billeee

There are two major problems with car owner manuals:

1) They include every major variable (coupe and convertible, auto and manual, etc.), many of which will not be applicable to a specific car.

2) A description of every option has to be included. Along with phrases like "if equipped" or "some vehicles". The user then has to figure out if their car has that feature.

It would be relatively easy to solve this using computer technology. Here's how it would work:

1) You go to the manufacturer's web site and enter your VIN.

2) The manufacturer uses it's manufacturing database to determine all of the design features and options on the car.

3) A computer program then constructs a PDF User Manual that would include only the information applicable to the specific vehicle and allow the user to know exactly what their vehicle can do and how to operate it.

RealPilot

Excellent suggestion!!!!!

Woodson

Too logical

Larry/car

This all in one owners manual format has been used for years and years. And years!!!

Zymurgy

There is probably some government regulation that requires a printed Owners Manual be included with any new car produced for sale.

energystar

all the new cars I've bought since 1967 I was able to purchase the shop manual...my 99 Camaro SS has 3 volumes for the shop manual..can you get the vette shop manuals????

Zymurgy

Not available yet. Helms says soon.

Bill17601

What a great idea. Actually someone could do that privately and sell it on the net. It would take a lot of work to put together but it could be done. If the manufacturers won't let you do it with their manuals they could be rewritten. There is tons of information for Corvette owners now. I use You Tube with what I want to learn about my C7.

ckwhite

You've got that right! At 391 pages, the 2015 owners manual is out of control!

Vetteman Jack

Very good idea. Sure would make for a more useful owner's manual.

Glen e

The owners manual is on pdf, it can be 800 pages for all i care, because you have search by keyword on a pdf....and its on my phone and ipad.

NavyBlue2

Wonderful idea.

With that VIN, Gov't Motors can then electronically & automatically make sure you're signed up for auto insurance, health insurance, & IRS taxes due...LOL

BigJoe

I'd go for that and I would like a "delete all safety blurbs" option too. The manual would be 50 pages shorter if you could do that...

mjw930

And that's a reason not to change it?

They are offering manuals in PDF form, that's a great improvement. Taking it to the next level and customizing a manual package based on your installed options would be a great idea but if there's no financial benefit to GM it won't happen.

As Glen said, just download the PDF and copy it to all your devices so you have it ready whenever and wherever you are.

I will give Chrysler some credit, back in 2011 when they rolled out the Jeep Grand Cherokee there wasn't any printed manual included with the car. Just a quick start guide and a DVD. The DVD had the manual as well as video's explaining various features of the car. For those who just have to have a hard copy Chrysler will send you one if you request it. I heard the take rate was very low, mostly older customers......

GM has something similar but it's all online and many do not avail themselves of the content.

bob guzzy

Don't give them any ideas, at least now when you have a small problem you can open the book in the glove box and look for possible causes and cures.

Eliminating the manual would not be a good idea, but it is one the car makers would jump on to save money on their end.

energystar

besides they took away the cd/dvd player from the car and it would have been nice to plug in a cd manual while your sitting in the car with the cd telling you how to do and make changes in all the gadgets they got in it...I don't know whose bright idea that was and don't give me the crap about new technology it will be a long time before the cd/dvd will go away unless the jerks running all the audio/video companies want to make a gazillion dollars making everyone buy all new equipment etc. and stop making music/movies etc. on the cd/dvd format...I checked some of GM's competition and they still have a slot for a cd to be played and forget about the extra cost if one can afford a vette surely they could afford another 100 bucks for the cd addition if they wanted it after all most of the parts and gadgets on the vette are coming from the countries where they still pay about a buck an hour or less.

vettetwo

How many technology devices have good printed manuals?...not very many. As technology makes our world more complex, the documentation of that technology becomes more complex as well. If technical documentation staff was put in place to fully document all of the complexities, the cost and cycle time of the technology would make the product less competitive.

The searchable PDF's made available by GM are far than you can find for that new smartphone or computer you purchase as frequently as a new car. It is FORUM's such as this that fill in between the lines of the documentation far better than paper documentation that would not fit in the glove box.

Groovepusher Sly

The manual should be part of the firmware in the C7 computer.

Too late!! And you can bet they're working on it.

In the near future instead of a paper manual, you will probably receive a USB drive along with your key fobs.

Sly

Old buckeye

There is a flow chart that was created by KCWolfpck and I believe Zymurgy sent it to me. It helps describe all the different possible settings available (11 pages). It was a big help for me to understand and select all the features. Some items can be understood by the name of the feature such as Engine Sound Management (auto - mode selector and off). There are other selections that if the results of the selection would be addressed, it would be perfect. As example Auto Defog - off or on - so exactly what does that do if on. If I understand correctly, the system will turn air conditioner on to defrost window even though you did not hit defrost button. You may feel cool air and wonder why that is occurring. Just one example.

JackTripper

You know that the technology is there to accomplish this task. What does Ferrari and Lambo do?