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WELCOME TO FAXON AUTO LITERATURE ... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Finally, Buy With No Risk from the Auto Literature Experts
 When authenticity is your priority, ask for an original manual. Original Manuals are sold as "used, but with complete information." However, they can range from new old stock (N.O.S.) all the way down to well-used condition. We describe the condition of original manuals to the best of our ability before selling them to you. See the topic called "What do the conditions mean?" for detailed information about the conditions of literature we sell on this site. The price of any original manual is determined, in part, by its appeal. On the other hand, if low cost is key, buy the reprint. The reprints we sell are the best quality reproductions of factory literature available. We look for picture clarity, completeness, and updated & later edition information in the reprints we sell. Sometimes the reproduction literature has pictures or text that are obscured or incomplete; these problems reflect the quality of the original. We would only sell manual like this if it was the ONLY version available. We avoid reprints that are photocopied. A photocopier generally does not produce clear pictures and text. We will try to stock books printed on an offset press (where the book is printed using plates), or digitally scanned and printed using a high resolution printer.
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Factory repair manuals are the approved repair instructions used by dealership mechanics to work on your vehicle. Typically, these have the most specific, most complete information available. Other companies–Chiltons or Haynes are sold in auto parts stores across the country–write their own manual for you to use at home. Aftermarket manuals usually cover a range of years and/or models, where the factory will usually only cover one model year. Factory manuals are generally more expensive than aftermarket, but well worth the extra money. You will find the value in the depth and breadth of the information included in the factory literature.
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Manufacturers began to offer CDs in the early 1990s. 1930 to 1980 CDs are made by reproducing the paper manuals on CDs. The picture quality of these scans of older manuals is clear and usable, though not as clear as printed manuals. CDs for newer vehicles work like a software program, containing the same picture quality as the paper manuals. We carry the best quality CDs available. Shop manuals and parts books are available in this format. Digital manuals are great because you can print out the pages you need, get them dirty in the shop and just throw them away. Your paper shop manuals will stay nice and clean.
DVDs are just now becoming available, and we look forward to offering them soon.
Faxon Auto Literature carries original auto manufacturers CDs for newer vehicles and licensed CDs made with digital images of older manuals.
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Preliminary vs. Final Edition
Vehicle manufacturers produce preliminary shop manuals to update and train their mechanics to work on the vehicles coming in the next model year. You cannot usually rely upon preliminary shop manuals for complete information as the factory replaces them with a final edition shop manual when the model year begins. The final edition of the shop manual may come in the form of a supplement to the shop manual of an earlier model year. See our topic on supplements for more information. Also, there may be supplements, updates, or addendums to the final edition of the shop manual. When you buy a preliminary shop manual from us, we state that in the title and the description of the book. We cannot always know what information is not covered in the preliminary shop manual, but we will let you know if the preliminary shop manual covers something that the final edition does not. We understand the publication records of the books we sell, so you can buy the shop manuals we offer with confidence that you will get the best most up to date information available.
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No, we do not sell parts, and we do not personally know who does. However, we have books written by people that research who sells parts for your car, and how to buy from them. Our best books for this are the Parts Locating Guides for domestic makes. Put your make, model, and year into the search bar at the top of the page to find the parts locating guide that is right for you.
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Shop Manual vs. Assembly Manual
A shop manual has step-by-step instructions for specific repair procedures. These were used at dealerships to make repairs in a standardized way. Assembly manuals were intended as reference books for factory workers to help them put cars together. Assembly manuals are a series of exploded view illustrations that show you how the vehicle goes together. We recommend that everyone start their project with the factory shop manual by their side. The shop manual covers the most information in the most straightforward way. However, If you find that the car needs structural overhaul, or may be missing parts, then an assembly manual can be your best friend. Assembly manuals are very rare and you will only find reprints on our site. When an assembly manual is not available, the factory parts book may be the best alternative. See the descriptions of the shop manual and assembly manual categories for more information. As always, read the descriptions carefully. We take pains to describe in detail exactly what each book covers.
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Shop vs. Repair vs. Maint. vs. service vs etc.
Different vehicle manufacturers call their repair manuals a lot of different things. Shop Manual, Service Manual, Maintenance Manual, Repair Manual, Technical Manual, etc. We have been in this business for over 30 years, and we understand that they all mean the same thing. Books by these names were all written to serve a similar function–fix the vehicle when its broken, maintain the vehicle to prevent it from breaking down, and give you all the specifications of the parts. There are rare exceptions to this rule that do not merit a mention here. Just know that if we have two manuals for the same vehicle in the same year that call themselves two different things (i.e. one shop and one service) we will explain that difference in the descriptions of the books.
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What is the condition of the used books?
When you buy a used book from us, we give you the opportunity to choose the condition of the book that you buy--and so choose the price. We tell you that the book is "good" or "very good" but what is the REAL difference? The chart below will tell you the term we use for the condition and what that terms mean.
An Explanation of Book Conditions
Unused, in original manufacturer wrapper or container.
Never Been Used. May have shelf wear.
Used, Complete, sound binding. Clean cover. May have some small imperfection that is not obvious.
Used, Complete, sound binding. Clean, but with obvious imperfection(s).
Average used book. Complete, sound binding. All text is readable, all pages are relatively clean. Cover is relatively clean, with some imperfections or small writing.
Complete and usable but not pretty. Sound binding. All text is readable, some pages may be dirty. Cover is dirty, taped, and/or written on.
Complete book with Major structural problem (broken binding, major water damage, etc.)
Complete book. May have homemade cover, reprinted pages inserted, and/or rebound.
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