Shag wrote:
> On Tue, 24 May 2005 20:56:41 -0400, "Joey Tribiani" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>the *only* problem i have with the advice that flew in this thread is that
>>the OP has been told to basically buy every single ****ing printed book that
>>mentions a vw....waste...bull****....i'm not condemning the Muir book, it
>>has about as much credibility as the VW Mags we've been subjected to over
>>the years....but we don't suggest every newbie get a susbscription to those
>>to learn the *proper* way to maintain/repair their cars....just have trouble
>>suggesting a book that is known to be wrong and potentially damaging, yet is
>>touted as a "repair manual"....its a bull**** waste of time for anyone who
>>*really* wants to work on their car....(as you have seen with your "real"
>>manuals)
>
>
> I don't think it is a bull**** waste of time for anyone who really
> wants to work on their VW. If I had not read that book then I
> wouldn't have even STARTED to try to get into working on my own VW.
> Before I read that book I used to pay a shop to adjust my valves for
> me. Like I told you the other day, I finally "committed" to buying a
> decent torque wrench with the thought of completely tearing down and
> rebuilding an engine (the one in my rail) for the first time in my
> life. How did you get started on "seriously" working on vehicles?
> Did you just pick up a Haynes or Bently manual and read it
> cover-to-cover and jump right in? Or did you take some
> classes/training on how to do it right? Or did you have someone
> around who already knew a little (or a lot) about working on vehicles
> who gave you enough confidence to get into doing that sort of thing on
> your own? For those of us who don't have someone around who already
> knows their way in and out the processes of working on a vehicle, Muir
> is a good start. In my opinion. Yeah, I know what that's worth.
>


Yeah - what he said ! :-)

The title of the thread starts " A complete newbie " . As you were
brought up around cars and engines , maybe you cant understand what its
like too be at a complete loss as to where to start, who to ask, what
to ask for etc. etc. Nothing wrong with that. If you know your stuff,
thats a good thing !.

'We' dont !

I had a little knowledge of mechanics, but it was still a few oil
changes down the line on VW's before I learned they were different to
other cars. I just used to take the drain plug out, empty the oil, put
it back and top it up again ! I didnt know that the smaller bolts
holding the round plate had a wire mesh thingy inside that I should
replace, or at least clean ! For all I knew, if I took that plate off,
half the engine could fall out !

I think how to keep your VW alive - for a complete idiot ( like 'us' )
as an apt title for the book. Like shag said, you could take it to a
shop, and pay someone to do the work. They could tell you what you want
to hear and you would pay what they tell you to pay. If you read the
Muir book, at leased you will have an idea if you are beeing fleeced, or
even that the mechanic hasnt got a clue about aircooled, and you are
paying him to screw your engine up !

I would still recommend to any "Newbie" the muir book as a good starting
place to learn the basics and take the mystery out of all the oily stuff.

I am interested in your comments on wrong info given in the book. I
havent heared that before. Can you give us some examples - what to look
out for ?

Cheers

Rich