If I can get my hands dirty.......

[Hon'ya-chan]

So this yuppie idiot comes in, asking for Automotive books. Bell rings in my head: "Are you looking for (Name of several different Automotive Manuals that don't come from the factory)," I ask. Yuppie says yes, he's looking for it. I tell him he needs to go to the Automotive store for a wider selection.

Yuppie throws a fucking fit because we don't have them and he doesn't want to go to the local Autoshop where it's all grease filled and the people there don't know shit about his Mercedes SUV.

Yeah, if you can afford a Mercedes SUV, you can afford thier repair costs and don;t need a manual.

[Gurndigarn]

Yeah, if you can afford a Mercedes SUV, you can afford thier repair costs and don;t need a manual.

To be fair, some people (like me) prefer to do their own repairs, just so they know that either (1) the job is done right, or (2) so that they don't have anyone else to blame for screwing up their car.

[LionMan]

IMHO, nothing wrong with someone wanting a Chilton manual (are they still published?) so they can fix their car for simple repairs or to know more about it. Assuming you're a bookseller, special ordering one shouldn't be too hard (and the automotive shop might not have a copy).

[Sofar]

Generally people who do their own repairs don't own new Mercedes. Although, there is quite an old Mercedes following here, you see a lot of forty and fifty year old Mercedes running around, some converted to biodeisel. They just last so much longer than the rich people have interest for them. It's pretty easy to get parts. Same deal with old Volvos.

[Seshat]

Yuppie throws a fucking fit because we don't have them and he doesn't want to go to the local Autoshop where it's all grease filled and the people there don't know shit about his Mercedes SUV.

So how does he expect to do repairs on his car and not get greasy?

[BookstoreEscapee]

I would imaging the auto supply store would keep the books they are selling free of grease...

and yeah, you can get Chilton manuals at Barnes & Noble at least.

[zzapp the witch]

All of a sudden I'm having flashbacks to that show....I can't remember, the one with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen when they were babies....oh yeah, Full House!

Car breaks down, Bob Saget's character lifts up the hood and proceeds to freak out that the car is so dirty in there and tries to start cleaning everything....

[Hon'ya-chan]

Generally people who do their own repairs don't own new Mercedes. Although, there is quite an old Mercedes following here, you see a lot of forty and fifty year old Mercedes running around, some converted to biodeisel. They just last so much longer than the rich people have interest for them. It's pretty easy to get parts. Same deal with old Volvos.

He bluntly stated that he had a 2006 Mercedes SUV. Unless my memory's off, many of the specialty parts for recent cars must be special ordered by the dealer, not by the customers or independent mechanics. And he should still have the warranty, unless he did something dimwitted to void it.

Plus he stormed off before I could offer to see if I could special order it.

[AFpheonix]

I wouldn't try working on a newer car, with the exception of a few easy things like oil changes or headlights, blah blah.
Just too computerized now for me. It was a different story with my 83' Subaru, I could change out vacuum hoses and other stuff on it without worrying that I was gonna totally screw it up.

[Mark Healey]

Autoshop where it's all grease filled and the people there don't know shit about his Mercedes SUV.

He needs to realize that if he is actually going to do his own repairs HIS manual is going to get all greasy.

Yeah, if you can afford a Mercedes SUV, you can afford thier repair costs and don;t need a manual.[/QUOTE]

If you can find an honest and competent mechanic. I drive a 71 VW type 3 with electronic fuel injection. I couldn't find a mechanic who knew what he was talking about or didn't try to scam me. Now, any repairs that don't involve exotic tools and some that do, I do myself.

[wagegoth]

I prefer the Robert Bentley books. Much clearer and simpler.

[Sofar]

If you can find an honest and competent mechanic. I drive a 71 VW type 3 with electronic fuel injection. I couldn't find a mechanic who knew what he was talking about or didn't try to scam me. Now, any repairs that don't involve exotic tools and some that do, I do myself.

Most old Volkswagen owners I know wouldn't trust their beetle to a mechanic. I know I wouldn't trust my semicentennial Volvo to a mechanic.

[friendofjimmyk]

Yuppie throws a fucking fit because we don't have them and he doesn't want to go to the local Autoshop where it's all grease filled and the people there don't know shit about his Mercedes SUV.

l.

Okay, so he doesn't want to got to a shop for the manual because they are greasy? As far as people not knowing "shit" about his Mercedes SUV - he's looking for the manual, not trying to have them fix the vehicle. All they would have to know is where they keep the manual.

[myswtghst]

If you can find an honest and competent mechanic. I drive a 71 VW type 3 with electronic fuel injection. I couldn't find a mechanic who knew what he was talking about or didn't try to scam me. Now, any repairs that don't involve exotic tools and some that do, I do myself.

Hell, I drive an '01 VW Jetta, and half the time (unless I take it back to the dealership I bought it at) people have no idea what to do with it, and I end up with shoddy aftermarket parts that eventually fall off the car for no reason.

[Hemily]

do they even make manuals for newer cars? you need to go to the shop just to change a bulb in your headlights now, Volvo is one of the few where you can actually change the bulb in still yourself... i hate new cars.

and first time i wanted a manual for one of my cars, the auto shop diden't even have it, and claimed they coulden't order one either, then my dad went to the same store, and he got one right away, for the same car...