Workshop Manual > Best for VY Commodore?

[pat.tom]

Hi Folks,

Has anyone got any opinions on which manual is best for general servicing and maintenance of the VY commodore?

I have always had a Gregory's / Scientific Publications manual for previous cars and have found them to be very helpful - but think they have been taken over by Haynes.

Previous Haynes manuals I have examined have been rather ordinary in my opinion.

I see there is an "Ellery" manual, or is it possible to get a manual from Holden?

Any opinions?

[pat.tom]

There is a manual advertised by Max Elery publications, its almost 500 pages long - I haven't used one of these before - are they any good? Nee to purchase via internet - so just want an opinion b4 handing over the "hard earned!"

[Fekason]

IMHO, the best workshop manual is the genuine GM item on CD. Problem is that it is seriously expensive.

I managed to get one on Ebay a couple of years ago for $100, but they retail for many hundreds.

In my limited experience (on a VS), I have found Gregories better that Ellery's.

[pat.tom]

Thanks Fekason,

I got an Elery's manual from Supercheap, and it is quite good. Certainly enough to do most of the repairs I need to do, and some really valuable information like torque specs and the like.

That cost about $55, so you can get that back on the first job that you complete. I will try get a Gregory's/Haynes manual too, with both of them - should have all the info I need.

I used to have a Genuine Holden manual for my '66 HR, it was a wonderful manual - the best I have ever read. I would be interested to see if the modern manuals were to the same standard!

[exec24]

for my old vs i had to buy a workshop manual , cause i had none i went to supercheap they told me gregorys is ok but ellerys is better, so i took there word, cause there sealed up and wont let you open them

-it was a waste of money, picture's are hard to make out, and in some case handrawn diagrams

later down the track i purchased a genuine one on CD, and that all i but now might cost $200-300 but has ever little detail

[Calaber]

Guys

I have always bought the factory manuals since my first Holden, an FB, in 1970. The details and clarity of all work necessary was of the highest order and left the Gregory's manuals for dead. I still have my HR manual, which I bought around 1971.

Later manuals are just as detailed, in fact, with the complexity of modern vehicles compared to the early Holdens, they provide information which the old books didn't. I have always found the wiring drawings, which illustrate the placement of wiring throughout the body, with additional fittings for optional equipment, to be invaluable when updating the equipment level of my car. However, owing to the complexity of the new cars, one are where the new manuals fall down compared to the old ones is the wiring diargrams. In the early days, they were in colour, which made them very simple to read. Now, they are black and white, with codings to illustrate the wiring colours. Not as easy to read.

Regards

pj

[Marks-VY]

I would personally advise against an Ellery manual. It might be almost 500 pages but they try to cover VT to VY and the diagrams are a mix of each model and the descriptions often cover one model but not the other. If you want it for the mechanicals/drive line then Ellery is fine, but for the interior find something else.

[HellionJP]

Fekason, would you consider a copy of the CD for a fee? I would love to take a look at it. Cheers mate