I've always relied on mechanics (with mixed results), but I wanted to know what was going on with my car and to be able to perform basic maintenance myself. This book is very easy to use (MUCH better than my owner's manual). It provides a good overview of how cars work, as well as specific advice for particular repairs and maintenance. If you're already a gearhead, this is presumably too basic, but if the inside of your car is a great big mystery to you, this is definitely the book to get.

Before this book I didn't know a thing about cars. Now, I would still say that I don't but, I would NOT go to the mechanic for everything.

After watching my sister go through several Auto Tech classes to learn how to work on a car, I was intimidated by the amount of time & money I thought it would take to get the same knowledge. Then I found this book. I've been a faithful reader of the Dummies books for a long time, and this one just reinforced my opinion of them.



After reading this book, I am able to change my own oil, check & change my brakes, change a flat tire, know which replacement tire to buy and why, and diagnose almost any car problem myself. I have saved hundreds of dollars (maybe over $1000 by now) because I knew exactly what I needed a mechanic to do to my car whenever I took it in.



As a bonus, my car now runs better than it ever has before, because this book also covers preventative maintenance in extreme detail. It even lays out a monthly routine for you for checking most of the systems in your car.



I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone who wants to learn about cars. Even if you know nothing except how to start, drive, and stop your car -- before reading this, I thought the rim CAME WITH the new tire! -- this book is for you.

After watching my sister go through several Auto Tech classes to learn how to work on a car, I was intimidated by the amount of time & money I thought it would take to get the same knowledge. Then I found this book. I've been a faithful reader of the Dummies books for a long time, and this one just reinforced my opinion of them.

After reading this book, I am able to change my own oil, check & change my brakes, change a flat tire, know which replacement tire to buy and why, and diagnose almost any car problem myself. I have saved hundreds of dollars (maybe over $1000 by now) because I knew exactly what I needed a mechanic to do to my car whenever I took it in.

As a bonus, my car now runs better than it ever has before, because this book also covers preventative maintenance in extreme detail. It even lays out a monthly routine for you for checking most of the systems in your car.

I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone who wants to learn about cars. Even if you know nothing except how to start, drive, and stop your car -- before reading this, I thought the rim CAME WITH the new tire! -- this book is for you.

Has been an all-inclusive auto resource. For newbies, but is packed with stuff.

Why hasn't there been any newer editions since 1999?

Self-reliance with regard to car maintenance is something that I have always wanted for myself.

A lot of complaints are written about how dated this book is - well, for a book who's first edition came out in '83, 8 years before the first "for Dummies" title in the series came out, it's pretty good. Remember also, it was written for people with no mechanic/auto knowledge. My father's mechanic friend recommended it to women who came into the shop who were intimidated by mechanics.

I bought this when I bought my first car, in 1983, along with my copy of Muir's "How to keep your Volkswagen alive...". Between the two of these books I was able to keep my car (9 years old at the time) maintained and tuned until it got destroyed in a crash.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn't understand cars, though I would recommend your car's shop manual if you want to do more than basics.

A lot of complaints are written about how dated this book is - well, for a book who's first edition came out in '83, 8 years before the first "for Dummies" title in the series came out, it's pretty good. Remember also, it was written for people with no mechanic/auto knowledge. My father's mechanic friend recommended it to women who came into the shop who were intimidated by mechanics.

I bought this when I bought my first car, in 1983, along with my copy of Muir's "How to keep your Volkswagen alive...". Between the two of these books I was able to keep my car (9 years old at the time) maintained and tuned until it got destroyed in a crash.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn't understand cars, though I would recommend your car's shop manual if you want to do more than basics.

this is amazing now i can go to the mechanic and actually understand what he is talking about, and avoid being ripped off...

also there are so many tips on how to do it yourself so no need to go c a mechanic ..

Good advice and clear directions for the novice mechanic.
Highly recommended.

I put this book on my Wish List at Amazon.com. It is exactly what I need and the other reviewers give it a good rating. But HOLD THE PRESSES not so fast. I went over to the local book store and happened to see a copy, so I sat down for 10 minutes and quickly took in as much as I could.

