010 Online Auto Repair Manual of the Year award to none other than Haynes Online. Although yes, you could make the case that Haynes is more like online ordering for actual auto repair manuals, it’s still an online service and we treat it as such.


We’re really impressed with the reach and the system implemented by Haynes. The company offers not just repair manuals for cars but also techbooks, ATV and motorcycle manuals as well as manuals in Spanish. Of course, what we really like the most is the process of actually producing the manual. Haynes tears down an entire vehicle (!!!) before rebuilding it.

This system allows for a thorough understanding of every system and component in the vehicle, as well as 100-percent accuracy when it comes to diagrams, layouts, positions and other particular pieces of information relating to a certain car model. These also help give users photos and illustrations of the actual car they need to work on. Of course, the drawback is that there has to be sufficient demand in order to make the manual you need available, but the Haynes coverage is pretty extensive anyway.

Of course, there were other strong contenders in 2010, as online repair manual services shored up their catalogs and even slashed prices on subscriptions. But then, you know what they say: there can be only one. This time, it’s Haynes. Who knows, next year maybe we’ll be able to see a different online auto repair manual service wearing the crown. There’s a lot of promise coming from some services, and maybe they’ll be able to break through in 2011.

Additionally, if you want more information about Haynes, you can go visit our review article on Haynes Online by clicking on this link.

Diagram Illustrations: How Important are they?

In our previous entries about looking for the right kind of online auto repair manuals, we stated that there has to be some illustrations included to help the DIY mechanic do his or her task. When you talk about the bottom line, however, are illustrations really all that important for people?

This argument comes up because there are already detailed step by step instructions that come with practically all online car repair manuals. These texts are quite easy to understand, so people will be able to follow them without much of a hitch. Then again, sometimes even the most carefully stated thoughts can be a bit confusing to other people. That’s when illustrations are needed.

Sometimes, it’s just hard to know if you’re handling the correct part in a particular system. A clear picture provided in the manual will dispel any doubts you have, and you can approach the task with more confidence since you know you’re not removing the wrong part.

Besides, thanks to an influx of computer software, rendering high-quality illustrations is now a cinch for many publishers. Readers now get very accurate diagrams as well as clearly-illustrated depictions of systems and processes. Pictures now are more detailed, more graphic and easily more eye-catching. Some even provide 3D images or animated gif files that really show how something works. These come in handy when you find yourself uncertain about something.

Illustrations are found in our everyday lives. From the newspaper to the television, we are barraged with a wide variety of visual stimuli. That’s because the human brain can understand and internalize things easier with the use. The same goes for online car repair manuals. All of that exclusive jargon, complicated processes and the concepts that are seemingly hard to understand simply become clearer thanks to visual aids included in the manuals.

Generic Online Auto Repair Manuals

Sometimes, people don't really need information that is too detailed for their own good. This holds true for automotive repair as well, particularly when getting a new online auto repair manual. There are instances where you simply need a repair manual that offers an overview or a general approach.

When would such a type of online repair manual be useful? One situation I can think if is when you’re just starting out in the world of DIY automotive repair and maintenance. After all, you’ll need some time to learn the ropes and know all of the basics when it comes to cars and what makes them work. Having a good grasp of the fundamentals is an important part of any endeavor, so that’s where the general online repair manual comes in.

When I was just dipping my toes into the pool of DIY auto repair, there were books that helped me get on the right track. Things like Auto Repair for Dummies and even the Complete Car Care Manual from Popular Mechanics may not be as in-depth as many would like, but they do offer a complete overview that can help you understand the basics.

For me, the best thing about such manuals is that they are really intended to be read by beginners or those with low levels of automotive repair skill. That means the information is organized very well, the language is quite plain, and the step by step procedures are easy to understand overall. This way, they can provide an adequate stepping stone before you move up to the more detailed online auto repair manuals that are specific to the cars you work on.

