Customer Reviews

How to Repair Your Car (Motorbooks Workshop)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think this book is pretty good for the 'mechanic wannabe' who's just getting started (like me). All the 50 projects are illustrated with photos which is pretty neat. At the end of each chapter, there is a troubleshooting chart listing common problems associated with the specific components that are discussed in the chapter.
Now, after reading this book, I think some projects could have been a little more detailed, and some other a little less: The project on 'how to fill coolant' takes two pages front and back, but the one on 'how to change thermostat' only takes one...
Also, some projects explain how to replace such and such part, but it doesn't explain why you would want to replace these parts if your car breaks down:
* "how to replace distributor cap and rotor"; sounds great, but how do I know that these are the parts I need to replace if my car breaks down? It doesn't say anything about that in the electrical troubleshooting chart in this chapter.
* "How to replace the starter"; sounds great too, but where do I find it? there's no diagram in this book that shows you where to look under the hood, beside a picture of a car, at the beginning of the chapter, with a front mounted engine (my car, like most front wheel drive nowdays, has an engine mounted sideway); and the car used as an example in this project is different than mine.
Anyway, the point is, a little more details would have been nice.
However, it is a decent book and it gave me a better comprehension of how things work under the hood. It also gave me more confidence to work on my car.
My advice is: buy this book to familiarize yourself with cars, and learn very basic car maintenance stuff such as changing your oil, checking your fluids, tires etc.
For bigger projects like 'how to replace a water pump' (project 29), this is probably not the book you need.

This is a good book, well written with clear directions ... or so it seems when I read it. I don't have the tools they recommend you have and only recently got a garage where I could potentially use them. I may have to update this review when I get enough tools to actually use the book.

On the upside for me, it does discuss what to look for in a mechanic, which has been helpful. It's also nice to have a basic understanding of what's going on with my car when it acts up.

I have only read a few parts of it, and while it tries to dumb it down, they need to dumb it a little more. I am not naturally good when it comes to cars, and if you're like me this book is both informative and yet difficult. Its worth checking out for sure, but I'd suggest finding a friend with automotive skills to help you out on all but the easiest things you can do.

this product is exactly what i wanted. this book i a good source to know our vehicle much better and gives a lot of confidence in front of others too.
only for beginners.

it s pretty good book specially for a beginner gives a broad picture of basic maintenance to your auto from oil check to understanding your transmission has great illustrations and "projects" to do while learning.

Because I am a novice mechanic, this book has really helped understand my old Buick.

I bought this book only for its explaination of do-it-yourself wheel alignments. Otherwise, the engine used in the examples is rather simple. When most people open the hood of their car, they will be amazed to find much more there than pictured in this book.

I bought this book a while ago because I like reading how other people perform basic maintenance on their cars. It is an easy read and would be helpful to someone who does not know much about car repair or maintenance. Since I work on cars regularly I currently have no use for this book so I am planning on passing it on to my 9 year old cousin to feed his interest in car repair. I think this book would also be good to keep in the backseat of a teen's first car. Then when they need to check the fluids or the car overheats, they will have a clue where to look and what to look for.

Paul Brand's How to Repair your Car book is a great introduction for those with extremely limited mechanical experience. It is easily laid out with step by step projects, and lastly, beyond repair steps, Paul Brand includes very basic summaries on how the different components of the automobile work.
It is an introduction repair guide, so do not expect extremely specific or complicated auto-info.

This book is an excellent automotive resource for novices and motorheads. I would definetly suggest purchasing this book if you have car problems or if you simply want to learn more about the technical aspects of your automobile.