CARS.COM -- Whether you misplaced it in the depths of your garage work bench or your dog ate it or a family member cruelly stole it for their own nefarious purposes, losing a vehicle’s owner’s manual may seem to be a great source of stress. We’re here to tell you not to fear: There are solutions.
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- Auto and car manuals and free pdf automotive manual instructions. Find the user manual you need for your automobile and more at ManualsOnline.
- Jul 19, 2017 Are Manual Cars Going Extinct? Jul 19, 2017, 9:00am. As long as they buy cheap sports cars, that is. My last four cars have been manual and I'd.
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A growing number of brands provide electronic versions of owner’s manuals online, including Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota, to name a few (see below for links to those owner’s-manual pages). You may have to register online with your vehicle identification number to get access, but you will be able to browse the manual, download it to your computer as a PDF file and print specific pages you would like to have on hand. The brand sites generally also have warranty information and maintenance guides available for their vehicle models.
For a hard copy, you could start by calling dealerships to see if they just happen to have one lying around (highly unlikely) and ask how you go about getting a replacement. You also could try the customer service department for the vehicle manufacturer, which is listed in your owner’s manual. Oops, sorry — that’s no longer a good option, is it? Instead, look online at the brand website (such as www.buick.com or www.toyota.com) for a toll-free customer service number or get it from a dealer. You could beg for mercy and ask for a free one, but you will likely have to pay for a replacement.
A company called Helm Inc. based in Plymouth, Mich., offers replacement owner’s manuals for Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mitsubishi and Toyota models. Prices vary and typically are $30 or more. Manuals for some vehicle models are available on CDs.
A less-expensive source might be eBay, where just about everything imaginable is for sale, including gently used owner’s manuals.
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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
CARS.COM --“Back to the Future” Day has come and gone and, in some ways, the future really is now. Lexus has built a working hoverboard prototype while Nike has announced the Mag sneaker with power laces, albeit in limited numbers to be auctioned for charity.
Cars have also come a long way since the time-traveling DeLorean DMC-12, but despite all the advanced active safety features and entertainment technology that can be packed into today’s cars, more than a few 2016 models still include old-school manual-crank windows that seem, especially now, from a bygone automotive era. Do you have to crank your window down by hand to open it? There are several reasons why even many newer vehicles still offer windows that are manual.
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According to Ed Kim, vice president of industry analysis at AutoPacific, manual windows are primarily available in subcompact vehicles in the passenger-car market, and they help automakers keep prices as low as possible for car shoppers who want a new vehicle without all the expensive features — like power windows. Kim said there isn’t a significant segment of the population that wants windows that the user needs to crank open by hand, but those who get them are “really doing it because it’s the cheapest new car they can afford.” Opting for windows that are a bit less convenient to open is one sacrifice that many buyers are willing to take, and selecting the manual option can bring significant savings.
Looking at features data on model-year-2016 vehicles proves it. Old-fashioned windows that you have to crank open by hand are available in models like the Ford Fiesta S, Nissan Versa S, Chevrolet Sonic LS and Kia Rio LX.
Manual windows are also common in full-size trucks. They’re often bought by fleets, which are similarly price-conscious, according to Kim. “These fleet managers are looking for lowest cost of entry, lowest operating cost. They couldn’t care less if it has power windows or not.” Manual windows are standard on the Ford F-150 XL and Ram 1500 Tradesman.
The Jeep Patriot and Compass small SUVs also have standard hand-crank windows to keep their base price low, but it might be hard to find one equipped this way. About 18 percent of Patriots and 7 percent of Compass SUVs are built with this type of window, according to a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. spokesperson.
Where Can I Download My Car's Owner's Manual
A car with manual windows may be less expensive to buy, but building it is another thing. “In many cases it’s advantageous [from a cost standpoint] not to offer a base manual window setup,” Kim said. “Reducing complexity these days is one of the key goals in terms of manufacturing.”
For now, at least, it’s clear there are enough price-focused new-car shoppers to keep manual windows around.
Where Can I Get My Car Manual
Features-data aggregation by Danny Kim
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.