Customer Reviews

Mazda MX5 Miata, '90'97 (Haynes Manuals)

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

 

 

I remember the original Haynes manuals from the sixties, having used several for working on Austin-Healeys and MGs. I remember them as having a lot of character, and reading them was almost like a conversation with a crusty old mechanic. Those old books seemed to share my love for these absurdly fragile and troublesome cars. This new book for the Miata shares little beyond the "Haynes" logo with with its legacy. Sadly, this new Haynes manual has a style more along the lines of Chilton's or other "fix your jalopy" guides. That is to say, no style at all. And no love.

What is more, the book suffers from assembly-line construction, with boiler-plate sections on tires, batteries, body care, etc., that are way too generic to be of any value to a Miata owner/lover. For example, the battery section is for a lead-acid battery, never mind the Miata has a "gel-cell" type. Want to set the timing on your Miata?... you won't find sufficient information in the Haynes guide to do the job.

The advantage to the Haynes guide is, it's cheap compared to the factory service manual. But, in this writer's humble opinion, it's not worth what it cost.

This book was purchased along with other "I just bought a used car" items (plugs, belts, you know the routine) at the parts store. Because I'd had good experience with Haynes manuals before, it seemed like a Good Idea At The Time.

If I'd known then what I know now...

If Haynes was interested in releasing repair manuals for Miatae, they would've released two for the NA (1990 - 1997) series, because the 1990-93 was a 1.6L engine and the 1994-97 was 1.8L. There are enough differences between the engines to merit two different volumes, and Haynes doesn't do a great job of pointing out the differences between the two. The illustration about spark plug firing order, to name one example, is awkward enough to make you set your tools down and ponder before proceeding. Information in a repair manual should be succinct, not confusing.

If you want good reference material for your Miata (why else would you be reading this?), use the following resources BEFORE cracking open the Haynes:
- www . miata . net - specifically, the FAQ and garage sections.
- Mazda's shop manual for your specific year, available from many online vendors. This is invaluable and will pay for itself over time.
- Rod Grainger's "Enthusiast's Manual" by for your flavor, 1.6L or 1.8L, also available from many online vendors (including Amazon.com!).
- Your local Miata club, also found at www . miata . net

I'm not affiliated with any person, company, product, or web site I've mentioned in this review. I'm just one Miata enthusiast trying to help others.

I bought the book when i got a used Miata without owner's manual. I found it does not specify which fuse works what devices, and that's what I need. Oh well...

A great price for a book that I was pleased to find, as it is a service & repair manual for a car that is over 20 years old, that one would not still find in normal retail outlets.
Granted; there probably isn't to much demand for a book like this; so that undoubtedly was a factor in its being priced much lower than a similar manual for a new model of this vehicle, but I would have paid even more than I did, as the available "supply" of these manuals has to been limited!
Backyard auto mechanics and those who perform just the basic maintenance and repair needs for their 1990-97 Mazda Miata, will find this manual to be a great informational reference source, that is well illustrated and easy to understand.

This, like any other Haynes manual, is meant to cover just about everything an average person maintaining their car would want to accomplish. Basic maintenance, oil weights and grades, etc are all included. Most helpful are the pictures of where specific items are (transmission drain and fill plugs, clutch bleeder, etc). One glance at the pictures, a quick read through their procedure, and you're ready to tackle the job.

There are some omissions though. For instance, it references changing the differential fluid, ("See section X.X"), but this procedure is not in the book. (Nor does it really need to be; this is a simple procedure - just drain/refill). However, the fluid grade was omitted also, and this is important information to have - it's even included in the owner's manual, which has minimal info on the car regarding maintenance procedures.

Bottom line is, this manual contains about 95% of all you'll need to know regarding basic maintenance, and will satisfy the majority of people looking for a maintenance manual for this car. It is not as thorough as the official shop manual (nor is it $100+).

For me, I recommend starting with this manual, and when you've reached its limitadions, buy another one of the highly regarded (and more expensive) manuals.

Generally good but missing some basic instructions on removing some parts before completing the desired task.

Needing to replace a head gasket, I wanted to know what I needed to disconnect and what I could leave alone. Along with the trick on how to disconnect some special tube connectors.

At each step, this manual has me going back and forth between chapters and sections, without specifying what sections to look for*. When I go to the target chapter, none of the section names matches the terms I'm looking for. I ignored the obviously named choice because it just sends me back to the originating chapter.

Checked the index, no help, the terms are not there.

Back to target chapter, searched page by page. Finding a section that kinda applies, the instructions are generic statements such as disconnect hoses, without ever mentioning the special connectors, how to disconnect them or what tool is needed.

This manual likes phrases such as it's assumed you've done this or that, without covering how to actually do it.

Thinking I shouldn't be so critical, I decided to look at other sections. The "Typical engine compartment" photo has a total of 14 items labeled. Including #11 radiator cap and #12 Upper radiator hose. Nice photo, I can see a lot of other components.

Nice photos of generic tools, such as "tap and die set" and "timing light". No photos of connector tools or Mazda specific tools. The written tool lists are a lot of standard tools such as "socket set(s)" or "ball peen hammer" and the list of "special tools" such as "floor jack".

I'm looking for another manual.

* Hasn't auto-adjusting references been available in word processors and document layout software since the 80's?

When information is needed in the more technical areas,this manual says to take the car in to a professional for the repair. Now why would a person need a repair manual put together by someone that feels the person reading it isn't able to preform the task at hand?
I surely do not need a manual to tell me I need to "take" my car to a professional for repairs.
If I wanted to pay someone to repair my car I sure as heck wouldn't buy a how to repair manual that states it covers all areas of repair.
This manual leaves a lot of questions unanswered in the repair of the Miata. Over all IMO... it is a very poor manual that gives the feeling the writers really didn't have much experience in repairs of this model vehicle.

I consider myself to be somewhat educated in ways of auto repair, and i gotta say this manual is way to generalized for nearly anyone to get unique information from it. Half the time you need to flip from one chapter to the next to get the full message on how to actually get the job done. The engine section seems to be well detailed in comparison to the rest of the book, but i have never needed to use that section.

This manual was worthless. I just needed to find a simple issue with jumping across the solenoid but there were no real pictures or explanation how to do so. Simply not enough pictures and detailed explanation.
Very general manual.