I haven't found this little item in the forums but Barnes and Noble is selling advance copies of the Prius 2001-2007 manual. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=prius&z=y
Excellent! Haynes are well-respected here in the UK for being a great source of information when it comes to doing DIY maintenance on your car. However, they sometimes do get it wrong. I have a Haynes manual for a 1965 Morris Minor and it has been awarded the title of the "Haynes book of lies" as quite a large proportion of it is completely different to any Morris Minor I've ever owned or worked on! So, I'll be getting a copy for the Prius but perhaps double-checking things here before doing any major work! Nikki.
My first Haynes manual had this wonderful detailed description of how to remove the transmission and clutch - until you flipped the page for the last section of the removal - the next page was missing and they were suddenly describing the sequence for bolting the plate back on! I sent them a letter and they sent me a reprinted copy of the manual! I have been a fan of their manuals ever since.
Amazon.com has pre-order a buck cheaper and the cover says thru 2008. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/103-6686187-7180604?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=toyota+prius&x=20&y=18
Factory manuals only For my previous cars I've owned Haynes and Clymer manuals, and for my current Tacoma I ponied up the cash for the official Toyota factory manuals. Don't bother with the Haynes manuals, they leave out all sorts of stuff that is in the factory manuals. I forgot what I paid, I think around $100, and it came in 2 very large books. For me personally I'm not going to bother with after market manuals for the Prius, I'm going to get the official Toyota manuals.
I've been able to do a surprising amount of work on other cars with Haynes manuals, for instance changing water pumps, replacing wiper motors, replace shocks and steering dampers, etc (I can't do even a simple repair without a manual). But for other things, like removing all the interior trim panels for an audio install - I've needed the factory manual for that. I'll usually look at the Haynes manual first to see if it gives sufficient detail for the repair, and switch to the factory manual if I think more information is needed.
Devil in the details I find the factory manual to be much more descriptive in terms of bolt torques, exactly which chemicals to use where, etc.. The factory manual gives you part numbers for chemicals (sealers, etc..) and special tools. You would be surprised how little the dealer follows the manual, it burns me up. I went to the dealer to purchase an exact sealant, even gave them the part# directly from the factory manual. I was told "we don't stock that, we don't use that, here's what we use". I had the same exact issue with lube. I tried to get moly grease from the dealer for an item that the factory manual explicitly states to use moly grease, and I was told they just use plain old lithium based grease so that's all they sell and it should be fine. Grrr... This is why I avoid the dealer for any repairs as much as possible. The goal of their service department is to make money, even if it shortens the service life of your car. Make money fine, but not cutting corners. Sorry, I didn't mean to get off on a rant there. My main point is you need the factory manual to tell you these types of details because there's no other accurate reference to get them.
agree, it is best to have the Haynes AND the factory manual. The Haynes often will show a way around using special tools and equipment, also will advise if a job is not a good bet for a home mechanic. In general they assume you are working with the resources of a typical amateur mechanic....however Haynes can be very sketchy in certain areas that the factory manual may cover better. Even when detail on a specific job is good in both, reading both is usually worth the time and can prevent mistakes...
I was told by local dealer the manual for '01 Prius is $600, and comes in three volumnes. None of the discount OEM parts vendors I found carry service manuals. No surprise if dealer is way off - parts and service guys there said no way to add cruise control, and I found OEM kit thru Priuschat and did it myself for under $200 . . . Anyone know reasonable source for service manual?
Ok, please explain to me - using very simple word and perhaps crayon drawings - why a person would want to waste money on a Haynes "guess book" when the factory manual is easily available to anybody in the US as a download directly from Toyota?? http://techinfo.toyota.com Click on "Subscribe" and follow the prompts. Geez, $10 for 24 hours you should be able to get the entire manual set. Hint: purchase the subscription on Friday after 6pm and you should have the entire weekend to download it Some folks may think I'm ripping Haynes. The few times I have used a Haynes I have found it almost useless. The factory service manual is much more detailed and is generally updated with current TSB If you need a generic source of repair data, I have found All Data to be reliable. You subscribe per vehicle, the first vehicle is $25 a year, each additional vehicle is $15 a year http://www.alldatadiy.com/
I would generally agree on the factory manual, but there are advantages to the Haynes. I usually get both. Main differnece is that factory manual assumes you are working at a dealer and have access to all tools. DIY manual often tells you how to do without. I wouldn't bother if they were pricey, but cheap as they are its usually worth picking one up IMHO. Rob
