Owner's Manual - Do you read it?

Charles Suitt · 12-02-2005, 03:51 PM

<_< While I find the Owner's Manual to be difficult to understand in some ways due to the specific language structure, I do find much useful information available there.

From a history of supporting software, I developed the habit of highlighting specific information in a manual, then creating my own "Index" in the back cover to make it easy to re-access information which seems important to me.

I confess to being puzzled by many Prius owners who seem to object to referencing their Owner's Manual when they have a question. There are Prius peculiarities which cannot be found in the Owner's Manual - this is where PriusChat really "shines" and provides help in those instances.

jeromep · 12-02-2005, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Charles Suitt@Dec 2 2005, 01:51 PM
I confess to being puzzled by many Prius owners who seem to object to referencing their Owner's Manual when they have a question. There are Prius peculiarities which cannot be found in the Owner's Manual - this is where PriusChat really "shines" and provides help in those instances.

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Well, I have to admit that we get lots of repeat questions about things that seem to obviously be "features" of the car and those features should be in the manual. The manual's index is quite good and references most issues pretty well.

I guess it is easier for folks to come here during down time at work and ask the question they got stuck in their mind during the drive into work, rather than going out to the vehicle and getting the manual. Makes me wonder how literate our culture really is?

mitchbf · 12-02-2005, 04:05 PM

In the computer world, one reason why help desks had to be started was because people rarely RTFM. This is the acronym developed to explain this phenomenon know as "Read The F----ing Manual"....

jwe8f · 12-02-2005, 04:16 PM

Is this a periodic repost? I've only been here a short time and already know it is your biggest pet peave...

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=7755&hl=

There was a vote like this here too:

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=8579&hl=

I think some people are just wired to understand technical things, and some are wired to understand things technical people may need help with.

San_Carlos_Jeff · 12-02-2005, 04:23 PM

I'm one of those people that enjoys reading the manual and then every time I find something new running out to the garage to try it before reading further.

Charles Suitt · 12-02-2005, 04:27 PM

<_< Howdy jwe8f

No.. this is not a "periodic re-post" It is the first time I posted a POLL. I hope my encouragement for Prius owners to read the manual is interpreted as a helpful suggestion rather than criticism.

Schmika · 12-02-2005, 04:48 PM

I wanted "Read manual cover to cover once and now I ask questions of my Prius family, cuz I like too!"

QED · 12-02-2005, 05:03 PM

I don't even own a Prius yet; but I have read most of the owners manual already!

We should poll how many Pre-Prius folks have read the manual. Are we a wierd bunch or what!

Mystery Squid · 12-02-2005, 05:19 PM

No one option best fit me, except for maybe the "I only read when..." option...

I generally don't, unless I have a specific issue, HOWEVER, with the Prius, I, at least, flipped through every page, stopping to read items of interest.

Ghoti · 12-02-2005, 07:43 PM

Thanks to a copy I found online a long time ago, I had read the manual several times before I even got on the list to buy my Prius.. Since delivery, I think I've gone through the manual cover to cover perhaps once, but I do crack it open from time to time when some question prompts me to give it a peek.

The above applies to the manual for the car, and the 'manual' for the navigation system.

View Poll Results: Do you read your Owner's Manual?
I always read the Owner's Manual	44	63.77%
I only read the Owner's Manual when I have a specific question	24	34.78%
I never read the Owner's Manual	1	1.45%
Voters: 69. You may not vote on this poll

12-02-2005, 03:51 PM	#1
Charles Suitt Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,640 My Car: 2012 Prius Model: Four Package: Navigation Thanks: 1 Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts Friends: 0	<_< While I find the Owner's Manual to be difficult to understand in some ways due to the specific language structure, I do find much useful information available there. From a history of supporting software, I developed the habit of highlighting specific information in a manual, then creating my own "Index" in the back cover to make it easy to re-access information which seems important to me. I confess to being puzzled by many Prius owners who seem to object to referencing their Owner's Manual when they have a question. There are Prius peculiarities which cannot be found in the Owner's Manual - this is where PriusChat really "shines" and provides help in those instances. __________________ Charles Suitt Dallas Texas Prius #3: 2012 Four Display Audio/Nav (May 2012) Prius #2: 2007 Touring Pkg 6 (Nov '06) Still driving First Prius: 2004 (Oct '04) Traded for '07

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12-02-2005, 04:05 PM	#3
mitchbf Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Chicago Area Posts: 105 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	In the computer world, one reason why help desks had to be started was because people rarely RTFM. This is the acronym developed to explain this phenomenon know as "Read The F----ing Manual"....

12-02-2005, 04:16 PM	#4
jwe8f Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 174 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Is this a periodic repost? I've only been here a short time and already know it is your biggest pet peave... http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=7755&hl= There was a vote like this here too: http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=8579&hl= I think some people are just wired to understand technical things, and some are wired to understand things technical people may need help with.

12-02-2005, 04:23 PM	#5
San_Carlos_Jeff Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Northern California Posts: 755 My Car: Other Hybrid Model: N/A Package: N/A Thanks: 176 Thanked 44 Times in 28 Posts Friends: 0	I'm one of those people that enjoys reading the manual and then every time I find something new running out to the garage to try it before reading further.

12-02-2005, 04:27 PM	#6
Charles Suitt Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 1,640 My Car: 2012 Prius Model: Four Package: Navigation Thanks: 1 Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts Friends: 0	<_< Howdy jwe8f No.. this is not a "periodic re-post" It is the first time I posted a POLL. I hope my encouragement for Prius owners to read the manual is interpreted as a helpful suggestion rather than criticism.

12-02-2005, 04:48 PM	#7
Schmika Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Xenia, OH Posts: 1,622 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I wanted "Read manual cover to cover once and now I ask questions of my Prius family, cuz I like too!"

12-02-2005, 05:03 PM	#8
QED Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sunny Hawaii Posts: 267 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I don't even own a Prius yet; but I have read most of the owners manual already! We should poll how many Pre-Prius folks have read the manual. Are we a wierd bunch or what!

12-02-2005, 05:19 PM	#9
Mystery Squid Junior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 3 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Friends: 0	No one option best fit me, except for maybe the "I only read when..." option... I generally don't, unless I have a specific issue, HOWEVER, with the Prius, I, at least, flipped through every page, stopping to read items of interest.

12-02-2005, 07:43 PM	#10
Ghoti Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 68 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 8 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Friends: 0	Thanks to a copy I found online a long time ago, I had read the manual several times before I even got on the list to buy my Prius.. Since delivery, I think I've gone through the manual cover to cover perhaps once, but I do crack it open from time to time when some question prompts me to give it a peek. The above applies to the manual for the car, and the 'manual' for the navigation system.