Have you read the owner's manuals for your vehicles?

[MineralMan]

I mean have you actually read them, cover to cover?

[MineralMan]

1. If you answered anything but Yes,

go out to your car, get your owner's manual out of the glove compartment, and read it tonight. It could save your life. Make everyone who drives the vehicle do the same.

[MineralMan]

2. When I was 15, my father gave me the owner's manual for the

family car and told me that he'd be asking me lots of questions that evening. That evening, he did just that, then told me to swap the right rear tire with the spare. After telling me that, he went back in the house. When I was done, I told him I was done. He came out and checked the lug nuts for proper tightness. Then he told me to put the spare back in the trunk.

[Edweird]

3. I always read manuals. They rule.

[MineralMan]

4. Good job!

[Edweird]

18. It makes you look like a super genius.

Not *ahem* that I don't look like one anyway ;)

"How'd you know how to do that?"
"I read the F'n manual"

Hell, I read manuals for things I don't even own. I'm a know-it-all pain in the ass!

[begin_within]

5. Only to learn how to program the radio, what kind of oil, and how many gallons the tank holds.

I haven't read a word of the rest of it.

[MineralMan]

9. Go read it now. Seriously.

[begin_within]

28. Thanks

I have the manual in my hand, and glancing through it I see that most of the warnings are things I already know, but I will go through it one page at a time. I ran the VIN through Toyota's web site and my car is not part of any recall, which I knew anyway because it's too old (1997 Corolla). But thanks for your help!

[MercutioATC]

6. Yes, for all three cars.

One of the first things I do when I buy a car.

[PSzymeczek]

22. Me, too.

And after I've read it through, I refer to it often.

[Don Caballero]

7. No need to. I ride a bicycle everywhere.

I promote a green lifestyle and carbon conscious alternatives.

[Arctic Dave]

8. I voted yes.

When my daughter was of age to get her learners permit she was not allowed to so much a hold the keys in her hand until she read the manual.

[MineralMan]

11. Good for you. Excellent idea.

[WolverineDG]

10. I've read parts of mine

when some weird indicator light comes on & I have no clue what it means. But I haven't read it cover-to-cover.

dg

[MineralMan]

12. You should. It's full of information that could save your life.

Seriously.

[dysfunctional press]

16. like what..?

seriously.

[MineralMan]

20. OK, in the Toyota owner's manual, it explains how to shut the engine

down in an emergency. Since the cars are keyless, this information would allow you to shut off the engine if the gas pedal stuck. Is that good enough?

Another example: Do you know whether it is possible to push start your car?

Do you know how to get out of the trunk if you are locked into it somehow?

Do you know how to change the settings for the automatic rear door locks?

I could go on and on, but if you read the manual, I guarantee you'll learn at least two useful pieces of information you didn't know.

[dysfunctional press]

29. some answers.

i don't have a toyota.
no you can't push start it.
it doesn't have a trunk. (it's a van)
it doesn't have automatic rear door locks.

there's NOTHING in the manual that i need to operate my vehicle, that i don't already know.

[MineralMan]

40. OK. You're experienced with lots of different cars. I'm not really

talking about you. Still, when I get a car I'm not familiar with, I read the manual. There's always something in there I didn't know about that specific car. Like how to reset the service light on my current Volvo. Interesting. I've owned a lot of Volvos, but they were older models and didn't have a service light.

[Gabi Hayes]

37. never mind

[tXr]

53. I drive a Toyota ('93 truck) and I have RTFM.

It is definitely not keyless, so no problem there.

1. Do you know whether it is possible to push start your car?

It has a manual transmission, so no problem there either.

2. Do you know how to get out of the trunk if you are locked into it somehow?

See subject line. If I somehow lock myself into the bed, then it's time to take away the keys and license. :P

3. Do you know how to change the settings for the automatic rear door locks?

No power locks or windows. Hooray for low technology!


All that being said, no matter what type of vehicle one drives, it is a good idea to read the owners; manual.

[wtmusic]

17. May I ask what's the source of your earnestness? nt

[MineralMan]

21. The Toyota accelerator sticking problem. People have died.

All the information that they needed to avoid the final accident is right there in the owner's manual. It's too late to read it when the throttle sticks open.

[wtmusic]

26. OK, makes sense.

Do other cars offer that tip? Seems a little suspect that Toyota would include that, without knowing it was a problem.

[MineralMan]

36. Yes. They all do. You will learn about the different switch positions

for your ignition switch, including the one that turns your engine off without locking the steering wheel. You may think you know your car, but I guarantee that there are things about it you do not know, unless you have read the manual thoroughly.

I rode with a friend who had the same Volvo model that I do. It was hot, and his air conditioning wasn't working properly. I opened the back of his sunroof to improve air circulation in the car. He had no idea that you could do that. It's in the manual.

