Getting Started with Chilton Library

Chilton Library provides access to repair, maintenance and service information on many of the cars, trucks, vans and SUVs on the road today. This continuously updated resource provides step-by-step repair procedures, troubleshooting guides, diagnostic trouble codes, photos, illustrations, diagrams, and multimedia (videos and animations) to simplify even the most complicated tasks.

Chilton Library also includes ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) Technician Test preparation quizzes.  

How to access Chilton Library (Auto Repair)

  1. Start from the Chilton Library (Auto Repair) webpage on the Toronto Public Library website.
  2. Click the Access Online button.
  3. Sign in with your library card number and PIN.

Find vehicle-specific repair and maintenance information

Chilton Library provides vehicle-specific information in the following four categories, although not all categories are available for all vehicles:

  • Repair manuals, including diagrams
  • Labour estimates for repair work
  • Maintenance schedules 
  • Bulletins/recalls for vehicles

In the Vehicle Search menu, select the year, make, and model of your car or truck.  Click on the Select button.

Screen capture displaying the Vehicle Search feature

Repair

The repair section contains detailed instructions and diagrams for different vehicle parts and systems.  Browse by the Table of Contents or enter keywords in the search box to find specific information.  A breadcrumb trail is provided to help navigate through the different sections of the repair manual. 

Tip: When working on your vehicle, use the Listen tool to have the information read aloud to you. 

Screen capture of specific repair information for a 2015 Toyota Rav4

 

Maintenance

The maintenance section provides information about scheduled maintenance intervals for your vehicle.  Enter additional information including the submodel,
liters, fuel type, and number of cylinders of your vehicle to get more precise results.  Select Full Chart List to see information for all submodels. 

Screen capture displaying full chart list in maintenace section

 

Labour Estimating

Labour Estimating provides information on expected labour costs and time required to repair a specific problem with your vehicle.  Browse by the Table of Contents or enter keywords in the search box to find specific information. 

Choose between regular or severe service.  Regular service identifies the labour times for most everyday normal use and wear on a vehicle. Severe service identifies labour time when more work is required due to factors such as heavy use, high mileage, dirty or rusted items. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)/Dealer time is the recommended time for the repair from the manufacturers. The regular and severe times are calculated by Chilton Editors based on real world experience. 

Screen capture displaying labour estimating for a specific repair

 

 

Bulletins/Recalls

If the Bulletins/Recalls section is available for your vehicle, find an up-to-date list of technical service bulletins (TSB) and recall notifications.  Browse the list or search by keyword or TSB number.   Use the advanced search to locate TSB and recalls by systems, symptoms and/or trouble codes. 

 

Screen capture displaying a search of the technical bulletins for this vehicle 2

VIN Decoder

To find content for your vehicle by the Vehicle Information Number (VIN), instead of year, make and model, use the VIN Decoder tool. 

Video Library

The video library contains short video tutorials on many vehicle repairs and maintenance topics.  Browse by the table of contents or use the search box to find videos on a specific topic.  Videos are not specific to a particular vehicle make or model. 

Screen capture displaying the video library

ASE Test Prep Quizzes

Chilton ASE Technician Test Preparation (TTP) Quizzes provide  multiple choice questions to prepare for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) exams. 

Help with Chilton Library