I don’t understand why some posters/responders have to make flippant remarks when responding to a couple of guys who want to work on their car and learn more about it.
… Haynes manual is no good… study more…need to learn more… flipping cars … all in a condescending manner
If those two guys were experts, they wouldn’t have to post questions here but would teach many of us how to fix cars.
A large 1/2 in socket. I busted my knuckles once the tension built up.
That’s what I’m learning.
I agree. It’s weird. I’ve been using this forum for a while and this is the first time it happened. I’m new to working on vehicles. Every time I fix something I’m doing it for the first time
Do you mean you had a real problem turning the engine with a 1/2" ratchet wrench? Then that’s too much force. So you might have additional problems besides the timing chain. But you’ll need to fix that, so start repairing that and check the crank with the chain off.
I don’t agree with this. If all you want to do is perform basic maintenance, a Haynes manual should be sufficient. For some models, it’s the only kind of manual which is readily available. Of course, a Haynes manual isn’t going to be as thorough as the printed factory service manual, but those usually cost $150 or more unless you’re buying a used copy online.
I don’t know of any professional techs that use printed manuals anymore.
Everybody I know has a subscription to one of the online service manuals.
Even the DIYer can get a subscription to one of these services.
https://eautorepair.net/Marketing/Default.asp
Tester
Haynes is geared towards those with little to no mechanical experience or aptitude who would be better served letting a pro perform the repair
It’s a Toyota. Someone will buy it when you give up.
That’s not a realistic view of how people learn. It’s demeaning, the way you characterize people who use a Haynes manual. I and many folks have used Haynes manuals for decades. As my skills and knowledge and tool kit evolved, I took on more and more serious repairs. Haynes and all sources have their errors and omissions. I have found Haynes helpful far more often than misleading.
But the most influential car repair book for me was John Muir’s book about Volkswagens. I never had or worked on a VW but that book was an inspiration.
Completely disagree. I have been using a Haynes manual for years and for several different cars. It may not be the perfect manual for experienced mechanics, but for the DYIer it is too costly to subscribe to an online service like @Tester said.
The Haynes manual is a perfect tool for inexperienced people that wish to learn or try their hands on fixing something. It gives an idea about the complexity of fixes, the tools needed (that many do not have), bolt sizes and many other specs all in one inexpensive book.
Many roads lead to Rome and the same is many times true when fixing problems. THe manual does not cover all the “what if” scenarios but the most likely way a problem should be fixed.
I suppose you were born a pro and needed no manuals or others to show you how and what to do.
I had Haynes manuals for 5 of my cars. They had some good information, but for much of what I wanted to do, they didn’t have a description of the work. The descriptions were often incomplete when they existed.
I have noticed that with this Rav4. It’s usually pretty easy to find out what’s missing from the text with a quick Google search though.