Vehicle Information: Using a repair ,shop ,an owner's manual

Vehicle Information:

Using a repair manual
Using a shop manual

       Using an owner's manual

Using a repair manual

Part 1. Preparation and safety

Objective

• Locate specifications and the correct procedure in a repair manual.

Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

• Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
• Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
• Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
• Hand protection – such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
• Respiratory equipment – such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.

Safety check

• Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

• Repair manuals are produced by a second party publisher and provide information similar to a shop manual. However, the information contained in the repair manual will not be as specific as that contained in a shop manual.
• Repair manuals are designed so that the workshops that do not have access to shop manuals have a reference source for service and repair information and specifications.

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Part 2: Step-by-step instruction

1. Understand information required
   Decide what information it is that you need to know about the job and about the vehicle. In this example the job is to replace the front brake disc pads. Make sure you know the make, model and year of manufacture of the vehicle.
2. Locate the appropriate manual
   In this case, the workshop does not have the shop manual for this type of vehicle, but it is likely that the information needed can be found in an aftermarket manual. Find the appropriate After Market Manual for the make, model and year of the vehicle you are working on.
3. Locate the correct section
   At the front of the Manual you will find an Introduction and a Table of Contents or a Section breakdown listing the various systems and components of the vehicle. Find the chapter on Brakes and turn to that page.
4. Locate the specifications
   This page gives you a further index of contents, for the chapter. It also gives you the manufacturer’s specifications for the various components of the braking system, in this case we are interested in the front disc brakes. It also has a guide to the torque wrench settings. Have these details handy when you are performing the procedure.
5. Locate the service procedures
   Find the section relating to the Front Disc Brakes, and turn to that page. The Manual shows the procedure for replacing the front disc pads. The photographs and diagrams will help you identify the parts of the assembly and the steps to follow.
6. Use the index as alternative
   Another way of finding the information you need is to use the Index at the back of the manual. Look under ‘B’ to find “Brakes” and you’ll see page references for Specifications, and, Front Disc. We are now ready to begin replacing the front disc pads. 

Using a shop manual

Part 1. Preparation and safety

Objective

• Use a shop manual to identify the correct service procedure.

Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

• Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
• Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
• Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
• Hand protection – such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
• Respiratory equipment – such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check

• Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

• Shop manuals are developed by manufacturers to provide the service technician with correct information on performing all service and repair tasks on the vehicles they produce.
• The information found in shop manuals provides a systematic procedure, identifies special tools and specifications relevant to the task.
• Shop manuals are organized according to vehicle systems and have indexes for quick reference needs.

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Part 2: Step-by-step instruction

1. Understand information required
   Decide what information it is that you need to know. About the job and about the vehicle. In this example, the job is to adjust, and possibly replace, the breaker points in the distributor. Make sure you know the make, model and year of manufacture of the vehicle, and the type and size of the engine. In order to adjust and replace the breaker points you need to know the procedure and specifications.
2. Locate the appropriate manual
   Find the appropriate Shop Manual for the make, model and year of the vehicle you are working on.
3. Locate the correct section
   The first page of the Shop Manual gives you the Group Index, or Section Breakdown. All you want from this page is the Group or Section Number. In this case it is the “Ignition System Group 9”.
   Turn to “Group 9, the Ignition System.”
   We see that it’s in three parts: “General Ignition Service”, “Autolite Dual Advance Distributors”, and “Specifications”. Scan through the General Ignition Section and, we find “Common Adjustments and Repairs.”
4. Locate the service procedures
   Here we find the procedures to help you remove and replace the distributor. The text and the pictures shows how to replace and install the breaker points, as well as procedures to adjust breaker point alignment, point gap, and spring tension. It shows you the tools to use, and how to use them.
5. Locate the specifications
   While this part of the Manual will give you the procedures, it does NOT give you the precise specifications for a particular vehicle or adjustment. For this information, we need to check the Specifications part of this section. There are several pages of Specifications for the Distributor but not the point gap specification. However by returning to the Head of this Section, we’ll find “Engine Tune-up Specifications”. Which refers us to another part of the manual for the point gap specification. Turn to the Engine Tune-Up Specifications page, and find the table on the distributor point gap. At this point we need to know the engine-type of the vehicle to find the correct specification. We are now ready to begin adjusting and possibly replacing the breaker points.

Using an owner's manual

Part 1. Preparation and safety

Objective

• Use an owner's manual to make sure that the correct lubricant specifications are used when servicing the vehicle.

Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

• Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
• Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
• Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
• Hand protection – such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
• Respiratory equipment – such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check

• Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

• The vehicle manufacturer supplies owner's manuals to the vehicle's first or original owners.
• The information contained in an owner's manual provides the owner with information on:
  • All features of that particular vehicle
  • How to operate all vehicle controls and accessories
  • How to use vehicle security PIN codes
  • Warranty and service information
  • Basic vehicle specifications
  • Fuel, lubricant and coolant capacities
  • Tire changing, jacking and towing information
  • List of service outlets
• The layout and amount of detail in an owner's manual will vary according to the manufacturer and age of the vehicle. The procedure to use the manual, however, will be common to all manuals.

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Part 2: Step-by-step instruction

1. Understand information required
   Decide what information it is that you need to know. About the job and about the vehicle. In this example, the job is to change the engine oil in this vehicle. Make sure you know the make, model and year of manufacture of the vehicle, and the type and size of the engine. In order to change the oil you need to know the engine oil specifications. How much oil to put in, and what grade of oil.
2. Locate the appropriate manual
   This kind of information is most readily found in the vehicle ‘s owner’s manual. Find the owner’s Manual – this is usually kept in the glove compartment. Open the Owner’s Manual to the first page which usually has a Table of Contents, or a section breakdown to help you quickly find the information you need. In this case it’s an older model car, and the Index is in the front of the manual.
3. Locate the correct section
   From the list of Chapters, or Sections, choose the section, which deals with the engine oil. Here it’s titled “Motor Oil”. Follow the directions to the correct page, and turn to that page.
4. Locate the specifications
   In this case the page is headed “Fuel, Oil and Coolant Recommendations”. Identify from this page the correct grade of motor oil for this vehicle. The Manual refers you to another Page for the fuel and lubricant capacities – so turn to that page. The Chart tells you all of the vehicle’s lubricant specifications. Find the correct specifications for the engine crankcase oil, and make a note of these. Flip back one page to find the Refill Capacities. The eight-cylinder engine requires five quarts or 4.8 liters of oil. A more recent Owner’s Manual will have a table of Contents or a section breakdown in the front with a Section or Chapter on Specifications.
5. Use the index as alternative
   Another way of using a more recent Owner’s Manual is to refer to the Index at the back of the book. Look under ‘E’ for Engine, and find Engine Oil, or Look under ‘L’ for Lubricants or ‘O’ for Oil. All of them should refer you to the same place. We are now ready to begin servicing the vehicle.