Customer Reviews

Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual 1984-1989 - Coupe, Targa, and Cabriolet

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual by Bentley Publishing is a MUST HAVE book for your automotive library. I bought my first Porsche a year ago, a rather worn '85 Cabriolet. One of the first "repair" purchases I made was $800+ worth of official Porsche repair manuals (the 11-volume set that Porsche provides its mechanics). I now wish that I had waited. Even after only two days of owning the Bentley Manual, I can already tell it will be the most dog-eared and grease-smeared of the lot!

It has 10 main sections, the first one being an overview: General Data & Maintenance; Engine; Engine Management, Exhaust, & Engine Electrical; Transmission; Suspension, Brakes, & Steering; Body - Assembly; Body - Components & Accessories; Body - Trim, Seats; Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning; and Electrical System. Each section has several subsections, and in typical German style they are all number coded. Each subsection starts with a general description of what it covers and includes a simple picture guide for any special tools that may be needed in that category (extremely helpful to me as a novice). For example, Section 201 Fuel Supply recommends three special tools: 1) a fuel hose pinch clamp; 2) a fuel pressure gauge; and 3) an automotive digital mulitmeter. The subsections also have straightforward, no-nonsense written steps, which are complemented by literally dozens of pictures. The pictures are simply amazing: very clear, and where needed, highlighted with arrows or alphanumeric characters. (Even Mr. Magoo could find his way through this!) Plus, there is plenty of room for you to add your own notes in the margin, if you so desire.

The book is not perfect, though. I am in need of information on carpet/floorboard repair and dashboard gauge repair (odometer, speedometer, etc.), and neither is in this book. In the grand scheme of things, however, these are small.

One final note... while this appears to be written for those who already own a 911, it can be equally helpful to anyone who is in the market to purchase one. Most savvy Porsche buyers will demand a pre-purchase inspection anyway, so the prospective buyer may just want to consider this as part of that expense. Yet, this book is not an expense, but rather an investment that will continue to provide dividends for a long time to come.

I've been waiting for this manual for a long time. Bentley's excellent VW manuals have been very high on the quality list for quite some time so I was excited to get this manual. Overall it is a great and is a must for the DIY mechanic who needs to know more about their car and can't afford the factory workshop manuals and I think that for the majority of individuals who won't be dropping engines and trannies this will sufice. My gripes are small. No detail on a lot of misc body stuff. The transmission section mentions both the 915 and later G50 transmissions but only shows how to dismantle and repair the 915. Heater and ventilation information is sparse (as always) at best.

I was surprised at how they did keep up with much of the Porsche tech bulletins that have come out during these model years as well as just the overall presentation. Very nice.

Ken

This sure beats the orange covered "other" service manual and the $900 factory service manual in price. There are a lot of missing details like where to charge the A/C, rebuilding your Targa top (intricate locking mechanism details missing). Yes it shows breakdown of parts diagrams but some diagrams lack supporting text. This book is BIG and it is well worth the...you spend. A nice thing I read in the beginning was a disclaimer stating that it may have errors or lack of info but the publisher is more than open to accept any ammendments from it's readers and that they were meticulous about providing the MOST ACCURATE data they could find. This is why you SHOULD HAVE this book because WE the people can make it better! It IS a "must-have" book if you are serious about maintaining your own 84-89 911 Carrera.

I bought this manual so I could fix my sunroof and my windshield washer which was blocked on the driver side on my 1986 carrera. The manual has excellent instructions and graphics and I had no trouble doing the work. So, the manual more than paid for itself in the first 24 hours.

I've always had Bentley manuals for the cars I've owned. This one is by far the best ever. Extremely detailed with all of the technical data, pictures showing the work while it is being done, and physical location maps of where the parts are in the car. If you own a Porsche 911 and you don't have one of these, you're working with one hand tied behind your back.

Answers many questions the Haynes manual does not and has cleaer pictures and diagrams. Worth the extra cost over a Haynes manual. Very good diagrams of the DME fuel injection system and related electronics, for example.

This is a great manual. I figured the most expensive would get me the best. I was not disappointed. The book breaks the car down into nine systems. After reading a section, you have a good idea of how that part of the car works. You know what special tools are needed for each repair, a step by step of how to do it, and what not to do. If you want to replace a power window switch or take the engine out, the book tells you how to do it. I also have a '79 911 and I'm getting the other manual that covers the earlier years as well. I originally wanted the book just to learn more about Porsche's, but I'm getting a kick out of doing my own repairs.

This manual is a must for every 1984-1989 Porsche 911 Carrera owner or potential owner. Even if you don't do your own maintenance, it makes you a more informed and effective owner when dealing with your mechanic.

Also, you might discover as I did, that there are many things you can do yourself, thus saving time and money -- with the bonus of more fully understanding what a fabulous machine your Carrera is!

This book is, in my opinion, invaluable for the owner of the Porsche 911 3,2 Carrera.
It covers all aspects of repair step by step and is clearly written with good supporting photographs. Each chapter has a paragraph about faultfinding. In many aspects it goes beyond my abilities as an amateur, but it helps me to tackle the occasional service and repair and to know what my mechanic is doing. Surely the next best book to an original Porsche Workshop Manual.

If you own a Porsche 911 carrera of this vintage, this is a must have book-period. The only better resource would be the factory service manual with is not exactly readily available. Lots of pictures and good explainations. Keep in mind this book will be one of the tools in your garage. I suggest you supplement it with 101 projects for you 911 by Wayne Dempsey. Both my copies are a bit greasy but are a great resource.