Many vehicle owners search Google aimlessly for answers to questions like: “what type of oil does my car use” and “how do I replace my headlight bulbs.” But what they fail to realize is that the answers to these questions—and many more—are readily available in their owner’s manual.
When it comes to taking care of your vehicle, the owner’s manual is one of the most important references to have on hand. That’s why, in recognition of the fall car care season, we’ve created a guide to help you navigate your owner’s manual to find proper information on vehicle service and upkeep.
Your owner’s manual has everything from information on how to set the radio to instructions for opening and closing the doors. In regards to car care, however, the most important sections in your owner’s manual include:
Let’s explore each of these sections.
Note: The name of each section of the owner’s manual (and the content inside) may vary by vehicle.
The maintenance section is one of the most important parts of your owner’s manual. Here, you’ll find the basic information needed to maintain your vehicle.
Usually, the section includes instructions for:
Have you ever been stuck with a flat tire or dead battery and not known what to do? In the “Taking Care of the Unexpected” portion of your owner’s manual, you’ll find information to help solve these problems and more.
Here are some of the key topics this section usually covers:
When you enter a query into Google regarding your vehicle’s care, you might not get the correct answer. But when you reference the owner’s manual for your car, you’ll get the right answer—every time.
Information you’re likely to find in the technical information section includes:
You want to take care of your car by servicing it on time, but you don’t want to waste money on unnecessary maintenance. The service schedule comes in handy because it tells you what services are due and when. For example, it mentions when:
You’ll find the schedule either in the back of the owner’s manual or in a separate, supplemental booklet.
Surprisingly, many people are unaware of how much information is available in their owner’s manual—and just as many get confused about what’s not included in the manual.
Here are some examples of what the document does not cover:
These days, if you lose your car’s owner’s manual, you may be able to access a digital version for free via the automaker’s website. Nearly all vehicle manufacturers provide digital owner’s manuals for models built within the last decade or two. For instance, if you have a 2015 Toyota RAV4, you can get an e-manual by going to Toyota.com.
But what If you have an older car or you simply want a paper manual? Usually, you can get a print copy through eBay or the dealer.
Nowadays, there’s no excuse not to reference your owner’s manual since digital versions are readily available online. Choosing to rely on internet search results for important questions, such as what type of oil your car takes, can lead to incorrect answers that cause big-time problems.
So, if you want your car to last, you need to keep the owner’s manual handy—and actually read it.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.