Auto Repair For Dummies

Good advice and clear directions for the novice mechanic.
Highly recommended.

I put this book on my Wish List at Amazon.com. It is exactly what I need and the other reviewers give it a good rating. But HOLD THE PRESSES not so fast. I went over to the local book store and happened to see a copy, so I sat down for 10 minutes and quickly took in as much as I could.

First of all the title is misleading. It is not about car repair despite the size of the book's big 600 page thickness. It should be called

"Dummies Guide to Car Ownership".

It is like a large owners manual that comes with every new car. This book cannot be used to repair your car. You can use it to understand how the car works, when to change the oil, and what certain parts do but it is (definitely) not a car repair book. Maybe if you bought a used car and it has no manual buy this book, or you just bought your first car and you are clueless, then okay buy the book, but if you are that clueless - do not fix your car. Get help.

It is like a cartoon book on very basic things. For example one section is how to open the hood (I kid you not!). Another is how to change the tire. Another how to check your fluid levels. There are cartoons showing the suspension, the motor combustion cycle, etc. all the things that are basic. It is not a guide to repairing a serious problem or maybe even a not so serious problem in your car. There are a few interesting items in the book like PVC valves and cartoons showing how they bleed exhaust gases back into the input manifold, etc.

Okay so you want to repair your Chevy or your Honda or your VW or your Ford pickup. This is what you do. You go to a store like Autozone or similar (this is not an endorsement) and you buy a shop manual for your exact car - say a 1999 Chevy Lumina V6 3.8 L, that is for the make, the model, with the year and exact engine or the equivalent book for $25-$50. bucks. Maybe you can get it for less. Then you use the shop manual as a guide to determine what to change and how to do it, and buy the parts at an auto supply place. If that manual is too complicated, just go to a garage, or get help from a friend that has some experience.

If you know the basics about a car, skip the book.

Is this book a little basic in some parts? Whole-heartedly I'd have to say yes. Yes she does cover simple things like what a screwdriver is, how to open the hood, etc. But, what is basic to some maybe complex for others even if so-called experts can't understand why some things are more difficult than others for new people.
Just for info, a lot of cars today have the disc and drum brake configuration (not just old clunkers but newer vehicles) so coverage of the drum brakes is essential. Would I recommend you popping off the drum and tearing apart the wheel cylinder, springs, and brake shoes after reading just this book...definately not. If you want to get a little more familiar with whats inside the calliper or drum then by all means, this book will accomplish that. She also covers all the other major systems of an automobile in a language that anyone can understand.
This book was never intended to turn someone into a mechanic ready to take the SAE test. It's sole purpose is to familiarize you with general vehicle operation and mechanical make-up...and a few tips along the way to keep your car running.
You will learn a lot from this book if you are just starting out...I know I did. If it intrigues you enough, then dive deeper into auto repair by taking a local vocational class or buying the Hayne's or Chilton's repair manuals for your vehicle.

This is a great reference if you dont know anything about how cars work or how they are maintained. I was expecting to see DIY kinda info with a lot of pictures and photos, however most of the info is textual and does not really help much when you want to do something instantly.
it would be great if the content could be shortened to what is essentially needed and have many DIY photo assisted tutorials in it. A great overall read and reference about cars anyway.

I knew nothing about cars, except where the oil goes and all the very basic stuff. After reading this book I now understand a lot more about how a car works, and what to do for certain repairs.

Granted, the book won't allow you to magically repair your vehicle, but that's simply because there are too many cars out with different systems. If you want to make serious repairs in your car you MUST have the owners manual, but then what did you expect?

This book goes from really incredibly basic stuff like opening the hood to how a car works and what different signs you'll get for different problems you may encounter. Sure it's silly to explain how to open the hood, etc. but that's only one chapter and there's 24 of them.

SUMMARY: If you don't know what a differential is, or what piston is or how to change your brakes, after reading this book you will. I bought 2 other books to try understand the basics of how a car works and how to repair it and none of them helped much, but this one covers it all with plenty of pictures.

If you're a beginner, buy it.