Detailed, model-specific information is very useful, especially for unique models that don’t really match the systems or configurations of common vehicles. Still, if you want to first know all about the basics, it won’t hurt to go the general auto repair manual route.

Things to Look for in Online Auto Repair Manuals Part 2

In a previous post a couple of days back, we’ve already provided some aspects that we think should be major factors in your decision to go for one online auto repair manual service over the others. Of course, three aspects don’t make a full online car repair manual, right? So we’ve decided to add to the list of things and features you should consider when you finally get your own paid subscription to an online vehicle repair manual. Here they are:

Ease of Use

Make sure you check if there are any available reviews about your prospective online auto repair manuals. This way, you can find out if that particular service or program or site is easy enough to use. It’s not so much the system requirements as it is the way the user interface is designed. If the online repair manual is easy to navigate, you’ll be able to get your desired information much faster.


Clarity of Information

Without a doubt, all paid online repair manuals aim to provide as comprehensive a coverage as possible. Sometimes, though, the language they use to present that information just isn’t understandable enough for common folk and for DIY beginners. That can be a roadblock for some, since they won’t be able to use something they can’t understand.


Cost

This is a major factor that we didn’t include in the previous list, but it is definitely a major, major aspect of purchasing an online car repair manual. All of the other aspects figure into this consideration, because the more features the manual program or site has, the better value you’ll get for the cost. One online repair manual may be more expensive than another, but if the additional features and coverage you’ll get is extensive, then it might be worth shelling out a few more bucks.

Looking Forward to More Online Repair Manual Goodness in 2011

So it’s December 11 today. I just realized that in only a couple or so more weeks to go, we’ll be moving on to the year 2011. We’re inching closer to what many call the 2012 phenomenon—you know, last year of the Mayan Calendar, end of the world stuff. I’m not really a fan of that kind of talk. I’m a fan of, obviously, online auto repair manuals.

The Smart fortwo electric drive

This is why I expect a lot more goodies from the online repair manuals front next year. This means people uploading more free scans and information, and paid premium online car repair manuals shoring up their services and updating their vehicle-specific catalog to include newer vehicle makes and models.

Here’s a good example: more and more hybrid and electric vehicles are seeing use nowadays. You’ve got the most visible Toyota Prius and there are others coming or that have already arrived, like those amazing BlueEfficiency cars from the folks at Mercedes-Benz and the Smart fortwo electric drive, along with the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Peugeot iOn that go on sale in January 2011. The market will definitely grab hold of more of these models, and there are already efforts to create more pieces of infrastructure to support such vehicles. I think we’ll see the need for more online auto repair manuals that can cover these vehicles and their green power plants.

Of course, automobile manufacturers are gearing for another year of release in 2011, as they try to build on solid growth in 2010 in terms of sales and revenue. The market looks to be recovering, but one thing remains: the public is aware that costs can be cut by performing DIY repair or maintenance tasks. That’s why online repair manuals will still be big in the upcoming year—if not bigger.

Things to Look for in Online Auto Repair Manuals

So you’ve finally decided to subscribe to or buy a paid online car repair manual. Yet, there are a lot of choices out on the World Wide Web, and it is very important that you know absolutely what you’re getting before you go and hit that Buy button. That’s why we’ve come up with a few things that you might want to look into first before you spend your cash. Here are some of the things you should look for in your online auto repair manual:

Vehicle-Specific Manual

Unless all you’re after are generic auto repair tips and tricks, you’ll probably want an online repair manual that tackles issues, problems and repair tasks specific to your vehicle’s make and model. This way, you can make sure that you won’t encounter any troubleshooting or repair problems simply because your ride has a different setup or has different components compared to what the manual is talking about.

Manual Contains an Illustrated Guide

Illustrations are always helpful, and full-blown videos are even more helpful. It would be nice if the manual you got had these features, as these will make your task much easier. It’ll be like you have a teacher or a coach actually showing you what to do. Furthermore, illustrations can help prevent confusion on your part because you can see exactly what the directions are referring to.

