SharkGrayStingray

Hi guys, I posted this in general, but may be better in tech forum. I am thinking of getting the service manuals for my 2015 Coupe. Being that the manuals are a ridiculous $375, i noticed the 2016 manuals come on a usb from Helms for $250. Can anyone fill me in on what I would be missing since i have a 2015? Besides price, I'd much rather have a usb than bulky books anyway...

Bill Dearborn

There is very little difference between the two years and the differences would be for features your car doesn't have like the front cameras. I think I would pop for the USB if I didn't already have the 2015 paper manuals.

The paper manuals are a huge PIA to find anything in. The volumes are heavy and I find myself searching through several volumes to get appropriate data. A lot easier to search info on a USB drive.

I have the interactive 1997-2009 GM dealership factory service manual application on my PCs and the one thing I noticed is the manuals improve over the years as incorrect info gets corrected. You just have to be cognizant of the differences between years such as the 2009 C6 had a redesigned ABS system from Bosch and the diagnostics for it did not match the diagnostics for the previous Delphi ABS system used from 2005-2008.

Bill

SharkGrayStingray

thanks bill!!

davepl

I don't think $375 is ridiculous. You're getting a huge 4-volume set of thousands of pages of detailed technical drawings and instructions.

Of course it'd be nice if it were free, but that's true of most stuff.

Bill Dearborn

But $275 for the same info provided on a better medium is a hell of a lot better price to pay. If I could find somebody to pay me $275 for my 2015 paper manuals I would purchase the Helms USB package.

Bill

davepl

In a perfect world the paper manuals would have come with an electronic version that was searchable and had all the wiring in it. The paper version isn't great for following signal, etc.

Ideally one would have both!

SharkGrayStingray

I think $375 is too much for what they are, but that's my opinion and yours is it's not a lot. Neither is right or wrong, but i'm going by others that i have bought that were lower. I paid (i think) 200 or 250 for my 2002 WS6 manuals when they came out. It seems expensive models have expensive prices and cheaper models have cheaper prices. Just an observation... In a perfect world, i would say $250 for paper and $150 for USB would be ideal, but that's just my thinking.

snomuncher

The 2016 Manual is available for $355 (see link). With shipping it might total approx. $375 for the set. I recall reading elsewhere on the forum that the price has been jacked up considerably since the 2014 Helm manual was first issued.

http://www.oempartsdepot.com/2016-Co...P140946C7.aspx

SharkGrayStingray

They were definitely cheaper when only 2014 was out. I believe they were $300. The 2015 books were advertised for $300 also before they were released, but as soon as available, they were instantly $375.

I ordered the USB version from helms for $250 and it shipped this morning. I'll see how good they are... Thanks for the link though!!