You may not have paid much attention, but a car owner’s manual contains lots of useful information such as how to operate A/C, audio, switches, and other interior components, descriptions and meaning of indicator lights, maintenance schedules, specifications of oil and fluids, and so on. New vehicles come with an owner’s manual from a manufacturer, and it’s stored in the glove compartment. But what if you don’t find one in there? If you have purchased a used car, there is a chance that the previous owner lost one. It’s been missing since you bought the car. Fortunately, you can download owner’s manual for free.

PDF, Digital-Version of Owner’s Manual

Most manufacturers offer digital-version of their owner’s manuals for free. First, you need to go to the manufacturer’s website of your vehicle and type “owner’s manual” in the search box. You will get a list of search results including an owner’s manual or something similar and click that. Then, you will enter the year and model of your vehicle or choose them from a drop-down. This is an example of PDF-version of Acura 2010 MDX owner’s manual. It’s clear and full-colored. And you can jump to the page from the index just like e-books.

You can download and keep it on your mobile device such as a smartphone which you may always have when you drive. Now, you can open the file and read them whenever you need it. It doesn’t matter if you are in the middle of nowhere or with no data connection. It may be even better than a printed-version of owner’s manual as it doesn’t take space in a glove compartment or anywhere else.

Booklet, Printed-Version of Owner’s Manual

If you prefer a traditional printed-version of owner’s manual, you need to order through the manufacturer’s website. It seems many manufacturers rely on the website called HELMINC. So, it’s better to check the website first if you are looking for a printed-version of owner’s manual. Unfortunately, the availability of printed-version of owner’s manuals is much smaller than the availability of digital-version of owner’s manuals. And, printed-versions of owner’s manuals are not free. Their prices range from $40 to $60.

What if you don’t find an owner’s manual of your vehicle?

If you don’t find a printed-version of owner’s manual, just get a digital-version of owner’s manual. As mentioned above, it’s more beneficial than printed-versions when you download and keep it on your mobile device. If you want to stick to a printed version, you may find one on eBay. If you don’t find either version on the manufacturer’s website, your vehicle may be too old or rare. In this case, you may want to try to find one on eBay, too.

Useful information from owner’s manuals, which you may not know

You probably know that an owner’s manuals contain information like how to operate switches, move seats, or where to find a fuse block and what each fuse is responsible for. But there are more, and you may not know of them. Here are some useful information you can get from an owner’s manual.

Bluetooth Connection Setup

Many modern vehicles have a Bluetooth-enabled audio player as a default option. Bluetooth allows you to play your favorite songs in your mobile device without physical wiring. But what if you rent a car? You may not even know where to begin for Bluetooth connection. Rental cars should have an owner’s manual in a glove compartment, and read it instead of guessing and make unsure attempts many times.

Service Reminder, Engine Oil Life Reset

Many vehicles have an indicator light or message to remind you of maintenance. This maintenance is usually an oil change. These vehicles calculate the engine oil life based on how many miles you drive and how long the time passed since the last oil change. When the engine oil life gets close to 0%, you see the indicator light or message. And this system needs to be reset when you change the oil. The procedures of resetting it vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model. You can find how to reset on an owner’s manual. I guess it’s good to know for not only owners of the vehicle but also auto mechanics. Because you can’t memorize the procedures of all vehicles, and many customers don’t know how to reset. Instead of opening a glove compartment and turn pages of customer’s owner’s manual with dirty hands, you can see that by looking up digital-version of owner’s manual on your computer.

Conclusion

Owner’s manuals are neglected by many people. Sometimes, they’ve never been opened by owners. But, I bet you will find some useful information about your vehicle from the owner’s manual. I suggest you glance all pages at least once when you buy a vehicle. If it’s a used car, and you don’t find one, just search online and download it. If you prefer a printed-version, keep in mind that they can be out of stock and no longer available. If it’s the case, go to eBay, print out all page of digital-version or just download to the mobile device you always carry when you drive.