Sloppy Owner's Manual

[Merlin's Friend]

Just took delivery of my new 1.4 TSI L+K 4x4 Outdoor 5d in silver on Saturday and initially very impressed. I know we have discussed the manual before, but I opened mine to look at running in advice only to find the pictures are still of a LHD vehicle and nearly all the pages are out of order. I suspect most of us tend to ignore the manual, but has anyone else noticed this? Also, don't know if it is comparing old with new but the new car seems more silvery if that makes sense.

[Urrell]

The manual could be better, the fuses diagram is particularly confusing as it's upside down.
I find it easier to use the PDF one on the PC, click link below to download the latest one.

 

Download Yeti Manual

[Llanigraham]

My next door neighbour's 3008 manual only shows left hand drive models, as does the 1982 2CV manual I have with my kit car. I am sure a lot of car's not manufactured outside of the UK are the same. We are only a very small percentage of the market place which is predominately left hand drive, so I fully understand why it is done.

And to be honest, does it really matter when very few of the controls are different?

 

However i will agree that certain areas of the Handbook are poor, which I put down to poor translation and inadequate proof reading. 

[yetifabia]

My biggest complaint is that every possible option is detailed in the manual and you have to wade through page after page of stuff you don't have on your car to find what you want.  I'm not as forgiving as you Graham.  A car is a big purchase and the manufacturers ( all of them, not just Skoda) should put more effort in.  With today's technology it would not be difficult for the order for the car with exact model, spec, extras etc. to generate a custom handbook.

[Ryeman]

For us there's an Australian supplement but it doesn't cover everything.

I found the button images hopelessly small and definitely needed a magnifying glass to understand it.

[VAGCF]

My biggest complaint is that every possible option is detailed in the manual and you have to wade through page after page of stuff you don't have on your car to find what you want.  I'm not as forgiving as you Graham.  A car is a big purchase and the manufacturers ( all of them, not just Skoda) should put more effort in.  With today's technology it would not be difficult for the order for the car with exact model, spec, extras etc. to generate a custom handbook.

I agree. Even if we are a small (and I doubt that small - other wise why bother with us!) we are still a multi-million £ market, if not multi-billion £ market so they should make more effort.

 

They are always keen to promote their customer care etc. but this is one area where they are poor.

 

I wonder how the Japanese car manufacturers fare with their handbooks in Europe?

[Ryeman]

The U.S. class action lawyers have certainly made their mark.

[speedsport]

If you have a smart phone with a QR reader, then look at the inside back page of the manual where you can download a fully searchable manual to your phone or tablet...... or so it says!

[RapidPaul]

If you install the Skoda Service app then you can downloadvthe manual for most recent Skodas to your phone.

[Tomo1971]

If Skoda, or any other manufacturer were to make a bespoke manual then who would pay for this? YOU and me!

 

As well as the different trims of Yeti (S, SE, elegance, L&K etc)* you can then spec all of them with options, some of which would need a manual.

 

My wife has a Seat Altea SE - it has so many options on it, it's actually a higher spec than the model above (Copra) as it has Xenons with AFS, TPM, Satnav etc - what manual would she get?

 

I think that you are been too picky.

[JCP]

As someone who once made manuals -pre-computer- for power installations by literally cutting and pasting relevant component information to follow schematic layouts from the design office I have some but only a little sympathy for motor manufacturers. The entire specification for a production vehicle is (like the printed code on the build label) a matter of alpha numeric code and groups. Someone should be able to correlate that spec with chunks of text and pictures and produce a single print order which is placed in the glove box at build and is specific to that build. If the factory employed someone fluent in the language of the market which generated the vehicle order they could ensure the text is comprehensible too

[skoda1982]

Just took delivery of my new 1.4 TSI L+K 4x4 Outdoor 5d in silver on Saturday and initially very impressed. I know we have discussed the manual before, but I opened mine to look at running in advice only to find the pictures are still of a LHD vehicle and nearly all the pages are out of order. I suspect most of us tend to ignore the manual, but has anyone else noticed this? Also, don't know if it is comparing old with new but the new car seems more silvery if that makes sense.

skoda do standered silver and brilliant silver  one is lighter than the other

[yetifabia]

If Skoda, or any other manufacturer were to make a bespoke manual then who would pay for this? YOU and me!

 

As well as the different trims of Yeti (S, SE, elegance, L&K etc)* you can then spec all of them with options, some of which would need a manual.

 

My wife has a Seat Altea SE - it has so many options on it, it's actually a higher spec than the model above (Copra) as it has Xenons with AFS, TPM, Satnav etc - what manual would she get?

 

I think that you are been too picky.

I think your expectations are too low.

