Best repair Manual

Hey All.
Looking for some feedback on who makes the best printed repair manual.
Chilton... or Haynes.
I know all about youtube, and of course forums like this for information, however, I'm an oldster and like books as well.
I'm also in the market for an original owner's manual If someone knows where to get one of those.

 

I always got Chilton manuals before. Haven't bought one in years. Haynes was not as thorough in my opinion.

 

The Toyota Factory Service Manual.

Chilton and Haynes can't hold a candle.

You can get the FSM on ebay for like $15 as a download.

 

I just bought my 4Runner. My first search was a factory repair manual for my 2021 4Runner.
Of course, I intend to fix it myself. I am TMH engineer.
I tried the first TIS, and after 12 hours, I gave up. It is impossible to save by printing, even in a week.
Then, I found this website:
https://www.factory-manual.com/toyota-4runner&70&662

I order my car, and... it works!
I got the repair manual and wiring diagrams saved on my PC in less than 24 hours.

 

They don't have anything older than 2006. So it's no good for our generation.

 

Yes, they have...
I order from here:
https://www.factory-manual.com/2021-toyota-4runner-repair-manual-3153.html

 

I searched three site. They do not have anything older than 2006. Our generation ended in 2002.

 

Sorry, you have right. I am in the wrong section of the forum.

 

I like haynes, just for the basic stuff.

 

The FSM is so much better than the AM ones. But AM can do the job. Now that I forked the money for the FSM I don't use the Chilton's at all. You can have it if you pay shipping, just shoot me a DM

 

FSM is essential for important jobs, but they are intended for mechanics so they leave out things that any mechanic should know but many normies don't. So having one or both of the others is good to have too.

 

I've used both Chilton and Haynes manuals, and I personally prefer Chilton for its detailed explanations and clear diagrams. It seems to go more in-depth, which I find helpful. As for an original workshop manual, try a site like CarManuals.org. They often have original or reprinted versions available for purchase.

 

Does anyone use these? I was thinking of trying them, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

The best repair manual for the money: YouTube. It's free and pretty much all the common repairs are there. I recently replaced my fuel injectors (sort of a medium difficulty job) and watching a couple of YouTube videos got me through it.

 

To get a genuine Toyota repair manual try eBay. They will be used, but so what? For my 1999 there is a volume !, maintenance, specifications, diagnostics (probably using special Toyota equipment) and volume 2, the actual repair manual. You want volume 2

 

For anyone here, NEVER buy the Chilton manual for the 3rd gen 4runner. It covers 3 vehicles, the T100, 4runner, Land Cruiser, and in doing so it does all 3 poorly.

It doesn't say much you couldn't find online, and after comparing it to the factory service manual I bought, I found the torque specs were wrong in the Chilton. Also the valve shim table for the 3rz was wrong. I didn't check if the discrepancy was large enough for it to recommend the wrong shim size, but I didn't trust it after that. It seemed to average out the torque specs for the 3 vehic

Haynes owns Chilton, so I would extend this to Haynes if it also tries combining 3 vehicles into 1 book. Chilton/Haynes/Clymer is hit or miss, some models are done better than others, but the one for the 3rd gen 4runner it's absolutely terrible. DO NOT BUY!

 

Factory service manual and experience are your best friends. If you are lacking the experience, have a friend who knows their way around help you with your first few repairs.

 

I’ve used both Chilton and Haynes manuals over the years, but honestly, I found that workshopmanuals.org offers better, more detailed automotive repair manuals. While Chilton and Haynes are decent, they sometimes lack the depth needed for more complex repairs.