How Deep Is Your Owner’s Manual?
We’ve done a couple of owner’s manual rants and got to thinking about where the average driver might look in their respective manual if they ran into trouble, specifically with dead or dying key fobs.
So, we examined a sampling of owner’s manuals from BMW and Mini, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, including Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac, Honda and Acura, Kia and Hyundai, Land Rover and Jaguar, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Nissan and Infiniti, Subaru, Toyota and Lexus, Volkswagen and Audi and Volvo. And since we are adding this commentary, you can probably guess the results.
So lets set some parameters. Our first thought is to look for Troubleshooting chapter. So, result #1 is that not a single one of these 25 manufacturers have a chapter with this title. Only 3, Mazda (right), Toyota and Lexus, even use the word Trouble. Emergency, Roadside or Breakdown are most likely to be found, and this is a pretty short hurdle. VW raises the hurdle, with a Do It Yourself chapter that includes flat tires and dead batteries, etc. that tend to be found in the Breakdown chapters from other manufacturers.
To Index or Not to Index
Next, we looked to see if there was an index to resort to. Several, BMW, Land Rover, and Ford, for instance, have no indexes at all. So if someone out there is from these companies, please consider adding that in. On the other hand, the indexes we did find were no help at all with dead key fobs.
So, back to the our troubleshooting-like chapters. Once inside, only Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus and Subaru got this right! Setting aside for a moment the fact that the owner’s manual is most likely inside the car and the driver locked outside, at least if the driver manages to get the car open, he or she will be able to get started.
The Honda and Acura chapters point to an issue with the key fob being weak. This may not be immediately obvious to the operator, but it would be a likely spot to check out if the car wasn’t responding.
Subaru (right), Lexus and Toyota chapters point directly to pages with solutions to issues with the electronic keys. Again, it may not be obvious to the driver that the key fob is the problem, but these manufacturers come the closest to nailing the problem. Titling the sections using something like what to do if the car does not respond to the electronic key would come closest to replicating exactly what the driver is experiencing.
Absolutely none of the other manufacturers point directly to the electronic keys in anything remotely like a troubleshooting chapter. To be clear, they all have the solutions shown, but the driver is left to contend with 400, 500 or 600 pages of information to get to what they need.
So for all of them, walk a mile in your customers shoes and try to think like someone who simply doesn’t understand what is wrong. Then make a Troubleshooting chapter and forget the clever titles like Handling the Unexpected or Volkswagens do it yourself chapter, which is where they keep breakdown assistance.
The closer your cars get to being rolling computers, the more relevant an actual Troubleshooting chapter will be to your customers.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Alfa Romeo Adds to Auto Symbol Overload
Too Many Symbols!
We recently took our first look at an Alfa Romeo. In the last two years they have new, more mainstream models, the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV, which boosted overall sales and begged for coverage.
First up we created our usual back-up open and start pages for push button start, since these new models are the first in the line up with the feature. We’ll find one for a video soon. We then took a look at their owner’s manuals in case there were any new tell tales to add. And that becomes the subject today.
We found no less than 12 new symbols or modifications of existing symbols in the cars and a new use for an existing symbol. That last one at least uses a pre-existing symbol as is.
Are These Necessary?
This continues to pointlessly swell the already absurd number of tell tales that drivers face on a day to day basis. And make no mistake, the industry from the manufacturer on down to retail employees expects drivers to be fully versed on these things. Here are some examples.
This is a dusk sensor failure indicator. In Alpha’s defense, it is at least a new system. But does the image of a light bulb really help here? The symbol points out that the vehicle’s automatic headlight system is inoperable despite being activated. However, these cars, as well as pretty much all others manufactured today, are fully capable of providing a clear text message such as this in the instrument panel instead. Why not?
This one is a rain sensor failure. We’ve seen this represented as a windshield with the wiper and a drop of water or as a similar symbol with the word AUTO (right). Any of these are meant to represent an automatic wiper system. But this new one could easily be mistaken for a weather forecast.
After all, there is this symbol (left), which warns of possible icy road conditions! This is, by the way, a modification of a preexisting tell tale (right) that leaves out the lane lines. Again, in both cases a message could be displayed in the instrument panel in plain language.
This one indicates a speed limiter failure. Now, lets consider that tell tales in general are meant to illustrate an automotive system in a way that can be easily understood by the general population. However, the incomplete circle with a dashed line inside is completely meaningless. This is a true warning light fail.
I won’t cover each one, but this one deserves mention because of its near complete lack of utility. It is the standard gas pump used as a low fuel warning for years, now with a line running through it. It is meant to indicate that the fuel has been shut off due to an accident. I can’t help but believe that if a driver has been in an accident severe enough for the car to shut off the fuel supply, it will be the last thing he or she will be concerned about. Plus it will only be illuminated if the key is left on!
And finally, since it was mentioned at the start, Alpha has given the image of the padlock straddling a car a new use. It will tell you that there was a failed attempt at a break in. If the break in was successful, I suppose it would be obvious. In any case, this one has some utility and at least went unmodified.
We are now approaching 300 distinct symbols or variations of symbols hosted at DashboardSymbols.com. We’ve argued much of this already but bears repeating: the entire system is all but useless. First, there are too many variations for drivers to be fully versed on period. Second, as already noted, today’s vehicles can point out a problem in plain, easily understood language. And fourth, since eyes belong on the road and not looking at symbols or text, the computing power exists for today’s cars to speak the problem and verbally even offer up additional information or solutions.
As far as we are concerned, if you can order a pizza from your car by voice, you should damn well be able to get real information about an ongoing problem. The car knows and the symbols are a futile attempt to communicate what it knows to its driver.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY