I know its very naive to write a small article on an owner's manual as most of the car owners know its importance. But I am just penning it down for those who are not aware of its importance. I have seen many questions asked even on Team-BHP, whose answers can be easily found in the car's owners manual. When we buy a mobile phone or any other electronic gadget, we read the manual to know how to operate it, but regarding cars, as many people know how to drive, they do not bother to go through it.
Image courtesy- Google
It's not just another paper or brochure we get while buying the car. Let me list a few points where it can come in handy.
1) Understanding your car better:
A vehicle is composed of thousands of components. It's not possible for us to know each and every component. But knowing a few important ones can make life easier. At least we can know a few basics like what PSI the tyres need, which grade engine oil we should use and what's the oil capacity, what's the brake oil used in the car (like Dot 3/Dot 4), the amount of coolant the car requires or maintaining the idling rule in cars having a turbo and many other such things.
Now depending on your curiosity, you can go into further details. I have read my car's owner's manual nicely and I do feel it helped me learn a lot about my car. Yes, I know we don't need to know things as service center guys take care of everything. But should we blindly trust them? At least I feel that I should know the basics of my car.
2) Safety tips for driving:
We go through the internet for safe driving tips. But, look at the owner's manual, it does have a few pages, which very well explains how to drive safe. I have found it in almost all the manuals that I have gone through. If one follows it, I am sure he won't be a loser!
3) Service center guys take you for a ride:
It's very common that service center guys ask for de-carbonizing the engine, cleaning the throttle body, cleaning the brake assemble or disinfecting the A/C blower! Here, in Team-BHP, we have seen service center guys taking customers for a ride many a time and charging a hefty amount. Just read the manual and see what are the parts that need to be replaced and what are just to be inspected. At the service center, if the service executive says anything more, one can simply deny and save his money! I have saved money a few times at Maruti service centers in Bangalore.
4) Car stops in the middle of the road:
If the car stops in the middle of the road, it may be due to a very simple or basic reason. It's not a must that something has to be grossly wrong! If the battery terminals get lose or there are sulphur deposits on the terminal, it can leave your car stranded. If you can identify the problem and you have the owner's manual in your car, even a simple DIY can take you out of the situation and if you fail, you will get the phone number of the nearest service center for your car.
Even a blown up fuse can be cumbersome at times! Yes, with a blown fuse, a car can be stranded. But, if you know how to change it or where the fuse box is located, you can do it yourself. In cars like the Etios/Liva, the fuse box is located in a tricky position, like behind the meter box console. So, many can't locate the exact place. But, from the manual, it's just a 2 minutes read to locate the spot! Almost every car comes with a few extra fuses in the fuse box for emergency use. So, from the manual, one can make out where they are put and which are the extra fuses.
5) Need to do a small DIY like cleaning/changing the airfilter/spark plug or some other components:
Recently, we went on a trip to the Himalayas, where the conditions were very dusty. One of the cars in our group started to lose power because of a choked up air filter. For that car opening the air filter box was tricky, so the owner couldn't open it himself and clean it. He had to drive like that for 70-80 kms and get it done in a local garage. After the trip, i just took the owners manual from him and found out that how to open and clean the air filter was beautifully instructed! So, simple DIYs like cleaning the A/C filter, air filter, disinfecting the A/C and few others can be simply done at home!
6) Need to maintain a service record for your car:
We can maintain the service history of our cars by entering it in the manual and getting it stamped with the date and odo reading. Many a time, we lose bills. So, a stamped manual can be a proof of the service history of the car. It can add to the resale value too.
7) Before going ahead with any modifications, one should check what's best suited for your car. So accordingly you can plan your steps & go ahead:
For example, if the car has 55/60 stock head lamp bulbs and the fuse used is a 15 amp, what changes or relay is required to upgrade them to 90/100. Many a time, after fitting a powerful horn in place of the stock unit, we see people ending up to a blown fuse. Wrong installation can damage or burn the wiring. Wrongly modifying the engine to increase power can definitely shorten its life too.
8) When you give your car to a FNG (friendly neighborhood garage):
A garage guy repair cars of every brand. So for changing some fluid, he might not know about company-specified fluids or other components used in your car. It's best to guide him with the help of the manual by telling him what you exactly need.
9) For new 4X4 owners:
An experienced 4x4 owner will definitely be a technically sound person. But, if a person like me buys a 4x4, to understand the whole mechanism of the system and how it works, there can't be a better place than the company-provided manual for that particular vehicle.
10) Always keep the manual in your car:
From the above points it's obvious that in case of an emergency, if the manual is kept at home it will be of no use!
Am not a very technically sound person. So for people like me, it helps a lot. I have just jotted down the above points from my personal experiences. Anybody sharing more valid usage or if am wrong in any of the above points, correcting me will be most welcome.
![Smile](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.png)