Howard wrote:

I got to wondering about manuals and checked out availability on the web.
Looks like Clymer and Haynes are one company now.....   Here is a URL with
manuals by make and model for all kinds of stuff.... check it out:
 http://www.repairmanual.net/

My prejudice against Haynes manuals is based on the lack of technical
explanation and a preponderance of long step by step procedures for
replacement of specific parts.   As a professional in the repair business I
need to know what the systems are and how they function.... step by step
repair procedures are virtually useless to me as are 2 page layouts of the
dashboard showing all the screws and where they go and junk like that.....

Chilton is equally guilty of salting their manuals heavily with absolutely
useless but beautiful illustrations of things which are of little or no
interest to me, and providing little or no information useful in actual
diagnosis of problems.  Understanding systems is what makes my work
possible..... these companies are moving steadily away from that and I find
it frustrating to say the least.   I no longer work on vehicles if I can
avoid it..... mostly on farm machinery and construction equipment as well as
diesel overhaul and stuff like that.    

If the information is available I
can quickly assess the nature of any system and usually diagnose it fairly
quickly.... without the information you must spend time examining and and
breaking down a system (essentially reverse engineering it) to determine
what does what and why.... not a problem for someone who works on Mazdas
every day, but a serious liability for me as I work on everything....John
Deere one day, International another, Versatile another, etc.....   Today
for example I had to fix 2 different model John Deere tractors 20 years
different in age as well as a Versatile Bidirectional tractor and am doing
troubleshooting on an alternator test unit I recently obtained..... It'd be
great to work on the same systems every day, but I'm afraid I'd go stark
raving mad from boredom..... I've done this kind of thing for over 20 years.

                   H.W.

 
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