| name | lemonwrench |
|---|---|
| description | Use when looking up car repair procedures, torque specs, diagrams or service-manual steps. Scrapes free OEM manuals by vehicle, resolves the exact trim/engine, and cross-checks parts catalogs and field sources. |
| version | 2.0.0 |
| author | LemonWrench contributors |
| license | MIT |
| platforms | ["linux", "macos", "windows"] |
| metadata | {"hermes": {"tags": ["cars", "repair", "service-manual", "torque-specs", "diagrams", "lemon-manuals"], "related_skills": ["web-search", "ocr-and-documents"]}} |
LemonWrench — automotive repair research
Turns "how do I replace X on <car>" into a procedure, a torque table, and labelled figures — then cross-checks it against a parts catalog and real-world field notes so you don't chase a step the manual left out.
Primary source: **https://lemon-manuals.la** — ~10,000 US/Canada vehicles across 69 makes, 1960–2025, free, no login. Domestic, import, orphan brands (Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Saab, AMC, Geo, Mercury, Suzuki), Euro exotics, trucks/commercial, and modern EVs (Tesla 2012→, Rivian 2022→). Years run deep, not just recent: Toyota and Ford carry 66 straight model years. Real HTML text (torque tables, capacities, step-by-step), figures at /images25/. Not scanned PDFs.
Two databases per model year:
| DB | Source | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| LEMON | 2025 capture | 2010+, current TSBs, complete trees, figure captions |
| CHARM | 2013 DVDs | 1990s–2000s, finer detail, trees truncated at depth |
The three-source rule
A manual alone is not an answer. Every confident answer here comes from three:
- The manual — the procedure and the torque figures.
- A parts catalog (gmpartscenter.net, gmpartsdirect.com, rockauto, etc.) — part numbers, and structural proof: if two castings are separate parts, they're separate parts. This is how you answer "is this bracket part of the cover?" without guessing from a photo.
- Field consensus (model forums, JustAnswer/identifix threads, YouTube transcripts) — the steps the manual omits because the engineer never turned the wrench. Say plainly when a step is field consensus rather than manual text.
If the three disagree, report the disagreement. Never paper over it.
The tool
S=scripts/lemon.py
python3 $S <cmd>
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
makes | canonical make names |
years MAKE | model years present |
cars MAKE YEAR [regex] | vehicles for that year, tagged [LEMON] / [CHARM] |
index VEHICLE [--refresh] | fetch + cache the whole link tree (once per vehicle) |
find VEHICLE TERM... [-n N] [--strict\|--any] | grep the cached tree |
read VEHICLE TERM... [-k N] | render the Nth hit, auto-following hub sub-pages |
get URL | render one page by absolute URL |
sub URL | child pages under a hub |
imgs URL / pic URL / note URL TEXT / notes [URL] | figure pipeline + persistent cache |
selftest | parser checks, no network |
VEHICLE is the site path minus slashes: Toyota/2015/Camry LE,
Pontiac/2007/G6 V6-3.9L.
Workflow
- Resolve the car properly.
cars MAKE YEARlists every variant. Engine and trim change the manual —G6 GT, 4D Sedan, 3.9 1, Automaticis a different book fromG6 GT, 4D Sedan, 3.5 N. Say which variant you used. Note that a badge can lie: the same nameplate shipped with several engines, so confirm displacement. - Index once. LEMON single-page tree ≈ 5.5 MB / 13k links, CHARM split tree
≈ 1.3 MB. Cached at
~/.cache/lemon/<hash>.idx; later queries are local greps.--refreshonly when the site adds manuals. - Search in site vocabulary —
removal,installation,disassembly,torque specifications,fluid capacities,valve clearance,component locations,wiring diagram,DTC,labor times. Default allows one unmatched term;--strictfor exact,--anyfor one-word fishing. - Read, and escalate.
readprints hits then the best page's text then follows sub-pages. CHARM trees are depth-truncated: a hub page often lists nothing until yousub <url>and thenget <url>. Two-level escalation is normal, not a bug. - Answer: numbered steps, torques exactly as printed, page URL, and a
confidence note per claim (
manual/catalog/field).
