Show of hands... who still uses their service manuals?

[dang]

I realized a while ago that I never open up my hardcopy manuals anymore, for any car. If I have a question about something on one of my daily drivers I usually check on my phone while sitting in the car. If I'm working on a project I usually check online for answers and options from others that have done it.

I'm thinking about getting rid of all my manuals to use the cabinet space.

 

[HB Chris]

I still use mine, especially the wiring diagrams which I have also enlarged. I check my parts books occasionally as well.

 

[Stevehose]

I have the blue, and orange books as well as most other published manuals on the car as a collection of sorts. But I use online resources or the blue books archived on my computer for all maintenence.

I will occasionally leaf through the blue books as if reading a great literary masterpiece (which they are of course) which elicits snarky comments from family members.

 

[Tierfreund]

I used to use them all the time. No I hardly do anymore. But not because I use anything else. It´s simply that I´ve done most anything on my car at least once before so I usually remember how to do it the second time around.

With my second project, a Jag, I´ve gotten the manuals first thing but they are hardly used. For some reason I just find it easier just to tear into things and see where it gets me. Don´t know why, just seems easier...

And I used to think that mechanics who would dismiss the manuals and just start working were not to be trusted.

 

[deQuincey]

i have the blue and the orange ones, i use them all the time, first as preparation for the job, to check which parts are needed, and any other neighbouring parts that might be interesting to consider, then to check mentally the disassembly sequence, and finally to get torque settings and other specs

will never get rid of them

 

[Bwana]

i have the blue and the orange ones, i use them all the time, first as preparation for the job, to check which parts are needed, and any other neighbouring parts that might be interesting to consider, then to check mentally the disassembly sequence, and finally to get torque settings and other specs

will never get rid of them

+1 Yes, this ^^^

 

[rb1971]

All the time.

 

[Sooner]

Manuals

Yes, constantly refer to them