Reading the handbook....

A

AlanJ

Elite
 North Yorks
I am often amazed at some of the questions aked on the Forum which could easily be answered with a quick read or reference to the vehicle handbook - or at least this would be a starting point for a query or issue. It may be just me but I certainly read it from front to back (yes a bit of an 'anorak') so that I have a clear understanding of what does what, where to find it and more importantly what the warning lights mean. Some of you may have purchased secondhand and without a handbook. If I were purchasing secondhand I would want to know where the handbook was - may be an indication of how the previous owner/s looked after the car OR NOT as the case may be.

So, do you study the handbook, just use it when there's a problem or not bother?
 
I have read mine... and have an electronic version available.

I guess some people ask while at work while the handbook could be at home?

I haven't read the volume that came with Mrs Gannet's new Mazda though - over 400 pages covering every aspect of the car and every variant not just the ones on our car. And to add to that several functions are described more than once... just put me to sleep after a while :o
 
Well - it always surprises me that some of what I would consider to be pretty fundamental info isnt actually in the manual - well, my revision anyway. Having taken a few broadsides from "smart arses" on here who dont realise this it does make you reluctant to ask the simple questions sometimes I have to confess. That and the fact the search on here doesnt work unless the word your using is over - what is it? 3 or 4 characters? - folks seem to be berated often without due cause!

However, aside from this whinge :) yes, Ive read the manual too.
 
lamaman said:
Well - it always surprises me that some of what I would consider to be pretty fundamental info isnt actually in the manual - well, my revision anyway. Having taken a few broadsides from "smart arses" on here who dont realise this it does make you reluctant to ask the simple questions sometimes I have to confess. That and the fact the search on here doesnt work unless the word your using is over - what is it? 3 or 4 characters? - folks seem to be berated often without due cause!

However, aside from this whinge :) yes, Ive read the manual too.
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I totally get you and your feelings on this topic!
Fundamentally, everybody is different and we all interpret things differently and no matter how much you say "search or read the manual first" - some people simply wont. On the other hand, this is a forum and is what were here for - to answer questions.
I think its fair for said "smartarses" to get annoyed if certain people are seen NEVER to use the search or demonstrate to have done any research of their own before posting up a question. But i dont think its fair if these posted get "whipped" with a comment during their first few posts.

To be honest, i dont see it much on here.

Jamie
 
jamiez said:
lamaman said:
Well - it always surprises me that some of what I would consider to be pretty fundamental info isnt actually in the manual - well, my revision anyway. Having taken a few broadsides from "smart arses" on here who dont realise this it does make you reluctant to ask the simple questions sometimes I have to confess. That and the fact the search on here doesnt work unless the word your using is over - what is it? 3 or 4 characters? - folks seem to be berated often without due cause!

However, aside from this whinge :) yes, Ive read the manual too.
Click to expand...

I totally get you and your feelings on this topic!
Fundamentally, everybody is different and we all interpret things differently and no matter how much you say "search or read the manual first" - some people simply wont. On the other hand, this is a forum and is what were here for - to answer questions.
I think its fair for said "smartarses" to get annoyed if certain people are seen NEVER to use the search or demonstrate to have done any research of their own before posting up a question. But i dont think its fair if these posted get "whipped" with a comment during their first few posts.

To be honest, i dont see it much on here.

Jamie
Click to expand...


Agree with you Jamie - it doesn't bother me how much people ask on the Forum and it's good to see that this medium allows them to do so and get informed advice often based on experience and good practice. What does concern me is aspects of safety. The BMW manuals are not the best but do advise on some fundamental matters which directly effect how the car is used and what it can tell you when it starts to go wrong - warning lights etc. Yes, as owners and drivers, we should know these simple things but many questions suggest owners do not. A fundamental grasp of these principles may help in:

. Ensuring routine maintenance and checks that keep the car safe and roadworthy not only for the user and passengers but other road users.
. Quickly identifying a developing proplem and perhaps reducing the damage impact a defect can have.
. Demonstrating that Zed owners are a responsible bunch of road users who set out to enjoy their 'drive' in safety and with a degree of personal and third party responsibility.