Accessible

Certain online auto repair manuals have minimum system requirements. These are the minimum specs your computer or laptop must have in order for the manual to be viewed. Just make sure your computer has these specs or better. After all, it would be pointless to spend cash on a manual if you won’t be able to even view it, right?


So that about covers it. Now that you know what to look for in your online auto repair manual, you can pick the one that best suits your needs and preferences. Good luck!

The Age-Old Debate: Free versus Paid

Online automotive repair manuals can be distinguished from one another depending on whether they are freely available and accessible or if you need to pay in order to have a subscription or to access the full version. Many are debating that the Internet contains a vast amount of information, enough to allow users to find whatever data they need to be able to do anything—and this includes automotive repair and maintenance.

Still, there’s the argument that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, even in auto repair. After all, if you really want the best, the most reliable and the most comprehensive information available, then you’ll have to pay up. Some paid online repair manual services have good claims about accuracy, since some of them do complete dismantling of particular vehicle makes and models in order to understand how the vehicle’s parts go together.

In the end, you’ll have to consider this: The bottom line is always your needs, and that’s where your decision will depend on. Do a quick search of the information that you require. If you can get answers for your question without having to pay a cent, would you still be in need of a premium online repair manual?

As we’ve said before, those who have some dough to spare should go ahead and subscribe to an online repair manual for their vehicle’s particular make and model anyway. After all, it’s not a question of “if” your car will break down or some of its components start to fail, only “when.” But since not everyone can afford to subscribe to good online car repair manuals, free online repair manuals and sometimes even those message boards are really useful and offer good alternatives for those who can’t or won’t shell out the money for the paid versions.

We Love Online Repair Manuals

As you can probably tell from the very name of this blog, we here all love online auto repair manuals. What can best explain this profound, unapologetic affection for online car repair manuals?

Well, it’s not really one thing or another, but rather something that has gradually crept up into my consciousness as a DIY enthusiast and a fanboy of cars and customization (and yeah, having done quite the number of repair tasks as well over the years also has a lot to do with it).

See, most people know things thanks to experience. It’s the same way with mechanics and enthusiasts. Having worked on vehicles for years, you get to have a certain idea or maybe even a feel for your car, so you’ll have some kind of instinct when something goes wrong. But what if you’re just starting out? Or even if you’re experienced, but you’re performing a repair job on a new car or some model that you’ve never had the chance to work on before?

This is where online repair manuals come in. They offer something like the ABCs of vehicle repair. They give us instructions to follow, tell us the probable reason why something is not working, and there are even some nifty pictures that make it easier for many of us.

What’s better than online repair manuals? Well, that can be none other than FREE online auto repair manuals. If you’re only going to use something once or twice, why pay for it? So long as you have some decent research skills using Google, Bing or whichever search engine you prefer, you’ll be able to find one in no time. And you don’t have to spend a single cent.

So those are just some of the reasons why we love online repair manuals. There are plenty more, but we don’t want this to be a tl;dr post or anything. Besides, a lot of us still have some early Christmas shopping to do, right?

Sharing and Giving, Online Repair Manuals Edition

Well, it’s only a couple more weeks until Christmas. Here at Repair Manuals Online, we’re in such a festive Christmas-y mood that we just want to doze off and take advantage of the comfort given by the cold weather. Then again, we still have a lot of things to write about and share with you guys.


Since it’s the season of giving and sharing, we’ll share with you one way to get your hands on premium online auto repair manuals without having to shell out the full cost of a particular manual. This is contingent on you finding other people who own the same car as you do. This is especially beneficial to forum members that have a shared interest or that all own the same car models.


What you can do is to divide the cost of the online repair manual, whether it’s a one-time ordering price or a year-long subscription. Sharing the cost of a paid online car repair manual is an excellent way to get detailed information without spending so much. Plus, more people can benefit from the purchase because the whole group can access the information, guides, tips and other stuff.