Another friend in a GM car was frustrated with his cruise control on a freeway during a long road trip. He kept deactivating it to match speeds with cars he slowly overtook. I showed him how pushing one button on the stalk slowed the car down 2 mph. Pushing another button sped it up 2 mph. He had no idea. There it is in the two or three page section on the cruise control.

Another person I rode with was annoyed that his back doors locked every time he drove the car. I showed him how to disable that function. It's in the owner's manual.

I could go on.

[wtmusic]

39. Points well taken

Just what I needed...something else to read!

[wtmusic]

13. Of course not.

"Keep away from small children."

"Wash with warm soapy water."

"Hazard of electric shock. Be sure to use grounding plug."

"Don't do what this manual says to not do."

Aren't all manuals the same? :shrug:

[pokerfan]

14. Yes

Pretty much comitted it to memory because I'm a huge geek.

The 600 page repair manual, not so much. That's pretty much on an as-needed basis.

[dysfunctional press]

15. nope.

i've had the car for 5 years, and there's nothing in the manual that will be of any use at this point.

[MineralMan]

You might be surprised. I'll bet that if you got the manual out

and read it tonight, you'd learn at least two things you don't know about your car that you'll then start using. For example: Are you sure you know all the functions of your cruise control? I'll bet you don't.

[dysfunctional press]

33. you'd lose that bet.

i use my cruise control quite often, and know how to use it completely.

it's the third such vehicle i've owned(make/model) over a stretch of 15 years.

my chilton's guide is MUCH BETTER than the owner's manual.

[SmileyRose]

19. Sigh - Sob - Gawd I miss my Dad.

I was not allowed to take my temps test at 16 yrs old until I read the owner's manual for the car and passed "Dad's test". I had to prove to him I could change a tire, jump the battery, survive a brake failure or ending up in a lake trapped in the car etc. Before I was allowed to get my full license I had to go out on a local raceway with him and do a variety of high speed evasive maneuvers as well.

I was 26 when I bought my first car. A used one that was missing the manual. I was married then. I mentioned to Dad the manual was missing and within a 2 weeks I had a copy of it arrive in the mail with a note inscribed "I love you" Dad.

YES read the manual - because somebody, somewhere, loves you.

[MineralMan]

25. Thank you. And thank your dad, silently, for teaching you to be

a good driver!

[dixiegrrrrl]

57. I had to describe how the engine and brakes worked

before I was allowed to even drive at age 16.
Back then ( very early 60's) all males in our family were just naturally mechanics,
my soon to be husband was/is a great mechanic, and they took cars seriously.

Years later when I got a VW bug I did my own oil changes.
But I always "let" a guy change tires. :evilgrin:

And yes, the last "almost new" 1993 car I got in 1994, which I still have,
I read the owner's manual. It is still in the glove box.
It's a Toyota 5 speed stick.

[Lisa0825]

23. Not cover to cover, but probably 75% of it.nt

[onehandle]

34. +1 nt

[Don Caballero]

24. When I do repairs on my bicycles I read the manuals and consult the internet

[blaze]

27. Other

I've browsed thru it.... pulled it out to see what one particular indicator light meant... (low tire pressure)

You seem so earnest... what am I missing by not reading the entire manual?

I've just considered it a reference... not a mandatory read.

[tridim]

30. Yes, and I usually purchase and read the official service manual.

I really like knowing how my car is put together. It helps with ID'ing future problems.

[TheCowsCameHome]

32. It'll save you a bundle on the first repair.

[TheCowsCameHome]

31. Absolutely, and not just those for vehicles, either.

A manual that comes with anything should be read carefully.

[dysfunctional press]

35. i prefer my chilton's guide. it's MUCH more informative than any user's manual/

[MineralMan]

38. Well, sure. I have those for all my cars, too. Most people don't.

A lot of information is easier to access, though, in the owner's manual, actually. General operating stuff, etc. I've read so many of them over the years that I generally know how all the manufacturer's do their cars, so it's less important. I still read them, though when I get a different car. Every time, I learn something.

[dysfunctional press]

41. it saves a ton of money to do as many repairs as you can yourself.

although manufacturers are making that more and more difficult all the time.

[MineralMan]

46. That's true, and an awful lot of people simply don't have the tools

and knowledge to make most repairs. I don't like to do it any more, and I worked as an auto mechanic for 6 years. I will, if I must, to save money, but...these days, just diagnosing the problem can be a chore. Still, if you can do it yourself, there are big savings.

I replace the radiator in my GMC Jimmy last year. Saved myself about $600 over having the dealer do it. I did have to buy a couple of new tools, though, since I had never R&Red that type of oil and transmission cooler lines before. Hard to get at the lower ones, too. I barked the heck out of my knuckles.

[dysfunctional press]

59. i mostly just do the basic kind of stuff anymore-

anything that requires a diagnostic computator gets done at the shop down the road.

