Help from Haynes for the hard-pressed motorist

Mark Forsyth, motoring correspondent for the Daily Star on Sunday, is predicting that 2009 will see a change of attitudes by hard-pressed motorists. With garage labour charges averaging more than £80 per hour, people will undertake repairs themselves – maybe using recycled parts from car salvage yards.

Certainly, with new car sales having slumped (down 21.2 per cent in December according to the SMMT), more motorists are hanging on to their vehicles. Additionally, owners of 4x4s and large family cars are unlikely to consider a trade-in while deprecation on these vehicles is in free fall.

As cars age and accumulate more miles, components inevitably need replacing. In many cases, these are items such as bulbs, windscreen wipers and brake pads which can be replaced by someone competent in DIY. Servicing and routine maintenance can often be carried out at home too. There's no escaping the fact that the annual MoT test must be completed by an authorised garage, but a DIY pre-test may reveal faults than can be repaired easily and cheaply, thus avoiding the inconvenience of an MOT failure and the expense of a retest.

To assist the cost-conscious motorist, Haynes publishes manuals for more than 500 cars and vans as well as useful glovebox guides such as Your Car and Driving Abroad. Haynes is the world’s leading publisher of automotive repair manuals and is renowned for teaching millions of car owners how to carry out routine maintenance and repairs. Such is the popularity of Haynes manuals that worldwide sales have exceeded a staggering 150 million.

The manuals include sections on weekly checks, routine service and servicing, plus more complex repairs to the engine, brakes, suspension and electrical system. If you just want to replace a worn wiper blade or check your tyre pressures, the Haynes manual will tell you how. If you fancy tackling a clutch replacement, the Haynes manual will guide you through that operation too. All the jobs have been carried out and photographed in the Haynes research workshop, so you can be confident that the procedures will work!

Haynes manuals are written in plain English and contain many photographs and diagrams to aid understanding. Each task is rated for complexity so that you can judge whether it is within your capabilities. The manuals also tell you what special tools are required and give suggestions on how to make them yourself, and include tips for making jobs easier. A reference section includes fault-finding charts, MOT test checks and other useful information.

Haynes Manuals retail at £19.99 (hardback) and are available from haynes.co.uk or from all good automotive accessory retailers and bookshops including Halfords and WH Smiths.