Another way you can go about it is to just gift access or subscription to your friends. If you’ve got a close club of make X model Y owners, isn’t it an excellent idea to purchase one for the greater good? It’s something that can be appreciated by all sorts of car enthusiasts and auto repair DIY mechanics.


There are many ways to spread the love this Christmas, and as seen in the ideas above, you can even include online repair manuals on your list of gift ideas. Not only do you make someone smile this yuletide season, you also make auto repair much easier for your pals (and maybe for yourself as well)!

The Best Things in Life aren’t Free

We know; the saying actually goes “the best things in life are free.” The fact is, that’s not true a lot of times. When you consider the context of online auto repair manuals, it can hold true for some, and not for others.

Sometimes, it depends on how diligent and crafty you can get when it comes to your Google search terms. Sometimes, it depends on how lucky you are that someone somewhere decided to scan his or her copy of an automotive manual or a car repair guide and uploaded it to the Internet. Sometimes, you won’t even have to go through all that trouble because your good ol’ local library has auto repair manuals (whether it’s a book or a CD-ROM) in their catalog. Sometimes, your trusted mechanic will have all the answers and—if you’re really lucky and friendly—he might give you the info and advice for free.

Still, there are times when you just won’t be able to find free online repair manuals for your particular vehicle, or the one you find just doesn’t explain your current troubles and issues. In such cases, the best recourse is to just buy the repair or service manuals off licensed retailers or from online repair manual providers.

Subscriptions to or orders for online car repair manuals are worth the investment, though—especially if you see your vehicle as more than just a vehicle. The price you’ll pay for a book or an annual subscription to an online repair manual is definitely small compared to the hefty repair and maintenance fees you might have to pay if you don’t want to do such tasks on your own.

So, yeah, sometimes the best things in life simply aren’t free. That doesn’t mean they’re not worth spending on, however. If you’ve got enough left on your car budget and you really want to save on mechanic fees, try checking out your online repair manual options now and hopefully come to a decision on which one to subscribe to.

Online Repair Manuals: Bikes and ATVs

Cars, SUVs and trucks aren’t the only ones that have online repair manuals. If you own a bike or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a utility terrain vehicle (UTV), you can also avail of many online vehicle repair manuals for your specific machine.

While online repair manuals for motorcycles and ATVs may not seem as common as those of their more illustrious counterparts, but the truth is that there are many sites out there that you can use to gain information on various topics relating to the repair and servicing of your bike or quad.

Just like with automobiles, you can also find free online repair manuals for your motorcycle. These bike repair manuals and ATV repair manuals offer a good resource for your DIY and repair efforts, and the best part is you don’t have to pay a single cent to access the manuals via subscription or to download PDF files of actual manuals. An example here again is a web site that we’ve discussed before: FixYa, which has a motorcycle category.

While bikes and quads may have systems that are less complicated compared to cars, some issues can still be tricky to figure out and solve. That’s where online manuals come in. Just grab your laptop or turn on your PC, then log on to the Internet and you’ll have ready access to troubleshooting procedures and suggested fixes.

Whether you’re driving a top-of-the-line Harley or going off-road on your ATV, getting an online repair manual is a great way to ensure that any future repair or maintenance tasks can be accomplished easier, faster and with less hassle. With reliable workshop manuals and repair manuals to guide you and help you in tough situations, going the DIY route can prove to be much more fun and fulfilling. Plus, you get to shave off all those expensive repair costs by doing tasks yourself.

Online Auto Repair Manual Reviews: Mitchell 1 DIY

One of the newer online auto repair manuals available is Mitchell 1 DIY. The service is running on its sixth year now, and it has built up quite a sizeable database of online repair manuals over that short span of time.

Here are some of the pros: Mitchell 1 DIY contains a wide range of information, and the database covers nearly all domestic and import cars with model years from 1983 to 2009. You get general repair information such as basic troubleshooting and resetting procedures, along with more detailed instructions for electrical, engine or transmission work. Maintenance information such as lubrication, inspection and servicing schedules are also part of the service.

