Haynes Car Repair Manuals
Haynes workshop manuals are based on a total strip down and rebuild of the vehicle concerned. Each manual takes 20 to 30 person-weeks to write, with authors working in pairs. The car is bought at the beginning of the project and sold at the end. The whole process takes from three to six months.
A Haynes Repair Manual will guide you, step by step, through most mechanical repair and maintenance procedures. It will include complete engine overhaul instructions, descriptions of brakes, suspension and steering systems and a set of wiring diagrams covering the most frequently required circuits for the range of vehicles concerned. See below for the list of contents of a popular Haynes car manual.
Only manuals for earlier models generally include overhaul instructions for the gearbox. For later models the instructions are usually limited to regular maintenance and the removal and replacement of the transmission. It is recommended that either an exchange transmission be acquired or that the overhaul be entrusted to a specialised workshop.
Most manuals are produced for popular models. If your car is a rare model, it is possible that there will not be a Haynes manual for that specific model. However, our friendly staff might be able to recommend other manuals that cover some part or parts of your machine.
The Pitstop Bookshop stocks Haynes manuals for a wide range of Australian sourced vehicles. For British and many European cars, UK sourced manuals describe right-hand-drive cars that are usually very similar to Australian market models, although there might be differences in detail specification and engine availability. For American cars or those sold mainly in North America, the available manual could be sourced from the USA, in which case the vehicle described will be left-hand-drive, although otherwise similar to the Australian market model. Again, the detail specification and engine availability for the US market might vary from Australian specifications.
What the Manuals Cover
Each manual naturally relates to the specific vehicle it covers, so if you have a query on whether a manual covers a particular aspect of your vehicle please enquire. As an example of what's covered in a Haynes Manual, these are the areas that their Holden Commodore VT/VX 1997-2002 Repair Manual (at right) covers:
General Workshop Information & Practices
Tune-Up Procedures & Routine Maintenance
General Engine Overhaul
Heating, Cooling & Air Conditioning Systems
Fuel & Exhaust Systems
Engine Electrical Systems
Emissions & Engine Control Systems
Manual Transmission Removal, Overhaul & Refitting*
Automatic Transmission Removal, Refitting & Maintenance
Clutch & Driveline
Brakes Suspension & Steering Systems
Body
Chassis Electrical Systems
Wiring Diagrams
* Most Haynes manuals cover gearbox removal and installation, but not overhaul procedures.