First of all the title is misleading. It is not about car repair despite the size of the book's big 600 page thickness. It should be called

"Dummies Guide to Car Ownership".

It is like a large owners manual that comes with every new car. This book cannot be used to repair your car. You can use it to understand how the car works, when to change the oil, and what certain parts do but it is (definitely) not a car repair book. Maybe if you bought a used car and it has no manual buy this book, or you just bought your first car and you are clueless, then okay buy the book, but if you are that clueless - do not fix your car. Get help.

It is like a cartoon book on very basic things. For example one section is how to open the hood (I kid you not!). Another is how to change the tire. Another how to check your fluid levels. There are cartoons showing the suspension, the motor combustion cycle, etc. all the things that are basic. It is not a guide to repairing a serious problem or maybe even a not so serious problem in your car. There are a few interesting items in the book like PVC valves and cartoons showing how they bleed exhaust gases back into the input manifold, etc.

Okay so you want to repair your Chevy or your Honda or your VW or your Ford pickup. This is what you do. You go to a store like Autozone or similar (this is not an endorsement) and you buy a shop manual for your exact car - say a 1999 Chevy Lumina V6 3.8 L, that is for the make, the model, with the year and exact engine or the equivalent book for $25-$50. bucks. Maybe you can get it for less. Then you use the shop manual as a guide to determine what to change and how to do it, and buy the parts at an auto supply place. If that manual is too complicated, just go to a garage, or get help from a friend that has some experience.

If you know the basics about a car, skip the book.

Is this book a little basic in some parts? Whole-heartedly I'd have to say yes. Yes she does cover simple things like what a screwdriver is, how to open the hood, etc. But, what is basic to some maybe complex for others even if so-called experts can't understand why some things are more difficult than others for new people.
Just for info, a lot of cars today have the disc and drum brake configuration (not just old clunkers but newer vehicles) so coverage of the drum brakes is essential. Would I recommend you popping off the drum and tearing apart the wheel cylinder, springs, and brake shoes after reading just this book...definately not. If you want to get a little more familiar with whats inside the calliper or drum then by all means, this book will accomplish that. She also covers all the other major systems of an automobile in a language that anyone can understand.
This book was never intended to turn someone into a mechanic ready to take the SAE test. It's sole purpose is to familiarize you with general vehicle operation and mechanical make-up...and a few tips along the way to keep your car running.
You will learn a lot from this book if you are just starting out...I know I did. If it intrigues you enough, then dive deeper into auto repair by taking a local vocational class or buying the Hayne's or Chilton's repair manuals for your vehicle.

This is a great reference if you dont know anything about how cars work or how they are maintained. I was expecting to see DIY kinda info with a lot of pictures and photos, however most of the info is textual and does not really help much when you want to do something instantly.
it would be great if the content could be shortened to what is essentially needed and have many DIY photo assisted tutorials in it. A great overall read and reference about cars anyway.

I knew nothing about cars, except where the oil goes and all the very basic stuff. After reading this book I now understand a lot more about how a car works, and what to do for certain repairs.

Granted, the book won't allow you to magically repair your vehicle, but that's simply because there are too many cars out with different systems. If you want to make serious repairs in your car you MUST have the owners manual, but then what did you expect?

This book goes from really incredibly basic stuff like opening the hood to how a car works and what different signs you'll get for different problems you may encounter. Sure it's silly to explain how to open the hood, etc. but that's only one chapter and there's 24 of them.

SUMMARY: If you don't know what a differential is, or what piston is or how to change your brakes, after reading this book you will. I bought 2 other books to try understand the basics of how a car works and how to repair it and none of them helped much, but this one covers it all with plenty of pictures.

If you're a beginner, buy it.

First, an observation. This book starts out explaining what a screwdriver is, and proceeds to attempt to explain complex repairs such as servicing the distributor. If you really don't know what a screwdriver is, this book can't help you. And if you attempt to service the ignition system because you read this book, you will need real help, and possibly hospitalization.

