In the hope that some senior car company executives read this
I know that we buyers always want more and more for less and less ? but, you very nice, very helpful people, this would be a way to improve customer service / satisfaction pretty cheaply.
With apologies to any firms that are already doing this - in recent years I have only really looked at Ford and Fiat user handbooks -
Please only put into the handboook the stuff for the car in question
If I?ve got a petrol 1.6 with such and such tyres and dashboard don?t make me look at two dashboard layouts, three specifications of engine oil, five sizes of tyres. Spare me a lecture on diesel technicalities and the stuff about how to get at the spare wheel on the estate. Don?t make me have to flick through the bit about how the cabriolet roof works. I don't want to examine all the car entertainment options for the small details that distinguish mine. Cars are filling up with such a lot of kit that we can do without extra hassle.
If I do later buy an mp3 player, a satnav or some fancier wheels off you, supply inserts for the manual with them at the time.
It would be a bit of fuss to sort this, but it shouldn?t be that hard in this age of bar codes and databases, where everything is computerised already.
As well as user satisfaction it would save on some paper to help your green PR. And add to safety - I don?t want to shock you but I suspect that there are people out there who haven?t taken in every detail of their car?s handbook - make it easier for them.
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good idea but my car is the gli mk4 super and the handbook only shows the gli mk4
please furnish me with the correct handbook with the super bit in
see
its simpler to have everything in
now if you were to mention an audio booklet where it has everything in it every language known to man (stand up pioneer or sony) then i would tend to agree
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Haven't taken too much notice of other car handbooks, the only one i've read recently is for the Hilux which i must say is quite simple, but then so is the vehicle.
However the Toyota sat nav fitted to the vehicle has it's own manual which dwarfs the normal handbook and it's mind boggling to fathom the thing...suffice to say the sat nav has been used twice in 2 years and it does work very well, but it takes us around 20 minutes to program the thing, that may well be a reflection on my competence and other's may find it simple.
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You have a point but I guess there are just so many variants that the cost would be prohibitive. I guess we are lucky that the car manufacturers still at least give us a paper manual and don't put it all on a CD
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There are just so many variants that the cost would be prohibitive ...
Not only that, but as BellBoy says, there would be a good chance that cars would arrive with the wrong book ...
I just wish the 207 handbook told me a bit more than 'Oil capacity 3.25 litres'. No mention of where the drain is, or the filter. Neither is visible under the bonnet, so they are presumably only accessible if one has a hoist, and possibly a suction device. Clearly one is no longer meant to DiY these simple tasks - wonder why?
Edited by Andrew-T on 08/11/2009 at 18:43
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If you are prepared to pay more for the manual then it would be possible.
The manufacturer will produce a manual for a model which is then translated.
The printing house will be paid pennies to produce the manual. I cannot see it being profitable to introduce the technology required to produce a tailored manual, which few people read anyway, for each specific car leaving the production line.
Possibly the way forward is to provide a CD/DVD in the glovebox, as suggested by CGN, which gives you the options to select and read exactly what matches your car. Menu driven like the car configurator you get on manufacturers websites. The exact data matching your trim level and optional extras is then available.
You can then chose if you want a paper copy or not.
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It would be a whole lot easier if the manual was built into the car so you could read it from the info screen - I had a "moment" today having taken an MX5 to be fuelled - I realized that I didn't know how the filler cap was opened - a frantic search of the glovebox - no manual ! I found the release thingy eventually......far easier if that data was in computer form somewhere in the car's systems - common sense. No doubt a load of "what ifs" will be brought up now.
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Wow now we are getting there, oh and this interactive built in screen will need some sort of IP access via 3G so dealers can fix your car remotely :p
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I agree multimedia is the way forward. There could be a lot of nice videos on how to check the oil and for the people who like to be patronised a nice video on how to use the clutch.
Then maybe the Vauxhalls it could feature detailed videos on how to replace the cylinder head after a camshaft failure :D
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Ey up PU ! Putting her petrol in now are we ? She'll be leaving her toothbrush at your place soon, mark my words !
( Good for you BTW )
;-)
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Well there was a note on the table this morning asking me to fuel it up when I went for t'paper. Funny how far the garage can become....
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Must have been terrible, Saturday morning, damp roads, RWD sports car, no time limit......
I so miss my Westie...
I used to quite like you ( well a bit, in a blokeish sort of no agenda kind of way you understand.....)
;-)
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Had some funny looks in the garage though (who are more used to me arriving in er...blokish cars !)
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Thanks to all
Building the info into the car's computer could help in a lot of situations, but fails when the car / computer breaks down in various ways e.g. battery is flat. So yes, a CD as well, with a printout option. And online / over your fancy phone info / advice.
Note that if this is done the supplier has to go through the cost barrier mentioned. But there would be more of a customer service benefit to advertise. I do acknowledge the cost element, but I don't think it would be that bad because as it is the info has to be sorted to a fair extent anyway - i.e. a manual that has it all in was prepared by people who had to produce and know about each bit of info and diagram.
Thanks again
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I think you'll find the manufacturers aren't too happy about having to provide a big thick printed manual covering all possible options in the correct language for the country they're supplying and which most people don't read anyway. The main reason it's there is to carry all the warning messages and stuff which is either dictated by the law of the land or prevents the manufacturer from being sued by a customer who didn't know the big pedal in the middle is the brake or that you shouldn't be distracted by the SatNav. The only time I read mine is when I'm in a traffic jam.
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I find car manuals are quite simplified already. If you need detail information, you need a service manual. Some manufacturers may allow you to buy one.
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Most manuals don't get read anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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