Sure, some insist that forums, YouTube, and message boards have effectively displaced the need for third-party repair manuals, but I’m not sure if that’s true. The only way to get info on how to fix a car you owned, would be a Chilton or Haynes manual. When I was a kid, the internet’s reputation as a how-to encyclopedic information wasn’t a thing yet. Well, that experience is now relegated to the past, alongside the Hitclips player my mom said I couldn’t have, “because it was stupid.” Then, we’d spend weekends fumbling and bumbling through directions listed in a font that was too small for my terminally near-sided father. Back then, fixing a car one was unfamiliar with involved a trip to AutoZone and paying $25 for a big thick booklet from a shelf in front of the register that had a blueprint drawing of the car on the front.
I remember it fondly, days of my youth, spent watching my dad reseat drum brakes on Ford Tempos or repairing ignition modules on Cutlass Supremes. Those paperback Chilton manuals were a cornerstone of my rustbelt childhood. We’d recommend talking to some real librarians before doing that, though. When’s the last time you were in there? If you still don’t have any luck, there’s actually one more thing you can try - reaching out to Chilton’s publisher with this form to ask about getting access. Otherwise, if you’re trying to access Chilton’s step-by-step guides (or other certifiably credible automotive information) try giving your local library a call or visit. Never fear though, I’ve drudged the depths to find out how to access this huge resource of car DIY knowledge: Chilton’s got a tool that searches for local libraries which allows access to the Chilton Database, so start there. But the resource itself? Still great as ever.Īccessing the information can be kind of tricky, Chilton’s old website is full of broken links and dead ends. Unfortunately, Chilton’s DIY technical support, customer service, blog, and everything else associated with Chilton for consumers, are apparently all dead. Haynes, Chilton, and another manual brand called Clymer (mostly covering powersports and motorcycles) are currently all bundled together on the same website as you’ll see in those links. Chilton’s wealth of automotive knowledge is still accessible, but now you’ll need to get it through your local or school library.Ĭhilton’s parent company has ported all of its information and how-to repair guides into the “Chilton Libraries” database, a product sold and marketed directly to public libraries. In January 2022, another well-known line of manuals, Chilton, went a step further and ended the service of its online subscription-only equivalent DIY guide. Back in 2020, Haynes said it was ceasing the physical production of its iconic car repair manuals.
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