The book explains in great detail outmoded automotive technology. Anybody driving a car with drum breaks and carburetor needs a job, not a how-to book.

The book is liberally infested with cut-away line drawings of various car systems. Most are confusing, none are explained well.

The book is chock full of esoteric details, but lacks coherent explanation. This is the way engineers generally write (I speak from experience here). As it turns out, the author has zero technical credentials, yet she claims sole authorship. Could be.

All in all, one of the worst books it has ever been my misfortune to purchase.

I own this book. It has some good basic info, but a much better title would be How Cars Work, With a Little Auto Repair Thrown In. Some of the actual descriptions of "repair" are of very simple things, like how to open the hood - but I guess you should expect that in a Dummies volume. She recommends going to a pro for all but the simplest repairs. Kind of defeats the purpose of the book, it seems to me. She doesn't even discuss exhaust system work, and on many cars that's a relatively simple job. I'm certainly not Joe Mechanic, but even I managed to replace my own muffler and another pipe. This book is more about maintenance than repair.

There are also too many cutesy stories and comments, and Sclar's descriptions are often much too wordy. If she had merely stuck to the facts this book could have been 50 pages shorter. For instance, Sclar tells a story about a woman who had a flat tire but refused a truck driver who offered to help. Then the woman discovered she wasn't strong enough to lift the tire onto the rim. Sclar makes sure to mention that the guy stayed there in his truck to enjoy her helplessness, then goes into an explanation, complete with illustrations, of how to build a ramp to ROLL the spare up to the rim. Who's going to do that, and then lug the thing around in their trunk? Not many, I expect. Hey, here's a thought - when someone graciously offers help, why not just accept it?

That said, the book does have some good general info that should at least enable you to talk to your mechanic more intelligently and might help you avoid getting ripped off. But if you're looking for a book that will actually help you do a variety of repairs on your car, you probably ought to look elsewhere.

I confidently give this book five stars because it is exactly what I was looking for. Coming from that generation that does not always receive alot of the accumulated knowledge of previous men, I was very happy with the information in this book. As the previous reviewer says this book does not help you to repair your car yourself. It does however, explain very well how the systems in your car work. It mentions a few things you can do yourself but primarily limits these to the regular external things like fluids, tire pressure, etc. I believe that a book of this kind is actually more helpful than one that might explain how to repair a car yourself. I think that the ability for a layman to actually do any sort of profound repair on a modern car is practically impossible because of advances in computer technology and their integration into the workings of automobiles. This book however explains how the physical parts work and tells you what to look for so that you know if it is something that needs fixing. This is helpful in planning repairs, selecting a mechanic, or deciding to buy or sell a car.

This isn't much of an auto repair book, as such. For repair, I'd advise those who know what they're doing to grab themselves a Chilton manual specific to their car.

However, I think this book should be read by anyone preparing to enter the world of driving. I personally would have my child read this book before allowing them to own a car.

This book pretty much covers how a car works and simple/routine maintenance. Stuff most people who drive have no clue about. Stuff that is important to know if you're planning on navigating 2 tons of steel in three dimensions at 60mph.

This is a great present for your teen's 16th birthday (place it in the front seat of their new car!), or for anyone who has just gotten a new car (and you know they barely understand how to turn it on).

i knew nothing about cars when i bought this book. it really helped me a lot. buy it and you'll learn more than you can imagine.

believe me its worth every penny. i was a novice but not anymore. i'm giving credit to where credit is due!!!

I don't own a car, but this book was recommended to me by a friend (OK, my therapist...) to get me ready to "climb into the driver's seat." It helped me greatly. In other words, VROOM VROOM VROOM if you know what I mean! This isn't one of those books that make you want to brush your teeth. Now I feel like I understand how cars work, so I can smell the coffee (that's right!) now as well as the chocolates. I liked the line "No pain - no stain!" Thank you Deanna for creating a safe haven for those of us too afraid to ask the service man for servicing.

