Owner's manual rant
I recently bought a used 02 dodge caravan. It did come with owner's manual. Problem, it is 400 pages long and after reading it, only 100 +/- pages apply to me. Why in the world can't they print manuals specific to the model and options you buy? This is the computer age, I buy a car with so and so opitions and they print the dam book. Why should I have to muddle thru hundreds of pages that do not apply to me?
This not unique to the auto industry either. Every appliance y9u buy thesed days comes with instruction booklets that apply to many different manuals.
It just seems like it would be cheeper and more efficient to print a book IN MY LANGUAGE, and IN THE MODEL I BOUGHT, and save millions of trees. I guess if this my biggest gripe of the night, I don't have much to worry about and I guess you are right. I just need someone to read the damn manuals and explain them to me. Tom
This not unique to the auto industry either. Every appliance y9u buy thesed days comes with instruction booklets that apply to many different manuals.
It just seems like it would be cheeper and more efficient to print a book IN MY LANGUAGE, and IN THE MODEL I BOUGHT, and save millions of trees. I guess if this my biggest gripe of the night, I don't have much to worry about and I guess you are right. I just need someone to read the damn manuals and explain them to me. Tom
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To print an individual manual that only covers the options you purchased would be cost prohibitive. 0 -
Dheffey, Wake up my son, this is the computert age!!!! Tom 0 -
It may be the computer age but if they did something like that, each book would have to be printed for a specific car and they would have to get the right book in the right car ...
... kinda side steps mass production which in turn allows lower production costs.
Manufacturers sublet that type of stuff out ... you don't think Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Chevy, GMC, Pontiac, Cadillac, Buick, Hummer, Saab, Opal, ... all have thier own Owners Manual Printing plants do you?
Same reason manufacturers don't make components like radio's, A/C compressors, steering pumps, suspension parts ... they design the final product and contract out sub-systems to thier spec's.0 -
quote:Originally posted by tccox
Dheffey, Wake up my son, this is the computert age!!!! Tom
Wake up Tom. Let's say there are three radio options. If they pre-print manuals in all of the combinations, they would only have to print three to cover those variations. Cool! That's workable.
Now, add two motor choices, and three radio choices. Now, were printing 6 manuals. Cool, we can do that.
Now, add 3 drivers seat options. Now, were printing 36 different manuals. Getting to be a hastle!
Now, add electric windows. Wow, just that makes it 72 different manuals. Oops!
They would have to print something like 10,000 manuals for all of the combinations of options. And, if you're implying they should just use a computer to print out those that were just for your vehicle, the individual manual cost goes from 50 cents to 5 dollars, and handling to get the proper manual with the proper car adds another 3 bucks to the cost.
Multiply the increased cost of $7.50 by 100,000 cars, and you have 3/4 of a million bucks because someone can't figure out that he doesn't need to read the part about electric seats because he doesn't have electric seats.
Who needs to wake up?0 -
Just go through the book and tear out any pages that don't apply to your Dodge caravan. Problem solved! 0 -
So youse guys are saying it can't be done?? How in hell did we put a man on the moon?? Hey how aboput an idea, lets one of you guys go up in a book wirtten by auto people. ?Whould be petty interesting. Tom 0 -
quote:Originally posted by tccox
So youse guys are saying it can't be done?? How in hell did we put a man on the moon?? Hey how aboput an idea, lets one of you guys go up in a book wirtten by auto people. ?Whould be petty interesting. Tom
I don't know what other people are saying, but yes, it can be done. I said it was cost prohibitive, and I stand by that.0 -
quote:Originally posted by dheffley
quote:Originally posted by tccox
Dheffey, Wake up my son, this is the computert age!!!! Tom
Wake up Tom. Let's say there are three radio options. If they pre-print manuals in all of the combinations, they would only have to print three to cover those variations. Cool! That's workable.
Now, add two motor choices, and three radio choices. Now, were printing 6 manuals. Cool, we can do that.
Now, add 3 drivers seat options. Now, were printing 36 different manuals. Getting to be a hastle!
Now, add electric windows. Wow, just that makes it 72 different manuals. Oops!
They would have to print something like 10,000 manuals for all of the combinations of options. And, if you're implying they should just use a computer to print out those that were just for your vehicle, the individual manual cost goes from 50 cents to 5 dollars, and handling to get the proper manual with the proper car adds another 3 bucks to the cost.
Multiply the increased cost of $7.50 by 100,000 cars, and you have 3/4 of a million bucks because someone can't figure out that he doesn't need to read the part about electric seats because he doesn't have electric seats.
Who needs to wake up?
YEAH TOM!!! BURN THAT STEAMIN POS,And collect your $50.00 insurance, and call it all EVEN!! WTH are U doin drivin a GAYAVAN anyhow?
Unless it's a Socker-mom rig, then i'd understand... They cannot make 1 book, for each car. Just like the "CHILTON" manual covers many designs, of the same rig....
Caravans do make a good "work-beater" too... Is that what u r using it for?[;)]0 -
Actually, it would be a cinch to print an owners manual for each individual vehicle, and I don't believe it would be cost prohibitive.
The people that run most of the car companies are not exceedingly bright.
Doug0 -
Desktop publishing has been around awhile. If an operator is given a VIN with such and such options, he can simply key in those options to the basic vehicle manual, and out spits a manual.
Personally, I want to read about everything available for the vehicle. Makes trips to the junkyard more exciting. [:D]0 -
A used car that actually has it's owner's manual. That's what gets me here. 0 -
Doug, you are so right. It is exactly what I was talking about. You ask a dealer what op[tions and bing, he can touch a button and it will give you what you are talkig about, and in Hey Your language, not Chineese, Latin and . God forbid( French).
Yeah, I can sort of see it in a fan which will go to <who knows where and" and be used by who knows who, but a car is sort of owner specific.
Someopne suggested throwing out all that does nbot apply. Be my guest and throw them out. Tom0 -
Well Tom, there is nothing stopping YOU from doing it, who knows, it might even catch on and you can make a buck or two with your idea.
Rule of thumb: When ever anybody asks "Why don't they..." the answer is always MONEY.0 -
Long term, it would be LESS expensive.
Oh, well...they may not be around long term.
Neither will I.
Doug0
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