There that's got that of my chest....... :driving:
 
I read mine... up to where I found several of the pages were stuck together.
I then stopped reading, and washed my hands with soap and a scrubbing brush for several hours.
 
sk93 said:
I read mine... up to where I found several of the pages were stuck together.
I then stopped reading, and washed my hands with soap and a scrubbing brush for several hours.
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Oooh errrr :cry: - I get excited at reading BMW stuff but not that excited....... :rofl:
 
There are many reasons why people are directed towards the search function (some are even helpfully listed in my signature :lol:), I see the most important reason being if you use the search and respond to an existing thread it keeps all the information on that topic in one place, making any future searches even more fruitful for users. It is also a simple case of good forum etiquette not to ask a question that is asked every week multiple times (much as a FAQ is used), you also get a quicker answer if you search, etc etc.

Whenever I reply with a 'try using the search' comment it is because I know the topic has already been discussed on here, and the OP doesn't seem to have made any effort to look for the answer, 9 times out of 10 I will even do the search for them and return a link to the thread in question.

I agree that an initial read of the handbook would also be a great idea for the majority of people before a problem arises in the first place. Like any instruction book the handbook is a safety resource and it should be your responsibility to read it before you operate any dangerous piece of machinery, a couple of the questions that crop up from time to time here are a little concerning to say the least.

Basically I don't see that there are many cases where you could legitimately argue a search shouldn't have been used, I’m struggling to think of a single one except the above mentioned minimum character bug with the search.
 
its not a bug. If you searched for "ed", you'd probably get a hit on every single thread in the database, which is a huge resource cost.

limiting it to words of 4 or more characters means the board doesn't die a horrible death waiting for endlessly large searches to complete :P
 
sk93 said:
its not a bug. If you searched for "ed", you'd probably get a hit on every single thread in the database, which is a huge resource cost.
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Not true, it searches for a full word. So searching for "ed" would return results with " ed " (with a space each side) as a complete word.

Test it yourself now with "prob", you won't see any results for "probably" returned in the search, just "prob" as a complete word.
 
TH3R4POR said:
sk93 said:
its not a bug. If you searched for "ed", you'd probably get a hit on every single thread in the database, which is a huge resource cost.
Click to expand...

Not true, it searches for a full word. So searching for "ed" would return results with " ed " (with a space each side) as a complete word.

Test it yourself now with "prob", you won't see any results for "probably" returned in the search, just "prob" as a complete word.
Click to expand...

yep.. fair point :)

still slower to search for just two letters tho :)
 
I've read the handbook - can't say I could recite it word for word but I have at least tried to take it in :D

Unlike some handbooks, at least the Z4 isn't massive and full of irrelevant info for other models (like the Mazda one described above). Mine lives in the glovebox as a "just in case" reference document if, e.g. a warning light came on while driving I could check immediately what it was.

gannet, is the electronic version something you'd be able/willing to email/forward on? Sounds quite useful to have. Or can you say where you got it from? :)
 
a11y said:
I've read the handbook - can't say I could recite it word for word but I have at least tried to take it in :D

Unlike some handbooks, at least the Z4 isn't massive and full of irrelevant info for other models (like the Mazda one described above). Mine lives in the glovebox as a "just in case" reference document if, e.g. a warning light came on while driving I could check immediately what it was.

gannet, is the electronic version something you'd be able/willing to email/forward on? Sounds quite useful to have. Or can you say where you got it from? :)
Click to expand...

The Mazda manual is shocking really. Suppose it is cheaper for them to produce one rather than loads but still :o

I downloaded it from somewhere... Really must get around to setting up some form of website other than the noddy one I put together to host the cruise instructions... Be happy to email or forward it :thumbsup:
 
Yes i have read a good chunk of mine and still like to have a gander now and then i could not wait to sit down and glance through it when i bought my car home was so excited to read about all the toys she had compared to my old car so i sat down with a few beers and had a good read not that i am very mechanically minded but still interesting to have a rough idea what my car does.
 
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