It's a great book for a true beginner. I'm having so much fun figuring out parts of my car and understanding how it actually runs. There's actually more going on than just pressing on the gas pedal and seeing the car go. Car's better lubed, waxed (more aerodynamic) with clean battery and properly inflated tires. It covers the basics pretty well. Yes, it's too basics for mechanics but for regular car owners it's invaluable :)
I love it. I'm enjoying my car more too.

This is a perfect companion to have on the road. I have gotten into two jams with my beat up pinto and this book saved me. Seriously though, if you are like me and need instructions on how to fix your vehicle, this is the book for you. Very user friendly.

This text offers great information on how to maintain and repair your car for beginners and intermediate level self-proclaimed mechanics. This means that you'll learn the basics of how a car works and how to repair or replace anything short of your engine, axles, or such major components, so this text is great for the majority of people out there to maintain and replace your tires, sparkplugs, all your car liquids, when to take your suspension system to the mechanic, and so forth.

It starts off slow (alot of basic stuff), but like I said, this text is great for both beginner and intermediate level "weekend mechanics".

While in CA I had a bad experience getting an oil change. The jiffy lube guy forgot to put the oil filler cap back on. I noticed the engine sound difference right away but since I didn't consider myself an expert in any way I didn't do anything. Well, for 2 weeks I drove my car. After driving for 10 minutes everytime the car would fill up with a oil burning smell and after I parked the car there would be the oil puddle on the road.

Finally I forced myself to open the hood and found the problem immediately. The oil cap was still wedged between the hoses where the JL guy left it. Luckily it hadn't fallen off, otherwise I would've never found the problem with my lack of car skills.

I went back to JL and told them what happenned. There appeared to be a discussion in the inside office. I peeked inside and saw the supervisor was laughing his head off. The guy who worked on my car came out and apologized. The manager appeared apologetic and offered to clean up the splattered oil mess under my hood if I would leave the car for a couple of days. Yeah right, like I would...after what happenned.

After this experience I looked if I could change the oil myself. I'd bought this dummies book a couple years eralier and it was gathering dust on my shelf. I'd never seriously read the book and like most people I thought dummies were just a quick brush thru of car concepts...not for the real hands-on person. So I went and bought the Haynes repair manual for my corolla (about $20).

I did an oil change and realised 2 things: One, it was incredibly simple. Two, it takes about 30 minutes for the oil to drain out (actually even after 30 minutes there is a slow drip coming out). That made me think of the 10-minute oil change you see advertized in some shops. The mechanics probably let it drain for 2-minutes max. That means there's still a half-liter of old oil still in the crankcase.

Since then I have always change my own oil except when there's snow on the ground since I live in an Apt (don't have my own garage).

The Haynes manual has a vareity of other stuff to do on your car and I realised that I needed some hands-on instruction. So I took a 14-class night course at the local community college ($250) which has really taught me a lot. The book followed there was Jack Erjavec's Automotive Technology which is an expensive but 'utltimate' book for automobiles.

While studying for the exam, I came upon this dummies book on my shelf and I was struck by the clear, consise explanation and neat drawings which rivalled those in Erjavec's. I mentally kicked myself for not reading this dummies book that I had with me all the time. The Haynes manual had all the right steps needed for any job, but little or no explanation or not easy to understand, about the system or basic concepts and the photographs are pathetic.

Since then, apart from oil changes, I have flushed the cooling system, cleaned and reinstalled the battery, changed the air filter and other simple stuff. I would try more stuff if I had a garage.

To cut it short, if you're like me (you aren't a auto-maniac, but you can fix afew things around the house) you need three things:
This book by Scalar for very good system concepts, drawings and reasonably detailed repair steps. A fully detailed repair book like haynes or Chilton's for your particular car. Finally a small evening course in a local communnity college on auto fundamentals would make you really comfortable with your car. (Off course you need to buy some tools too). Good luck.

