Rating: 
Summary: Auto Repair for Dummies and Auto Upkeep make a good pair.
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Auto Repair for Everyone
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: 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 The book is over 20 years old now, I would never part with it (even though it is out of date), but it's very well used and I think any new driver who would like to save money would benefit from this book.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.
Rating:
Summary: I wish I said that.
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Not an Auto Repair Book - Very Basic, Maybe Too Basic
Review: 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. That is my opinion. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic beginner's book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: This dummy, is loving the book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT CARS , THIS IS YOUR BOOK
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful, Thanks!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Auto Maintenance for Dummies is more like it
Review: 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.
| 
