Best shop/service/maintenance manual ?

[DandyDoug]

I am shopping around for a good shop/service/maintenance manual for my 1985 R80 BMW.

When I look at the offerings from Clymer and Haynes, they seem to try and cover a multitude of years and models in one book.

Is there anything better to look at than what they offer ??

Maybe something specific to my year and model ??

Thanks, Doug

[jimbee]

Not sure that it is an either/or question. I think you will find that most here are using the Haynes, Clymer, BMW Shop Manual, Snowbum's site, AND this site. Haynes and Clymer have pictures, BMW Manual has better verbiage and procedures (in my opinion), Snowbum's has years of experience and funny fonts, and here you find the bestest collection of know-it-alls anywhere! Good Luck! J

[DandyDoug]

No doubt the wisdom here, and from sages like Snowbum are valuable to me, but i'm old, and sort of a slow learner. So I feel I need to read , sit , think, and comprehend before I tackle anything other than putting gas in the tank.

Plus I don't have anywhere near the disposable income most of you have any longer , so I need to buy wisely.

just trying to get the best bang for the buck as they say.

[KhaoSanMan]

Shoot me a PM with your email and I will send you a PDF version of the BMW mechanics manual when I get home from work.

[edit] I sent you a PM with a link to download it from my server.

[fishkens]

Originally Posted by DandyDoug

When I look at the offerings from Clymer and Haynes, they seem to try and cover a multitude of years and models in one book.

Good advice so far. I use a Haynes and a Clymers. They do cover multiple years because so many parts of these airheads lived in production for years. The starter was essentially the same for more than a decade (Bosch 8 or 9 tooth) and then they used the Valeo until production ended in 1995. I believe that your ignition is the same as mine ('88GS) which is the same as a '95. etc.

i.e. Don't let the fact that the manuals cover many years put you off. But realize that they're far from perfect so ask if something looks odd. There's a chance that it's wrong.

[DandyDoug]

It has been a long time since i owned an air head so i 'am a bit rusty with my limited skills , anything helps when you are trying to keep something this old on the road. So far i love it !!!

[xcgates]

One tip I've gotten is to get both a Clymer's and a Haynes, as each will have info the other doesn't have, and you can always check them against each other if something doesn't seem right, or an explanation isn't good enough.

[squish]

Really there's just about as much useful info on the web as there is in these books.

That said I use the Clymer (the big thick book) and the BMW service Manual
When I got questions that I can't find on the net.

I've been looking for a haynes used, but not super actively.

[xcgates]

Originally Posted by squish

Really there's just about as much useful info on the web as there is in these books.

That said I use the Clymer (the big thick book) and the BMW service Manual
When I got questions that I can't find on the net.

I've been looking for a haynes used, but not super actively.

Ya but I do like having an actual book to look at, rather than *having* to use a computer.

[fishkens]

Originally Posted by squish

Really there's just about as much useful info on the web as there is in these books.

There is tons of great info on the web but it's often not so easy to reference and opening a Clymers or Haynes, looking in the index and immediately seeing a reasonably well sequenced article on the process in question. There are exceptions and I usually augment manuals with a web search but I'm not ready to trade manuals for web-only information just yet.

A forum like this really needs a wiki (kbasa mentioned this in another thread) to assemble the immense knowledge that's been shared here.

The promise of the interwebs will eventually be fulfilled but that's still a few years in the future.

[DoktorT]

I use the Factory Manual and SnoBum along with all the links to others he gives. That answers about 99% of anything I need.

I have the Haynes. I would never give a dime for a Clymer published after the 60's.

The factory manual has errors, a handfull throughout the manual. Snobum identifies all those errors. Oak, Cutter, Porter, Cuda all agree about all the important or significant error.

Haynes repeats the factorys error verbatim and adds a few of their own.

Clymer repeats any error found anywhere and adds an extra big helping of extras. They also spezialize in ommissions as a no cost extra bonas.