I purchased Auto Repair for Dummies back when I bought my first car in 1981/82. I bought a Vega and the combination of the car that needed constant repair and the guidance of this book, gave me the confindence of knowing that I can indeed fix a vehicle. The book is over 20 years old now, I would never part with it (even though it is out of date), but it's very well used and I think any new driver who would like to save money would benefit from this book. I think my last big job I did to a car was about 4 years ago when a friend and I replaced four bent valves in my Honda Civic (I was a little hasty replacing a timing belt and did it wrong). But along with the vehicle's Hayne's manual, I always had Auto Repair for Dummies along side. If the newer version stands up like the one I have it is well worth buying. I can't work on cars anymore because I am disabled but I always mention to others that this is a book worth reading and keeping on hand.

This book is excellent for anyone who has no idea about how cars work and what parts under the hood have what functions... I do think though, it lacks information about fairly modern technology that is being used in cars... It highlights the workings of cars mostly in the 70's, 80's without much emphasis on newer generation cars... But i still feel, it is important to have a sound knowledge about the original, more simplistic systems of the car before advancing to the newer, more efficient and complicated systems...

Obviously I am a dummy because this book is exactly what I needed. Although I can figure out how to open the hood, pretty much everything else about that machine is a mystery. When my car made 200,000 miles it developed a rough idle. What a horror! A car with that many miles with a rough idle! Boy, have the mechanics been licking their chops with my check book. I've had the head gasket checked twice. Three different mechanics said that the engine would need different major repairs, all different parts of it. In this book I read the Chapter which includes information on the PCV valve, went to the dealer to buy one myself, took it to a mechanic to have it installed (he said the whole time that this couldn't possibly be the problem and charged me for some other work) and now the car runs fine. Don't know how long that will last but THANKS!!! to the author of this book. I don't want to know how to fix my car, I just want to be able to get it fixed without getting taken and I wish I had found this book 40,000 miles ago.

From past experience, I've had varied success with the "Dummies" series, therefore I was somewhat doubtful when I ordered this book. Based on the previous reviews here at Amazon.com, I ordered it and, after reading the book, I was not disappointed.

I bought the book primarily because I wanted a source I could use to help teach my 14 year old son about automotive repair - he just bought his first car (with my approval, of course). The author did a good job of explaining basic automotive repair & I did find much of the book to be useful in helping me explain many things to my son. I too learned a couple of things from the book, having spent several years maintaining various vehicles. A few of the illustrations are poor, but most are either adequate or good.

The author does an especially good job of convincing the reader that simple automobile maintenance is doable if you know what to do (following her detailed instructions), use common sense & have the right tools. I wish more people were "car maintenance savvy" and the author's attitude strongly reiterates this theme. I also firmly believe in doing your own repairs - it's convienient, money and time saving, satisfying and you have peace of mind knowing the job is done right - the author does a good job of emphasizing these points.

I disagree slightly with the author in regard to repairing older cars. True, most older cars needing an engine rebuild should be terminated, however, I've found many older cars ARE worth rebuilding and can provide reliable and very inexpensive means of transportation. As rebuilding engines is totally beyond the scope of this book, and in most cases the author is correct, this is a very minor point. Overall, I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone who either wants to know the basics of automotive repair - either for the do it yourselfer's, or for anyone who wants to become more knowledgeable about maintaining your expensive investment & understanding your mechanics recommendations and expectations.

If you have any intentions of working on your car, I'd recommend getting a manual specific to your car make & model to accompany this book (like a Haynes manual, or similar).

I like to have several books in my personal library about cars. Auto Repair for Dummies and Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care compliment each other. Both use different approaches in their books to explain car maintenance, repair, and ownership. I recommend both!

I own this book and Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care. These books compliment each other quite well. Auto Repair for Dummies does an excellent job explaining basic maintenance and repair, using well drawn line art. Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care uses detailed photos and drawings to show actual car parts. Auto Repair for Dummies is quite procedural for specific repairs. Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care uses to-the-point chapters, price guides, internet links, and an activity CD to help the reader learn about automobile maintenance and ownership. I see Auto Repair for Dummies as a reference, while Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care is a book for anyone who wants to learn more about cars and car ownership (from obtaining insurance, to cleaning, to understanding oil and other fluids). All and all, I recommend having both books in your personal library. These are also great gifts for the new driver!

