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HomeFeatured Articles15 reasons why you need to Read your Car Owners Manual right...

15 reasons why you need to Read your Car Owners Manual right now

Imagine having a guide book for all people that are close to you that could help you understand them better. Consider that in case of your partner and imagine how life would have been such a breeze. Just kidding though, it anyways sounds absurd in case of humans.

For some of us, our cars are as beloved to us as our loved ones. When it comes to cars, we do have an option to get ourselves familiar with how our darlings machines work and how they would like to be treated simply with the help of a Handbook. This handbook is known as the Car Owners Manual, I am sure most of us have seen it rot in our car’s glove box for years.

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Volvo XC90 Car Owners Manual
Volvo XC90 Car Owners Manual

A Cars Owners Manual, if read thoroughly, can help you to get to know your car inside out. It is very considerate of manufacturers to provide us with a book which can simply the ownership experience for us. But let’s be honest, most of us have never bothered to even turn a single page of our car’s manual. So today we want to tell you 10 reasons why you need to read your car owners manual.

  1. Understanding “What” and “How Much” your car needs

    Oil change | Engine Oil
    Oil change | Engine Oil

    A Car Owners Manual is the best possible way to be sure what your car needs and what quantity of it is suitable for your car. Part of ‘Car Maintenance 101’ is knowing your car’s appetite. Owners manual contains information for what grade of fluids (Engine oil, brake oil, etc.) are suitable for your car and exactly what quantity of them is to use in the car. The car owners manual also has the appropriate tyre PSI levels mentioned.

  2. Getting familiar with your car

    Car Owners Manual
    Car Owners Manual

    Your car is like a solved puzzle which has come to its shape after putting thousands of pieces together. Getting to know about each and every component is not necessary for everyone. But if you own a car then you should have a fundamental understanding of all the major components which are there in a car and what is their primary function. A car owners manual can tell you about your car’s Battery, which light bulbs are used, what steering system it has, what is the configuration of the wheels and tyres and much more.

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  3. Knowing the location of the Important Components

    2017 Honda City Drive Belt
    2017 Honda City Drive Belt

    While you’re getting familiar about your car’s major components, you should probably also get to know the different locations in which these components are situated. This is crucial for the situation of an untimely breakdown of your car and you got no help. In such a situation, having an understanding of what might be causing the issue and where exactly it can be located in the car can help you get to the bottom of the problem quickly. The car owners manual can give you a good insight into all of this.

  4. Know how to get the easy things done

    Tyre Pressure Marking
    Tyre Pressure Marking

    If you’re the kind of person who likes to bond with their machines and treat them with your own hands occasionally then going through a car owners manual is the best thing for you. For the simple things like opening and cleaning the air filter, the owners manual has well laid out instructions for you.

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  5. A car owners manual can help you when you are stranded

    Spare Wheel
    Spare Wheel

    Reading your car owners manual beforehand or at least having it with you finally pays off in such a situation. If you end up being stranded with your car stalled on an empty road and no chance of having reinforcements any time soon. In such a scenario, the owner’s manual can tell you what to do and chances are that you’ll be able to get your car up and running by yourself. So your car’s manual act as your ‘go-to’ buddy.

  6. Understanding symbols and dashboard warning lights

    ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) Dashboard Warning Light
    ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) Dashboard Warning Light

    You must have seen numerous symbols all around in your car’s engine bay, on the body and inside the cabin and thought to yourself, what do these even mean. Majorly these are found on the instrument cluster as warning lights i.e symbols which glow up when there’s a fault. Other than that there are various symbols and indications on your car and each and every one of them has a significant meaning or purpose.

    But if you would not know what these even mean, how would you be able to know what they are trying to tell you? car owners manual can tell you what each of these symbols, warning light and indication mean so that if they ever pop up, you’ll be able to know what they wanna say.

