I finally stopped using my old paper manuals after the shop laptop got a direct hit from a coolant leak in 2021.

I mean, I used to have a whole shelf of those Chilton books for every make, but now I just pull up the factory service info on my tablet, which is way faster to search, even if I miss the grease stains on the pages sometimes, you know?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_elizabeth1mo ago

I was the same until my manual got soaked.

jameswells1mo ago

That'll change your mind real fast.

lewis.brian9d ago

I backed up all my torque specs and fluid capacities into a little pocket notebook after my old Galaxy Tab took a dive off the workbench and cracked the screen. Now I keep that notebook in my toolbox drawer, works every time, no batteries needed. I still pull up diagrams on my phone, but for the hard numbers, that paper saved me more than once. Just gotta keep it away from the coolant jugs, lesson learned the hard way.

victor_hill441mo ago

Oh, I'm the opposite now. My tablet died right when I needed a torque spec, and my old paper manual saved the day. The battery doesn't matter, and I can write my own notes right in the margins. That search function is great until you have no signal in the shop bay.