BASIC. GOOD FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS NO IDEA AND YET HAS SOME TIDSBITS FOR THE EXPERIANCED CAR CARE PERSON.

Okay, the title should have given me a clue, but I have a couple of old 57 Dodge trucks and thought the sections on carburetors and distributors would come in handy. They did, in a very broad sort of way. But there really wasn't much in this book that did more than rephrase what I already knew.

I just got the book last night, and I was pretty impressed. I had been concerned that it would be too low-level - "the key goes in here" kind of stuff. While it does start out with some pretty basic stuff, tools and how to use them etc., the book also has some great information for those who aren't terrified of working on their cars.
I just bought an old car and I want to/have to learn how to do a lot of minor repairs and normal maintenance. This book will serve as a great reference.

Overall an excellent book, explaining general automotive system operation & basic troubleshooting and repair.However some of the information in the book is a bit dated, for example the book devotes many pages to distributors and their operation and maintenance.I think most potential buyers of a book of this type own modern automobiles.

It's not really the fault of the author, but it lacks a lot of information. You're better off buying a text book for automotive service. You can find good ideas from the local college that has classes, better yet, take their introductory class if you can.

It's a good primer and goes through the systems but it recommends more often than not to seek professional help.

You're also better off just getting the service manual of your car from Chilton and Hayes if you want to fix your car. See if you can find this book in the library or bookstore and just browse through the pages in an hour or two. It's definitely not worth having in your library.

Great to book for beginners like myself. The author is organized and pays attention to the little details. There are plenty of diagrams and pictures, and the author encourages you to explore your car. Excellent jumping point for novice mechanics and people who want to take care of their car.

If you really want more in-depth explanations of car form and function, I recommend Auto Fundamentals by Stockel & Johanson. If you want to go a step further in auto repair I suggest picking up a Haynes Repair Manual specific to your car. Making friends with a veteran mechanic helps, too. =)

EVEN IF, LIKE ME,YOU ARE NOT KEEN ON ACTUALLY FIXING YOUR OWN AUTO, THIS BOOK IS WORTH OWNING. ONE CAN TAKE ONE'S TIME AND DIP INTO IT WHENEVER YOU FANCY. EVERY PAGE HAD A USEFUL HINT FOR ME & EXPLAINED CLEARLY WITH LOTS OF PICS & PHOTOS, HOW THINGS WORK 'UNDER THE HOOD'. IF NOTHING ELSE, THIS BOOK CLUED ME IN ENOUGH SO THAT I CAN NOW BOOK MY CAR IN FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS MUCH MORE INTELLIGENTLY THAN I DID BEFORE.

THE HINTS ON GETTING BETTER GAS MILEAGE, TIRE MILEAGE & LONGER VEHICLE LIFE PAY FOR THIS BOOK IN A HURRY. I'VE REALIZED THAT I DON'T HAVE TO GET GREASE UNDER MY NAILS, IN ORDER TO GET MORE VALUE OUT OF MY AUTO - WHAT I NEED IS BETTER INFO THAT'S EASY TO DIGEST AND USE IN A SIMPLE, PRACTICAL WAY.

WRITTEN BY A WOMAN, IT'S A GENDER-BENDER THAT I LIKED.

MALE AUTO-OWNER.

worthless ....unless you've got a car that's 20 years old ....attn authors:they now have fuel injection and electronic ignition

This is the first book with the "Dummies" theme. Deanna Sclar deserves much praise and attention for this theme which has been adopted by so many. Ahead of her time!

I'm still in process of reading this book, and I had to write a review because I like it that much. Before this book I did not know what a solenoid was. If you don't know, read the book. I give my word that it will be well worth the money, and that after only the first five chapters.

