Chrysler Dropping Printed Car Manuals for DVDs

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doomtomb

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Well the fact that they say they include a 60-80 page booklet kind of makes up for it. I recently got my first car and I know if I didn't have any reference material on the car in my glove box I might get f---ed over if something happens and I get stranded >_>
 

Honis

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Just as long as they leave the critical instructions in print. Like how to change the tire using the specialty jack. You may have read the manual when you first got the car but at 80k miles remembering the notch that the jack sits in is 5 inches behind the tire and not the similarly looking notch 6 inches further is helpful to review.

I also contend that most people do not read the manual until they pop a tire or they need a jump. I've read many manuals to OTHER peoples cars to make sure I was jumping it per the manufacturers instructions. The owners were clueless that such instructions were in the manual.
 

DoofusOfDeath

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@Honis: Don't worry. If my experience with Chrysler cars is anything to go by, you'll want to get rid of them right around 80k anyway.
 

ta152h

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Chrysler? Do they still make cars? Does anyone buy them? Maybe this is just a preview of their move to become a DVD manufacturer instead of a car company. I don't think they could do any worse.
 

kittle

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lotsa help a DVD manual will do when your stuck on the side of the road trying to find out how to change a tire.. or what this funky warning light means & why the thing wont start.
 

Major7up

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[citation][nom]ElectroGoofy[/nom]Well thats real good. I would assume they would include a battery powered DVD player with it[/citation]
They will but it will plug into the accessory outlet and it won't play unless the car cranks to verify that you are the owner.
 

jitpublisher

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You can have my gas guzzling oil burning Mopar when you pry my cold dead hands off of the rusty, rattley, loose, sloppy steering wheel and my butt off the uncomfortable back-aches they call a seat.
It's a love-hate thing with Chrysler. As long as they keep making them, I'll keep buying them. Printed manual or DVD, I kinda like the DVD idea actually.
 

nukemaster

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Finding info is very fast in PDF's as said above(ctrl+F), but, What about that info you need when on the road and the car starts acting up? It should not effect most users, but in some cases the paper manual is a FAR better option. I say give us BOTH....
 

scurvywombat

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I immediately imagined the nightmare scenarios that other posters have mentioned - like being stuck by the side of the road with a then useless disc. But if there's a booklet included I wager it has information you'd need in bind, probably would be sued if they didn't.
 

tayb

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I love how they mask this money grab by claiming it as a "green initiative" to save trees. Please, I wasn't born yesterday. You are not printing manuals because you are saving money by not printing manuals. Don't even pretend for a second that the decision to stop printing manuals was to save trees, that is the biggest crock of BS I've ever heard. You save money and someone marketing wiz came up with the clever idea of masking it as a green initiative.

Not that this would effect me because I'll walk before I buy a Chevy vehicle but I think it's stupid. My manual sits in my glove box from the moment I purchase the car until the moment I sell the car. I can't say how many times the car has done a strange thing I've not seen yet and I pull out the manual, while out on the road somewhere, to find out just what exactly that warning by the speedometer means. Thanks Chevy for no longer affording me that ability. As if I really needed more reasons to stay away from the crap vehicles I can add "No Manuals" to the list that includes "crappy ass cars."
 

falchard

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Chrysler actually can make good cars, as long as you properly maintain it like you would any car. When it comes to longevity, I think cars made by Chrysler like Dodge last longer and are more durable then other manufacturers. I have a 2002 Dodge Stratus and its still going incredibly strong. I have managed 40MPG highway on it. Most of the problems associated to Chrysler stem from poor vehicle maintenence. One thing I highly suggest is not getting work done at the dealership. Go to a local shop you trust. Also using quality products in your vehicle helps alot.

I think its good to remember, a good brand gasket costs only a buck more then a generic brand one. When it comes to manufacturing a car, they probably used a generic one considering how many gaskets they got. Now when replacing just 1 gasket, paying the extra dollar will help the longevity of the vehicle.

As far as the manual goes. There isn't anything that will help you in it when you are on the side of the road. A "How-to guide" to simple vehicle maintenence will help more then the manual. The manual is there to look up part sizes and numbers, the fusebox info, and how to operate your cup holder. I would rather have a DVD that has a PDF I can download off the website incase I lose the DVD. I would also like to have a vehicle DVD player. This should come standard if they take out the manual.
 

jitpublisher

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A manual tells you what kind of oil to use and when to change it.
A manual tells you what size tires to buy, and how to work the cruise control and the built in GPS. There is nothing in a manual that will help you if you are broke down on the side of the road. Just exactly how many modern vehicles do you see broke down along the side of the road these days anyway? And even if it did tell you, on a 2010 model vehicle, just exactly what are you going to be able to fix?
 

jitpublisher

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tayb, well yes obviously no duh it's about saving money. Is that a big problem for you? But it is a fact it is also "green". Do you see how many cars are on the road today? Do you have any idea how many manuals are printed every year? I do. I print manuals for a large vehicle manufacturing company, and it is a significant source of income for my company and puts big bonus numbers into my paycheck, but that does not negate the fact that it would be a significant "green" move to not print them.
 

bk420

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I think this illegal in some other countries. That information has vital data in the case of emergencies. I think their choice not to include this manual is really stupid on their behalf. Somebody will probably sue them for this eventually.
 

pooflinger1

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I think a lot of you are over-reacting. They are still going to include a 60-80 page booklet. My money says that this booklet contains the 60-80 pages of the manual that could help you. I'd venture to say that the "booklet" will contain the information such as jumping procedures, oil type, fluid capacities, emergency numbers, jack points, etc.
 
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