Mitchell 1 DIY also has a lot of credentials to back its claims up. It was given the Blue Seal of Excellence award by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (otherwise known as the ASE), which also provides certifications for auto repair and service professionals. In addition, the editorial staff for the Mitchell 1 auto repair manuals includes Master Technicians and Quadruple Master Technicians also certified by the ASE. Now that’s what people mean when they look for credentials.

Subscriptions start at $10.49 for a week-long subscription. Now, that can be a bit pricey especially if you can get access to other vehicle-specific manuals at $14.95 for a whole month’s access. Mitchell 1 costs $16.99 for one month, and its annual subscription will cost you $29.99 (compared to Chilton’s $24.95 annual fee). Of course, for the excess cash, you’ll be getting material backed by certified professionals. Paypal and major credit cards are accepted forms of payment.

With an extensive coverage in terms of vehicle year, make and model as well as comprehensive information, Mitchell 1 DIY is an excellent option for auto enthusiasts that are willing to shell out some money for a reliable and certified resource. If you have the money, do try it out.

FixYa: Free Online Tool for Automotive Repair

Sometimes, it can be a hassle for consumers to contact customer support, especially when it involves some sort of issue or problem involving the product. This can be especially difficult when cars are involved, because of the sheer expense one has to incur for this investment. If you’ve encountered this sort of hassle when troubleshooting problems for your car, you might want to check out FixYa.

FixYa is basically an online community that revolves around the collection of resources and data, especially those that deal with troubleshooting, product tips and technical information.

The site covers a broad range of categories, and Cars is one of them. You can find all sorts of data on a wide variety of vehicle makes and models. There are rundowns of common problems per car, along with the suggested solutions for those issues. It provides what many car owners need when faced with a problem: the information to fix whatever is wrong with their rides.

Since it’s a community, other users can also chime in and share their know-how, their experiences, their expertise and their suggestions. It functions much like a forum does, except there is a bit more organization to the information. The site really encourages individuals to repair their stuff when possible, and even manufacturers are reaping benefits because the information is handed to the customer firsthand.

Other FixYa categories include consumer electronics, computers, toys and health, among others. If you’re all out of good places to hunt for information, you should definitely take FixYa out for a spin. With over 20 million people visiting the site and with over a million items covered in the site’s database, it really is a treasure trove of customer support and technical information. Who knows, you might even get to like the community and end up staying there even after finding the solutions to your particular problem.

November Post Roundup

It’s already December! It’ll be Christmas in a few weeks, and we hope you’re already starting to get accustomed to the chilly weather and that you’ve begun preparations to make the season warmer. Anyway, since it’s a new month, let’s have a roundup of our previous posts this past month, just in case you’ve missed some of our tidbits about online auto repair manuals.

Auto Repair is Made Easy Thanks to Online Auto Repair Manuals

This post basically outlines how online car repair manuals, especially those free manuals, can really help make auto repair easier for car enthusiasts and DIY beginners

Online Auto Repair Manuals Save the Day

How my friend Jerome encountered a relatively baffling issue from his Nissan Pathfinder’s AC blower—and how searching for a free online auto repair manual saved the day. There’s a lesson here somewhere about how being specific on your searches can lead to great results.


Online Repair Manuals: Google Tips

In this post, we give a few tips and tricks on how to refine your search and modify the results to suit your needs, as well as how to get better resources out of each Google search.

Online Auto Repair Manual Reviews: Haynes and Online Auto Repair Manual Reviews: Chilton

Take a look at Repair Manuals Online’s take on a couple of the more prominent online car repair manuals. We’re hoping to get more reviews done in the next month, so watch out for those as well!



We’ve got loads more waiting for you in December, so make sure to bookmark the blog and check back often. Additionally, if your partner loves cars and wants to start working on his or her ride, then you can always subscribe him or her to an online repair manual for Christmas. Now that’s a unique gift idea!