Workshop Manuals Compared

For many owners a Peugeot 306 would be a second hand car purchase, and with second hand cars eventually you will need to make repairs. Garage bills can be expensive with high hourly rates for the knowledge of a skilled mechanic, however you can save money by doing the easier jobs yourself.

The Peugeot 306 is a reasonably easy car to work on if you have good set of tools and a mindset to follow instructions carefully. To help you along the way there are a number of information sources on the Internet (including the Club-306 Forum ) however for a number of people opt to buy a workshop manual. Luckily there a number of workshop manuals for the 306 model and we will be taking a look at the three most popular here.

Peugeot 306 Haynes Workshop Manual

Haynes are the definitive name that springs to mind when you think about workshop manuals. Each Haynes workshop manual is based on a complete strip down and rebuild of the model covered. The Peugeot 306 manual covers petrol and diesel engines as well as manual and automatic gearboxes. It is clear to note however that there is limited information available that is specific to the GTi-6 engine and gearbox, and also the HDi diesel engine.

If you are looking for a workshop manual with a lot of clear descriptions then the Haynes manual is for you. All basic DIY tasks are covered from oil and filter services thorough to drive shaft replacements. Full wiring diagrams are in the back of the book, as well as an MOT check list. As a general workshop manual you can not go wrong with the Haynes offering and I would recommend that every 306 owner who plans to work on their car buy a Haynes manual .

Despite all this praise don't expect too much help when getting to the full nitty gritty topics such as suspension height adjustment and fuel pump tuning , this kind of information is best gained from experienced enthusiasts who have done it before.

Max Power 306 Modifying Guide

When the Max Power modifying guide was launched in 2002 the Peugeot 306 was quickly becoming a popular choice for younger drivers. The early models were getting affordable to the masses and modifying the 306 was a hot new topic. When reading the Max Power modifying guide you need to remember when it was written, as some of the "mods" would now be classes as extremely tacky. Despite this the guides are very well written and there are a good number of full colour photos so you can see exactly what is going on.

The book starts with an introduction to the Peugeot 306 and a good guide on buying a second hand car. Before the modifying starts a quick reminder about insurance is given, followed by tips on how to reduce your premiums. The modification guides are split in to sections: Security, Body Styling, Lighting, Wheels and Tyres, Suspension, Brakes, Interiors, ICE, Engines and Exhausts. This fantastic manual concludes with the reference section.

When I bought the Max Power guide I was skeptical of how good it could be, but having heard that there was a good guide on rear lowering I bought a copy second hand on eBay. Skimming through the sections my mind was eased and now I have read the manual I can say that it is in fact a very well written addition to my bookshelf. If you are looking for help with modifying, buy this guide. If you need a general purpose workshop manual your money will be better spent on one of the other manuals reviewed here.

Lindsey Porter's Colour Manual Peugeot 106 205 206 306

If you need a manual with loads of pictures and diagrams then this is the one for you. Despite covering four different Peugeot models from 1983 to 2001 there is plenty of information here to help you along with the most common DIY tasks a 306 owner may face. In some areas the Lindsey Porter's manual out performs the Haynes manual due to the large number of detailed diagrams and colour photos through the more tricky jobs. One area where this is particularly true is the engine block strip and rebuild section.

Having bought this book and reading it thorugh, I would say that in future when working on my own car I would check the Porters guide as well as the Haynes. If you want to have a full library of information available for you Peugeot 306 I would recommend buying this manual as well as the Haynes guide . I would also recommend this guide if you struggle to read the more technical wroding of the Haynes manual, as this book is written in much clearer sentances.