Auto Repair For Dummies Author: Visit Amazon's Deanna Sclar Page | Language: English | ISBN:
076459902X | Format: EPUB
Auto Repair For Dummies Description
Review
‘…covers a wide range of topics…provides a lot of educational content that explains the main principles of how cars work.' (Simple Motors.co.uk, December 2010).
From the Back Cover
Get the confidence and know-how you need to fix and maintain your vehicle like a pro!
Want to handle basic auto repairs yourself? This easy-to-follow guide gives you the nuts and bolts of diagnosing trouble and performing simple maintenance and repairs on your vehicle. You'll explore each system part by part and keep everything running in tiptop shape. Plus, you'll see how to go green on the road — from recycling oil and parts to choosing alternatively fueled vehicles.
Get to know your vehicle — understand automotive systems; check under the hood; change a tire; follow basic safety rules; change spark plugs, fuses, and the battery; and replace the air filter and PCV valve
Keep cool and in control — add and change coolant, find and repair leaks, change the oil, and check brakes
Ensure a smooth ride — choose, check, and care for tires; and understand balancing and alignment
Handle emergencies — identify strange sounds and smells, jump-start your car, handle overheating, and more
Work with a mechanic — find a reliable service facility, describe problems accurately, and get the best deal
Extend your vehicle's value — clean it inside and out, touch up paint, and fix dings and dents
Stay safe on the road — install child seats properly; learn about rollover protection, traction and stability control, and navigation systems; and more
Open the book and find:
The inner secrets of your vehicle — what makes it start, run, and stop
A step-by-step under-the-hood checklist
Advice on buying and using the proper tools
Driving techniques to extend the life of your car
Eco-friendly tips for saving fuel
Helpful illustrations that demonstrate repairs
Reproducible Specifications and Maintenance Records
The pros and cons of alternative fuels and vehicles
See all Editorial Reviews
- Paperback: 552 pages
- Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (November 17, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 076459902X
- ISBN-13: 978-0764599026
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
This book is one of the most important I have read in a long time. I really had a positive experience with it.
My wife started staying home to raise our growing family and I have had to find ways to save money and make it on one salary. The breaks were going on my car and I did NOT want to put the bill on my credit card.
A guy at Church told me that disk brakes were easy. I should do them myself. I bought this book, looked on-line for vehicle specific directions (Auto Zone has a GREAT website), bought a ratchet set and got to work.
My friend was right. I replaced brakes and rotors and bought tools and books at it cost me less than it would have cost at a facility to get the brakes and rotors done for me. Plus, I was equipped to do it again and again.
This brings me to my first criticism of this book. She doesn't recommend you do your own brakes; even disks. That is NONSENSE. I am deducting one star for this.
Anyway, what reading the book did give me was a pretty good knowledge of how a car worked.
Her directions on how to change oil are excellent. In my own learning curve, I did brakes before I changed oil. You should DEFINITELY change the oil and do the air filter first to build your confidence and see if you enjoy working on the car to begin with.
After doing my own brakes with success, doing my own oil, changing my air filter, and changing the PCV (EASY) I was HOOKED. My car was handling better than it had when I first bought it and I felt like the man!
Then, the check engine light came on on my mom's 2001 Suburu Forrester. The car was idling very roughly and even blowing some white smoke.
The car's warranty had JUST expired.
I love this book.
Let me start off by saying this. I know how to fill up my gas tank. I know how to pop my hood. Literally, that is the extent to my car knowledge. I don't even know how to change a tire. My father was an auto-mechanic and never taught his children anything, he did all the work for us. I always took my car to the local quick change to get my oil change. I have relied on everyone else to take care of my vehicle for me, and I have to trust their judgment and what they ask to fix my vehicles.
I am an accountant. I have great business skills, am technologically advanced beyond my years and can type 117 words a minute. I (not bragging) am quite intelligent and had a great gpa throughout highschool and college. I just don't know a blasted thing about vehicles in any form.
I was having problems with the battery in my truck a few weeks ago. It was just not getting enough juice to start. I would do everything I knew to do and had people come examine it to no avail. Some days it would start and other days it wouldn't. I was on my lunch break when my truck died, again. I couldn't get back to work. I called my supervisor (actually a very caring, understanding woman) and she sent one of my co-workers (very capable with auto-mechanics) to come take a look. He opened my hood looked at the battery and said "your clamp is loose, that's why your not getting any power." I looked at him dumbfounded. He then took a screwdiver, unscrewed something, and pushed a little on this clamp.
The truck started.
I finally decided that was the last straw. Something so simple had made me late and affected my job performance. If I knew even the basics about vehicles I could have gotten my truck started. But I didn't.
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