Service manuals

[3echo9]

Anyone have any comments or experience in buying a service manual from EBAY?

The ones I'm questioning are the DVD or pdf of the full service manuals. They are being offered for $12-$30.

Seems too good to be true.

Anyone try one of these?

[old_master]

If you're looking for correct, complete information, along with factory specs, wiring diagrams etc, get a factory shop manual for the vehicle that you're working on. Go right to the vehicle manufacturers website and order it. Stay away from the aftermarket manual publishers, they're worthless.

[polarzak]

Originally Posted by old_master

Stay away from the aftermarket manual publishers, they're worthless.

I beg to disagree. I ordered a pdf on line for $12.00 for my Lucerne. Paid through PayPal, and in an hour downloaded the complete service manual. Wiring diagrams, torques specs. funny little GM tips, etc .etc. It appears to be a complete copy of the GM service manual right down to GM's J-tool nonsense. It is not some silly Haynes.

3echo9....unfortunately I cannot remember if I got it off eBay but I do know it certainly was not the GM website. Check some of the vendor's feedback for people who bought a manual and see if the feedback is good.

['97ventureowner]

I've had experience purchasing both on eBay. My advice is , if you are thinking of purchasing a CD version of the service manual, make sure it is complete and from a reputable company. Check the seller's feedback to see if previous purchasers have left any comments that bought similar manuals. One Cd I bought looked like it was put together by a high school student learning to use a computer.
I am pretty patient and usually wait out my searches on eBay until I find a paper copy of the manual(s) with a decent price including shipping. i'm kind of old school and prefer to use a hard copy manual as that is what I grew up with and am used to using.
But don't let that stop you from considering a CD version as there are good versions out there. You just have to weed through them and be wary of those that are too cheap in price. Some of the hard copy manuals may not be readily available on eBay due to the recent model year or availability of used ones. There was a time a couple years ago when many GM dealers were closing that there was a good supply of manuals for sale by people who bought auction lots when the dealer's inventory was auctioned off and they then broke down the lots and sold the items individually. That is a good time to get the hard copies at good prices.

[happydog500]

I bought a Genuine GM manual for my Lesabre. I got both books really cheap. I don't like having a computer next to my car while I work, so I wanted the book. I could print the pages, but if it was a long procedure, I didn't want to keep copying pages each time I work.

I was patient, not getting the first one. Got a real good deal.

Chris.

[old_master]

Originally Posted by polarzak

I beg to disagree..... It appears to be a complete copy of the GM service manual right down to GM's J-tool nonsense. It is not some silly Haynes....

That's exactly my point

Originally Posted by old_master

...... Stay away from the aftermarket manual publishers, they're worthless....

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by 3echo9

Anyone have any comments or experience in buying a service manual from EBAY?

The ones I'm questioning are the DVD or pdf of the full service manuals. They are being offered for $12-$30.

Seems too good to be true.

Anyone try one of these?

The only advantage for you is that some of those cover multiple GM models on one CD/DVD.

I prefer paper so I can have it out in the garage with me for reference while working. I don't want to mess with a computer keyboard and keeping it clean while my hands are oily.

Get only the original paper Helm manuals and on Ebay make sure you are getting all the volumes. Sometimes sellers have only one volume out of two or three volumes.

I bought one CD in the past that was supposed to work and it never did. I consider it money well wasted on a lesson. The CD supposedly had worked for another person on the forums so I bought from the same source on Ebay.

[3echo9]

Good advice all. I actually emailed one of the sellers on Ebay to see if I could buy three different models at one time instead of bidding on three separate auctions. The response I got back was interesting.

I asked about buying the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2004 Buick LeSabre, and 2005 Chevy Equinox. None of these are the same models with just different name branding. The response I got back was that I didn't have to buy the three seperate manuals because they all came on the one DVD. Now come on..that would mean all makes and models for all years were on one DVD.

I emailed back for clarification giving the guy the benefit of not reading my email completely.

I'd like to have the books as well but as you can see I want three different sets which is why the $20 per is a heck of a deal when comparing $150 per.


I'll let you all know. Hopefully, this is just one vendor and not all of them.