Additional Resources

Additional Relevant Resources

To make finding information and replacement parts easier and faster, here are a number of additional resources. Many additional links will be added in the next few weeks.

2carpros.com
2carpros.com is staffed by a number of volunteer "experts", both current and former mechanics. Donations are greatly appreciated but not required. Most of the people on this site will stick with you for days if necessary until a solution is found. Please include all relevant information and details in your first post. Engine size is important when asking about running problems. "Doesn't start" can mean a dozen different things so please describe all the symptoms, observations, and sounds. You will also find a large number of repair articles to help you perform service on your vehicle to professional standards. Go to 2carpros.com.

RockAuto.com
Headquartered in my home state of Wisconsin, Rock Auto ships auto parts world-wide from over 200 manufacturers. Most parts listings include really nice photos and dimensions to be sure you're ordering the right parts. I use their site daily for reference. If you're a Dish subscriber, like me, you've probably seen their ads:

Auto parts for American & Import Autos Built Since 1945.
Rock Bottom Prices, Superior Selection. ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED

CarMD

Every profession has their dishonest people, and their reputable people, but mechanics often get an unfair rap because they speak a different language than the car owners. A lot can get lost in translation resulting in miscommunication and mistrust. Here's a dandy product that can save you some trips to the shop and can provide the same information your mechanic will learn with equipment costing thousands of dollars.

There are a lot of variables that lead to different repair estimates from different shops. The least expensive estimate is not always the best value. Knowing up front what repairs your car needs will help you know when to question your mechanic further to see if the additional parts and services he's recommending are warranted.

The first full scanner I bought in the '90s, (not the simple code readers you find all over the place), cost over $800.00. Don't let the low price of CarMD fool you. This is just part of the total system. Once it retrieves information from your car, you plug it into your home computer to access much more information than can be stored on this tool. That gives you access to more information than your mechanic has with all of his equipment.

A large part of repair costs is for the time needed to diagnose a problem, and to pay for the expensive equipment that has to be purchased, and updated every year. Often the actual repair involves a simple, straightforward sensor replacement that you can do yourself. That one repair will save you WAY more than the cost of CarMD.

Be aware CarMD with its internet-based database will provide you much more information than you'll get from any scanner, even manufacturer-supplied units the dealers use, but it is not "bidirectional". That means you can't use it to perform actuator tests or to reprogram computers. To turn relays and other circuits on and off, you'll need a full scanner. Costs for the better ones start at around $3000.00. Even with their capability to reprogram some computers, you'll still have to buy access to the manufacturer's web site. Reprogramming is not any part of a typical do-it-yourself diagnosis and repair and is not covered on here.

AllData for Do-It-Yourselfers
This is a nice alternative to manufacturers' paper service manuals that often cost over $100.00 per set for one car when they were still available. Single-car subscriptions start at $26.95 per year or $44.95 for five years. Schools and independent shops pay over $1000.00 per year for the same information for all models. You will have access to the same technical articles, service bulletins, wiring diagrams, repair procedures, and recalls as your mechanic. Service bulletins cover known problems that were originally hard to diagnose. Improved or superceded part numbers are included. A big part of solving an elusive problem that defies logic and standard diagnostic techniques is in figuring out the cause. Often the actual repair is very simple and low cost. One service bulletin can save the cost of a trip to the mechanic.

I just did a search and found 78 service bulletins and one recall listed for my '88 Grand Caravan. Can't find that in my manufacturer's service manual.

You can view the information on two sample cars to see what it looks like. We used AllData on four computers in my auto shop and students were constantly accessing information. The online layout makes finding your topic easier than in paper manuals.

AppliancePartsPros.com
It seems it doesn't matter if it's our basic transportation or our kitchen appliances, the insane engineers can't seem to be able to build anything today without a computer board to complicate it. If you buy a replacement circuit board through the dealer, you'll often pay over half what that appliance cost new. What a racket! Here's a dandy alternative. Once you've completed a few repairs on your car and feel confident and are ready to save some more money, visit this site for parts and diagrams.

Gregsbasicelectronics.com
The intent of Randy's Repair Shop is not to teach basic electrical theory, but as a do-it-yourselfer, you may be interested in pursuing that to take the mystery out of that which you can't see. I'm amazed that this course costs less than 30 bucks. It covers more than my students learned in the 20 hours in our Electronics program before starting my Automotive Electrical class.

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