[Skink]

42. It saved me some money when I read it didn't need premium gas.

:shrug: who knew that the ford Aspire didn't need high octane fuel.

[MineralMan]

Isn't that the Ford that's Aspiring to be a real automobile?

:hide:

[Raine]

43. Yes more than once and I keep it in the car and refer to it

when I need to.

[Warpy]

44. Yes and no, I skimmed the whole thing

but paid particular attention to parts of it governing maintenance and features. I couldn't find a damned thing, otherwise.

[Liberal_in_LA]

45. my used car didn't come with a manual. Prior new cars...yes, I read the manual.

[MineralMan]

49. Ebay. You can always find owner's manuals on Ebay. Cheap.

[Liberal_in_LA]

55. thanks. Too late now. Car is 10 years old

[pipi_k]

47. I always read the manuals

Even for simple stuff.

And I keep manuals for my kitchen appliances in the kitchen where I can refer to them because I forget what I read.

[DemoTex]

48. Yes, but it is woefully lacking and poorly indexed.

I guess I'm used to the super-detail, well-indexed, well-written (technically) AFMs (Airplane Flight Manuals) of transport category aircraft like the Boeing 737 and MD-80.

I read all my manuals (vehicle, camera, computer, Wolf range, etc.) cover to cover, and file them in an easy-to-access place. Why wouldn't you? Nevermind ..

[MineralMan]

51. Yeah...they're not designed to teach you everything...just the

essentials. As you say, though, why wouldn't you read them? I'm still trying to get my wife to read the manual for the fancy digital camera I gave her. She refuses. So, she takes snapshots with it. I should have bought the simplest point and shoot one.

[DemoTex]

58. Does she know how to do white balance? Manual shutter and aperture?

DOF? Motion? Etc., etc!

[ThoughtCriminal]

50. Isn't this how you learn to drive?

RTFM!

[MineralMan]

52. Or to do almost anything, really...

I learned to ski from a book. Read it before I went the first time. I did just fine. Then, I got better by watching other people and doing what they did. I couldn't afford lessons anyhow.

[azmouse]

54. My car is ten years old.

If I don't know something about the car by now it is something that doesn't matter.

[johnaries]

56. I did not "read it cover to cover", nor is it meant to be read thus.

I am both the Trainer and the Documentation Expert for my department, so I have at least "half a clue".

As for my car, when I first bought it I did "skim" the user's manual as an excited New Car Owner. To be honest, very little of what I read or skimmed "sank in" or made enough of an impression on me to remember or change my basic behavior. Some of it excited me to the point that I would brag to my friends "guess what my car will do!!!" but beyond that little useful information made enough of an impression on me to change my actions.

However, I constantly refer to the user's manual as a reference source. And, that is what the user's manual is supposed to be - a reference source.

It is not a best-selling novel that one would read and remember every single word. It is a reference book that you would use to answer general questions and for regular maitenance.

Therefore, to ask "have you read the user's manual cover to cover?" is just plain stupid and contrary to the purpose of the user's manual.

And, frankly, to anyone who answers "Yes" to this question - :rofl: I will never believe anything you say in the future. Not because I think you may be lying (although that is a distinct possibility), but because if you are telling the truth you are either very bored or you are in serious need of a priority-check.

[Orsino]

61. Well, someone who opens the manual and reads from it regularly...

...could be said to have read it "cover to cover," and would probably retain more of it than would someone who just tried to get through it once.

I gather that this would satisfy the OP, who has not offered much specificity concerning his recommendation.

Your point is well taken, though, that knowing how to use the manual as a reference may be more important than actually reading every page.

[HopeHoops]

60. I've even read the owners manual for my '68 Galaxie (and still have both).

It says not to do more than 70 mph in 1st gear. I've shifted into second at 75 mph on several occasions. Curiously, I've also broken the motor mounts on several occasions. It still drives just fine with broken motor mounts, but the shift lever changes location (linkage is attached to the block), meaning there is no park, P means N, N means D, etc. No big deal. I finally got smart and had them put the cop mounts in it. A 390 has a lot of torque.

[slackmaster]

62. Yes, plus I always buy the official shop manual if it's available

If not, a decent aftermarket one.

(I do almost all of the maintenance myself.)

[Brickbat]

63. I buy a new car about every five years, and I always read the manual.

[Stevenmarc]

64. I have the PDF of it on my iPhone.

[NightWatcher]

65. how do I slow this thing down???

[Roon]

66. I always did when I still drove

when I am stuck in a friends car waiting for them, I always read their cars owner manuals for fun.

[Kali]

67. Hell, I read the REPAIR manuals.

sort of a "must" when you drive such old PsOS (not sure how to handle the plural of that) and have to do most repairs yourself.

don't have the owners manual for one vehicle, but do for the others