Hello,

I had very little knowledge of cars before I've bought this book, and after reading it (well some of it - it is very long and tedious and fool with obvious "insights") I stil have very little knowledge. Maybe this book will be good for people who never heard before that cars existed because ~80% of this very l o n g b o o k is bla bla bla (how to clean your car (?!), how to select a garage (?!) - what kind of expert do U need to tell U thos kind of info ? )

another problem is that it speaks about the "classical" engines - most of the cars from year ~90 and more are not using the system as described there and are more complicated (carburator, distributor ) to handle.

As a new driver this book has helped me alot in buying a new car and it has also helped me in working on and maintaaining the car that I already have. I feel that this has helped me in many ways and I think that alot of people should read this book if they are interested in vehicles. It was also very interesting to find out things that I did not know about before I read this book. This is a better book on cars then any other car magazines and any other car books that I have read before becaused it describes in detail what you need to do or what you should do. This is also a good book because all of the other car books that I have read you have to know what kind of car you want to learn about or work on. That is why I like this book because it tells you about all kind of cars it does not just focus on one of them. So if you like learning about cars and you also want to learn about how to maintain your car I feel that you should read this book it is very educational.

If you are like I was before having read this book, then this book is for you. I did not know I had to pump my tires !, oil ? well, I didn't also know it was necessary to check it !. I only knew how to drive and to fill it with gasoline ! . But my book has changed my point of view of my car. Now, having read this amazing book, I not only take more care of my car, It also gives me more satisfaction, it purrs like a cat, and has not left me for months !. I have read other beginers how to books, but this book is wonderful, so many pictures, so many explanations, so many advices, it is a bargain and a treasure. I highly recommend it

As an amateur driver I found this book to be really helpful in understanding the components and pieces of a car. Not only that but the book is great to take with you on trips in case of emergency. This book should definately be part of your home library.

This book was recommended to me by an auto mechanic 7 years ago. Bought it right away. Found it clear, easy to understand, concise and practical. Get it if you can.

I purchased this book for my daughter. After I read it myself I bought one for my two sons. I'm very knowledgable when it comes to cars but I could'nt have wrote anything more clear and helpful.

I recently purchased an older model American car... the kind with a carburetor and distributor and--get this--spark plugs that you can actually reach without removing half the stuff from the engine. It has been so long since I could really work on my own car that I had forgotten how to do basic tuneups and keep my auto in primo condition. This book is outstanding for explaining how it all works and how to do the basics yourself. It begins with a simple but thorough explanation of all the systems (electrical, fuel, suspension, steering, etc.) and how a car works. Then it goes through each system and, with the aid of very effective diagrams, explains how to check and fix each one.

I have, thanks to this book, the knowledge and confidence to keep my new/old car in tune, running smooth, and at a fraction of the cost of taking it into the shop.

You don't need an older car to appreciate this wonderful resource, either. The author goes through modern cars and their systems, too, like fuel injection and rack-and-pinion steering and disc brakes. If you have always wanted to know more about cars, and want the confidence to do the basic maintenance yourself, this IS the book for you. Highly reccommended.

I couldn't have done it without this book. The easy to follow, simplified instructions, makes do it yourself car repair possible for most anyone. You learn not only how to make your car run good, but you also learn how maintain your car for longer life. There is also a section in the book that gives you the know how to make your car look good too. This book was exactly what I needed plus more!

This is a very good book. It covers basic auto repair and care with a straight forward approach. All the resources and pictures really came through. I now keep a log of all my truck work, and it hasn't run better.

The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because of gross oversight in the "driving ecologically" section. The author advised NOT to warm up a car before taking off in the morning. Even us "dummies" know that 90% of all engine wear occurs during start up and hopping in a cold car and zooming off is a very bad piece of advice. I also seriously doubt a 2min. warm up has a lot of effect on the environment.

Either way, a great book. I would recommend buying it.

The Dummies series scores another home run. The author does an excellent job of laying a foundation which assumes you know nothing about auto repair and steadily builds upon that foundation throughout the book. The illustrations are thorough yet simple to follow. Also included are various tips on ways to maintain your car and lower the overall cost of ownership. A must have for anyone who has ever envied those who understand what goes on under the hood.