Whether you’re a professional technician or just a DIYer, you’ve likely used a service manual at one point. These manuals are fail-safes that enable us to determine the cause of a malfunction, and decide whether we have the skills, tools, or understanding required to fix it ourselves.

They sometimes open with Car repair manuals on electronics and mechanics, before guiding readers through front-end alignments and transmission overhauls. The Haynes series, in particular, is known for its clean tri-tone covers and a crest that connotes reliability, and its straightforward approach to disassembling and reassembling cars. Often, the guides provide safety tips and a table with measurement conversions. Photographs help you identify the parts underneath the hood, and diagrams train your vision on the schematics and mechanics.

Going Green: Why PDF Auto Repair Manuals Are the Eco-Friendly Choice

But these aren’t the only options out there. A number of online resources have emerged that offer better, and more modern solutions for auto repair. These resources include ALLDATA, EManualOnline, and a newcomer called AutoMD. Each offers different features, but they all share the same goal: to give you the most comprehensive repair information available for your specific car or truck.

ALLDATA, an AutoZone company, offers unedited OEM repair information and parts catalogues, including wiring diagrams, step-by-step procedures, specifications, illustrations, maintenance schedules, diagnostic trouble codes (DTC), Technical Service Bulletins, and recalls. Unlike other service manuals, ALLDATA is updated regularly and has the added benefit of giving you access to OEM parts pricing. It also has a simple search function that allows users to find the right parts at the best prices.

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