Car owners handbooks

[Dustydog]

Just wasted hours reading 684 pages on my replacement cars handbook. Over half of the script is warnings and safety related. All for sensibility but must say this is way over the top. Are all new car book and caravans for that matter so ott on safety warnings

 

[Hutch]

Yes i think they are, the Handbook for the Sat Nav in my Santa Fe is bigger than the Car hand book, and full of warnings etc. The First 11 pages to be correct.

 

[Damian]

Yep......everything is loaded with safety warnings just in case of some fool deciding to make a claim.
I have just a replacement LED security light and the number of warnings about it is 200.
Basically it says if you manage to get this out of the box without hurting yourself, you will most likely die for one or more of the following hundred reasons.!!!

As far as my wifes' mobility scooter goes, well,,,,,i give in, again it basically says don't use it, you will kill yourself or someone else !!!!

 

[otherclive]

Yes me too my Satnav one is 388 pages yet my Garmin came with a QuickStart guide and is intuitive. Guess which one I will use most?

I recently purchased a set of new push on control knobs for the caravan cooker. They came nicely packaged with the warning “ Only to be fitted by a Competent Person”. I posted a picture in “A risk assessment too far”.


So what is the new “beast”?

 

[Dustydog]

Yes me too my Satnav one is 388 pages yet my Garmin came with a QuickStart guide and is intuitive. Guess which one I will use most?

I recently purchased a set of new push on control knobs for the caravan cooker. They came nicely packaged with the warning “ Only to be fitted by a Competent Person”. I posted a picture in “A risk assessment too far”.


So what is the new “beast”

Well Clive after 15 years of two Sorentos , both served us very well we have moved to a VW Toureg, 3 years old. The change in technology is mind blowing!
I still have my old Tom Tom which I understand

 

[Guzzilazz]

The issue with manuals is that for many products the average customer may only use 10% of the functionality- you see this particularly with software (e.g. MS Word etc...). I think we will see less and less of the "manual" and more of the online html based documentation and help, accessed to review specific functions...

 

[Raywood]

I am afraid the general rush to litigation and some cases that look as though the courts will find for the claimant almost no matter what, does mean warnings are often over the top.

 

[otherclive]

The issue with manuals is that for many products the average customer may only use 10% of the functionality- you see this particularly with software (e.g. MS Word etc...). I think we will see less and less of the "manual" and more of the online html based documentation and help, accessed to review specific functions...

Agree but the manual dies come in useful in hard copy if you are in an area with poor signal. I was on Salisbury Plain today. No signal on EE but I needed to know how to stop the internal perimeter alarm as we wanted to put the dogs in the car and lock it whilst we visited the Imber Church. Since the car has remote access unlike my previous Forester SJ there’s no key to lock the door which locked the doors without the perimeter alarm setting.
I found the under dash keypad and the manual told me to press key 2. But a loose leaf said key 5. Just left the car unlocked

 

[audiorob]

The other thing you will find is that the handbook is model generic so there are many pages with titles followed by "(model specific)", so for example now I know how the rain sensor wipers work even though my car is fitted with intermittent wipe instead. Instructions for the satnav were kindly supplied in about 15 languages that helped the recycling cause locally!

 

[Mel]

Just read the instruction manual ( pamphlet) for a new toaster. It says, in bold, If the bread starts to smoke turn the setting down.
Mel

 

[ChrisUK]

Fo most cars you can get the owners manual to download. The big advantage then is you can search for a word, e.g. alarms, and it will find it for you.
For some years now, anything that I have bought I have immediately looked for the manual on line and have been about 98% successful. I then have them filed away on my PC for an easy look up, and important ones like the car / caravan / camera, I copy the .pdf to my phone so I have always a copy at hand.

 

[Raywood]

Our caravan came with no handbook. You are given the web site to look it up and take it from there. It still has the instructions that came with everything fitted so the book was probably surplus, as the other manufacturers instructions often tend to be more detailed, and you do not have to check through several alternatives to find the model you have. The hand book tends to say you will have this or this or that fitted according to your model, and if you have a dealer special it might be something else anyway.

 

[ChrisUK]

Anything we now buy I now automatically look for the manual on line and are usually lucky. The big advantage is that you can word search for anything, e.g. lubrication. I was able to get easily our Outlander and Fiesta owner's handbooks.

These manuals whether it is a mixer from Lidl or the Fiesta are now stored on my computer for reference and copied over to my phone as required.

 

[otherclive]

Anything we now buy I now automatically look for the manual on line and are usually lucky. The big advantage is that you can word search for anything, e.g. lubrication. I was able to get easily our Outlander and Fiesta owner's handbooks.

These manuals whether it is a mixer from Lidl or the Fiesta are now stored on my computer for reference and copied over to my phone as required.

They are very useful on line. I keep mine on ICloud as they don’t take up much memory on the phone and are universally available on other folks phones if I access via my passwords.

 

[RogerL]

Anything we now buy I now automatically look for the manual on line and are usually lucky. The big advantage is that you can word search for anything, e.g. lubrication. I was able to get easily our Outlander and Fiesta owner's handbooks.

These manuals whether it is a mixer from Lidl or the Fiesta are now stored on my computer for reference and copied over to my phone as required.

Great idea - just have to be careful it's the manual for the UK market as other markets use different specifications and service intervals.

 

[Dustydog]

Also the “ How to Fix videos” on line are brilliant showing all the tricks of the trade.

 

[otherclive]

Great idea - just have to be careful it's the manual for the UK market as other markets use different specifications and service intervals.

I download the U.K. documents and then save to ICloud Document folder. This can be accessed from iPhone or IPad via “Files” off of the home screen. It then downloads to the phone when being used if required.

 

[otherclive]

Also the “ How to Fix videos” on line are brilliant showing all the tricks of the trade.

Pity there’s not one for Flojet pump. But JTQ much better. But it’s still not working so hope new one arrives by tomorrow so we can leave for a break in Hampshire. I will then install it after arrival. Probably easier than putting up the awning. 👍

 

[Dustydog]

Clive, Does this help?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDESzfOIwho

 

[otherclive]

Clive, Does this help?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDESzfOIwho

Dusty thanks saw that one but it’s different to mine although principles are similar. I’ve had it right down and cleaned but still no joy. I suspect a possible motor issue or wiring as whilst it strokes under power it’s far less vigourous than normal. Must buy some spare pipework so I can do on load testing in future by having a bucket in the van and just one piece of inlet pipe submerged in the bucket.

 

[Dustydog]

Not the diaphragm? I’d replace it.🤪

 

[otherclive]

Not the diaphragm? I’d replace it.🤪

Dusty
Looking at spares prices I’ve decided on a new pump at £59 inc delivery. I could so easily pay that amount on diaphragm £? and say pressure control switch £29 and effectively still have a pump that underperforms. Dealers around £115 for a new pump. The link below shows replacement parts

https://www.xylem.com/siteassets/brand/flojet/resources/brochure/r3426_81000-384.pdf

 

[Dustydog]

Good move Clive !