Product Description

One of the most popular automotive theory texts available, Auto Fundamentals provides a study of the design, construction, and operation of all major automotive systems. Content centers around the theory of automotive operation--how and why systems interact.

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Product Details

Publisher	Goodheart-Wilcox Publisher
ISBN	1566375770
Format	Hardcover
Author	Martin T. Stockel,Chris Johanson
EAN	9781566375771
Label	Goodheart-Wilcox Publisher
Edition	Revised
Dewey Decimal Number	629.231
Studio	Goodheart-Wilcox Publisher
Number Of Pages	607
Title	Auto Fundamentals (Text)
Publication Date	2000-01
Manufacturer	Goodheart-Wilcox Publisher

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Customer Reviews

good book if you don't know alot

Review by C. J. Scott, 2010-04-28

Like most tech books this is not something that you can read from cover to cover. However it is a good book for people just starting out in the trade or for people who want to understand how engines work. My biggest complaint with this book is its layout, in places its just crap. For example when your reading the text and it has see figure 2.5, alot of the time that figure isn't even on the same page and in a number of places that figure is 3 to 4 pages ahead of where your reading, which leaves you constantly flicking through pages. Surely its not that hard to get text and a picture on the same page? Other than that its OK.

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Excellent in-depth book

Review by Mikey, 2009-09-11

This book covered everything I wanted to know (and more) about how cars
work. It's detailed and can get quite technical but if you can get
through it, you'll have a good understanding of auto-mechanics.
This is a text-book for high-school Auto Mechanics courses and
covers every aspect of how cars work. There are definitely quicker
and easier car books to read but if you really want to understand
Auto Mechanics, it's a good read.

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Are You Into A Lot of Diagrams?

Review by Kevin P. Ellens, 2009-08-10

Using many diagrams and a utilitarian style, this book aims to train future mechanics. No chances are taken ("inverted" is defined) and no fact is too obvious (dipsticks are explained). The authors struggle with the science: the two contradictory conventions for depicting current flow are explained as an ongoing scientific controversy; engine oils are "distillated".

There's nothing special about the content; it follows the format of the ASE auto tech tests. The abundant manufacturers' diagrams help, but I feel sorry for anyone forced to learn from this book.

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Very great book for automotive.

Review by RICHARD MADRIAGA, 2007-10-09

This book has alot of good information about automotive technology. It has the basics and foundation to get you started in your career as a technician or if your just curious about the industry in general. Great book.

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Excellent textbook that complements a shop manual perfectly

Review by M. Eurek, 2007-09-13

I've always been interested in cars but never knew very much about what was under the hood other than the very basics. All I'd previously done to my cars is top off any fluids, change burned out bulbs and change flat tires. So, I finally decided to learn about cars and do some maintenance myself which led to this book. It took me a full year to read completely (maybe 2 months actually reading) but with a new baby and a move to a new house mixed in, I think I did pretty well! I was very serious about learning and that is almost a requirement as this book is very detailed and needs to be studied in many areas to really understand the concepts, especially if you have nothing else to go on.

This is a multi-semester text book intended for students in an auto shop class that covers all automotive systems from engine internals to wiring to air conditioning. Everything is covered in detail with multiple designs of components covered where appropriate.

My only complaints are that many times the text references figures that are on the next page so there's a lot of flipping back and forth. Also, some illustrations are a little difficult to make out to really visualize a complex part while some exploded views (many direct from manufacturers) are so overly detailed that the important information discussed in the text is lost.

These are small gripes though as the few gaps left from a few sections with bad drawings can be supplemented with an internet image or animation from sites like howstuffworks.com. These really help with things like differentials and transmissions.

Otherwise, armed with the knowledge in this book you will have no problem understanding any shop manual and doing most auto maintenance yourself. Where the Haynes manual you buy at the auto parts store goes over your specific car and what bolts to loosen to fix whatever and the torque required when you bolt it back together, this book goes into much more detail on all systems in a more general but complete way. It doesn't assume you know any of the basics. The layout is pretty good too. Things are broken up so you don't have a lot of very detailed chapters all bunched up like engine internals, carburetors and transmissions. They are seperated by chapters like Tool identification and use, electricity fundamentals and wheel alignment. The best part is how everything builds on previous chapters or sections. For example, the engine internals section starts with just a piston in a cylinder, then they add valves, then cooling, then timing for those valves, etc until all the major components are added to the final engine drawing.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It's obviously a mature work (previous edition copyrights go back to 1963!) and I can't see much that can be improved. So buy this book, a service manual for your car, a jack and some tools from Sears and do your own work and be able to knowledgeably discuss more complex procedures with your mechanic when it comes to that. Also find a forum on the internet for your car (such as automotiveforums.com) for help troubleshooting.

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