Figures
read/get emit [FIGURE https://lemon-manuals.la/images25/XXXX/] lines, with a
cached description appended when one exists.
python3 $S pic https://lemon-manuals.la/images25/GM1557668/ # -> ~/.cache/lemon/img/GM1557668.png
# view it, then:
python3 $S note https://lemon-manuals.la/images25/GM1557668/ "right rocker cover, bolt ring, coil bracket above"
Captions in the page text (Fig 1: View Of Right Valve Rocker Arm Cover) are the
figure's real title — use them, they're accurate even when the scan is illegible.
1-bit line art reads fine at full size. Worth looking at: exploded views (they carry
torque callouts the text omits), wiring diagrams, connector end views.
Descriptions persist in ~/.cache/lemon/imgnotes.json — describe a diagram once and
it's text forever.
Beyond the manual
- Structural questions ("is this part of the timing cover?") → parts catalog. Separate part number + separate gasket = separate casting. The catalog diagram also tells you which sub-assembly a fastener belongs to.
- Access questions ("what's blocking this bolt?") → field sources. Search
<year> <model> <engine> "<part>" bracket boltand read the forum/JustAnswer threads; dealer techs post the missing steps. - Whether a tool is needed (
pressed-on pulley,Torx,stud) → the removal procedure's preliminary steps; they name the special tools (e.g.J 25034-C). - Bolt torque for a part you can't identify → torque table by component name, then confirm the casting by part number. Same-looking brackets on one engine often carry different specs (e.g. 25 N·m vs 50 N·m on adjacent parts).
Answering rules
- Quote torques exactly, all three units:
34 N*m (350 kgf*cm, 25 ft*lbf). - Call out low-torque fasteners explicitly (valve covers, plastic/composite covers): over-torquing into aluminium is the top cause of repeat leaks and pulled threads.
[09/2014 - ]in a path is a revision date — that page applies from then on.- LEMON pages often say the manual "is identical to the following model variants, except possibly Labor Times, Fluids, and Tire Fitment" — reuse instead of re-searching.
<vehicle>/Labor Times/lists Remove & Replace operations; if it says "only available for a different vehicle variant", use the variant it names.- Not covered? Say so plainly and name the nearest covered year. Never invent a spec.
- Sequencing matters: give the prerequisite chain (belt → accessory → bracket → cover), not just the cover bolts.
Deliverable
Write the result as a standalone markdown note, not chat prose:
- frontmatter (
tags,vehicle,job,status,updated) - status callout — where the job actually stands
- the direct answer to the blocking question, first
- numbered procedure per side/component
- one torque table covering every fastener touched
- captioned figure embeds
- sources/confidence table — claim, source, verified / field consensus
See examples/ for a complete worked note.
Gotchas
- URLs are case-sensitive and the make spelling is the site's (
Dodge and Ram,Mercedes Benz);canon_makehandles it, manual curl does not. - Trailing slashes matter on every directory URL.
/bundle/zip downloads are disabled (303 →/static/sad.html).robots.txtdisallows/bundle/too./hyperlink/...URLs are the cross-reference resolver, not content.- Paths contain version tags and
%2F-encoded slashes: fetch only the absolute URL the tool printed; re-quoting a decoded path 404s. - Banner "back up on a temporary server / slowness possible" is skipped by the parser; allow 120 s timeouts.
- Mirrors if the main host dies:
lemon-manuals.org.ua,lemon-manuals.gy,lemon.dogeware.me—LEMON_BASE=https://…overrides. - Miniforge/pyenv pythons often ship no CA bundle;
lemon.pyfalls back to/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt.
Verify
python3 scripts/lemon.py selftest # expects: selftest OK