  7. Understanding the numbers on your car

    VIN & Engine Number on a Car
    VIN & Engine Number on a Car

    Ever noticed series of numbers written or embossed on car’s front door pillar, windshield or engine bay? These numbers are very crucial to your car’s identity and also standardize the configuration of certain components of your car. These usually consist of VIN numbers, Tyre configuration and rating, Frame Number, Chassis number, etc.

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    If you ever feel baffled looking at these numbers then must look them up in your car owners manual and you’ll find about then the actual purpose of all these codes.

  8. Preventing yourself from the malpractices of the authorised service centres

    This is a very popular scam wherein the dealership’s service centre hands a long and hefty list of things which are to be cleaned, repaired or replaced in your car every time you take it for servicing. But who is to know if there is actually a need for replacing the things which the service centre suggests you replace? The service centre people often take advantage of the customer’s naivety.

    However, if the customer itself becomes familiar with what all needs to be replaced or repaired and when is it suppose to happen, then the chances of service centre guys playing the customers into paying for unnecessary things fall substantially. The car owners manual can be of great help in knowing a thing or two about your car’s maintenance routine.

  9. Maintaining a service record

    Promise For Better Servicing
    Promise For Better Servicing

    All car owners manual comes with a section in which one record their car’s maintenance history. This section can be filled up and then stamped by the service centre every time you give your car for its routine servicing.

    So this way you can keep a track your car’s servicing and make sure to have it at the recommended intervals.

  10. Choosing the appropriate modifications for your car

    If you decide on making any sorts of changes to your car, be it cosmetic or performance, it won’t be too wise on your part to do it without considering the standards mentioned in the car owners manual. For example, if you decide to change the tyre profile then you should do keeping the recommended profile mentioned in the manual into consideration.

    Installing heavy aftermarket electronics without keeping suitable ratings in consideration could lead to adverse effects on your car’s electrical system.

    These recommendations are a result of tremendous research and development and are best suited for your car. So always keep this mind while opting for any sorts of modifications.

  11. Learning better driving practices

    Driving in a wrong gear affects fuel mileage
    Driving in a wrong gear affects fuel mileage

    Almost every driver has a unique driving dynamic which has a strong impact on your car’s overall performance. Driving with a heavy foot causes a lot of stress to a car’s mechanics which particularly affects fuel efficiency. So, in order to keep this in check, the car owners manual comes with a list of driving practices that you can follow in order to enhance the efficiency of your vehicle. Following such practices also makes driving an overall safer experience.

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  12. Knowing the right way to clean your car

    Cleaning the interior
    Cleaning the interior

    The first step in car care is to learn how to keep your clean and what is the right way to do it. One should also know what products should be used for cleaning their car and also protecting it from the harshness of the environment(corrosion). The Car Owners manual outlines various methods which should be followed in order to keep your car clean and also maintain the shine and overall health of the car body.

  13. Know your car Warranty Policies

    A car is subjected to various faults or defects during its span of usage. Numerous types of issues can arise which might require repairs or replacement.

    The car owners manual can tell you which of these issues are covered under warranty so that you don’t stick out even a penny to get them fixed. Also, the owner’s manual also has information about certain practices which can cause the manufacturer to void your car’s warranty.

  14. Finding out about extra features

    Steering Mounted Controls: Must-have comfort features in carscar
    Steering Mounted Controls

    Give your car owners manual a read and we can assure you that you’ll come across certain features in your car that you thought never existed before. These features can be of great use to you and you were simply missing out on them all this while. Hence, this makes for another reason for you to pick up your car’s manual and give it a go.

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  15. Car Specifications and other details

    In the age of the internet, one doesn’t need to open up a manual to read about their car’s specifications. However, has it ever occurred to you that the specifications mentioned on these websites might not be accurate?

    Specifications or any other statistic mentioned about a car in its manual are a credible source of information about your car as they are specified by the manufacturers themselves.

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Vaibhav Arora
Vaibhav Arorahttps://gomechanic.in/blog
Content Developer at GoMechanic | Auto Journalist | Been a car guy ever since i remember opening my eyes | Golden Age for cars is long gone | Guilty of hooning out on the streets |

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