[x19]

You're not alone in problems with the handbook. The Honda CR-V one is just as bad. It's circa 660 pages long and covers every iteration of the 4th Generation vehicle (which vary quite significantly). Invariably it is totally silent on the particular issue you're trying to research - I'm sure I'm not alone in saying thank God for the various user forums that cover the cars we drive - they are a mine of very useful information provided by very informed people.

[VAGCF]

As someone who once made manuals -pre-computer- for power installations by literally cutting and pasting relevant component information to follow schematic layouts from the design office I have some but only a little sympathy for motor manufacturers. The entire specification for a production vehicle is (like the printed code on the build label) a matter of alpha numeric code and groups. Someone should be able to correlate that spec with chunks of text and pictures and produce a single print order which is placed in the glove box at build and is specific to that build. If the factory employed someone fluent in the language of the market which generated the vehicle order they could ensure the text is comprehensible too

 

In this day and age this could be done by going to a manufacturers web-site, choosing you spec. and any optional extras and downloading your own bespoke handbook. 

 

You could then choose to print, all or part of it and download it to your pc, tablet, phone etc.

 

Many items no longer come with printed handbooks.

[speedsport]

I've a suspicion that they issue a printed "owners' handbook"  with every car to avoid litigation in the event of someone doing something daft and being injured (or worse).

 

eg, the US lady who was awarded damages when she was injured after her brand newer Winnebago crashed because she wasn't told that setting the cruise control didn't mean she could then leave the drivers' seat and go and make a coffee whilst on the freeway.

 

On the other hand there was the Honda Jazz that I hired a couple of years ago (awful drivers seat!) with an 900+ page owners handbook that contained such useful advice as "the driver should not attempt to adjust the rear seat head restraints whilst the vehicle is moving"!

[Gyp]

For us there's an Australian supplement but it doesn't cover everything.

I found the button images hopelessly small and definitely needed a magnifying glass to understand it.

I bet your fuse diagram is the right way up though.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Brijo]

As someone who once made manuals ....

Nice to find a fellow 'author'!  I've had two spells at it: one a very long time ago writing (in ink) technical contract specifications, and another more recently 'authoring' ('orrible American term) tech instruction 'manuals'.  Both demanded maximum information and comprehensibility . 

 

The tech user-manual was PC-prepared over a period of a two or three years, for a developing family of precision - ummm - 'thingies'.  It was made available in its latest current form on the manufacturer's website; customers had the option of using it online or downloading and printing only those sections that were applicable to their own 'thingie'.  The cost of providing this was only a small part of the overall Customer Support budget. 

 

Part of my time was spent checking/revising the info given to me by the boffins and it's here that some of the problem lies.  Boffins don't write good manuals! 

[Ryeman]

I bet your fuse diagram is the right way up though.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Around Singapore it probably gets a bit wobbly)))

[EvoT]

My manual was left hand drive and the pages all out off order so why did'nt the sales 'team' check it before collection if it is a known 'glitch'? answer not bothered,

I bought my Yeti when it was 18 months old so the first owner must have been a'' could'nt care less about that just get in and drive not interested'' type of owner it makes you wonder some times!!

anyway I phoned up the sales and they sent me a correct right hand drive with the pages in order by post.So for the second time 'not bothered to check handbook mode ! happened.

 

But the book itself needs serious study, to be kind to the people who designed it !! I must admit it must be the worsed handbook I have ever looked at in all the years I have owned cars. Unless of course you know different !!!!!The hunt is now on for the worsed hanbook ever made!! Q the music from Top of the pops with Alan Freeman on the wireless Hi handbook pickers its number one its ????????????

[VAGCF]

Didn't know you could get right-hand drive manuals?

Edited 25 May, 2016 by VAGCF

[VAGCF]

My manual was left hand drive and the pages all out off order so why did'nt the sales 'team' check it before collection if it is a known 'glitch'? answer not bothered,

I bought my Yeti when it was 18 months old so the first owner must have been a'' could'nt care less about that just get in and drive not interested'' type of owner it makes you wonder some times!!

anyway I phoned up the sales and they sent me a correct right hand drive with the pages in order by post.So for the second time 'not bothered to check handbook mode ! happened.

 

But the book itself needs serious study, to be kind to the people who designed it !! I must admit it must be the worsed handbook I have ever looked at in all the years I have owned cars. Unless of course you know different !!!!!The hunt is now on for the worsed hanbook ever made!! Q the music from Top of the pops with Alan Freeman on the wireless Hi handbook pickers its number one its ????????????

 

It's a good job that you don't write the handbooks etc!  

 

Sorry, couldn't resist!

[Carlodiesel]

In my new Bike handbook, I wanted to look up tyre pressures.

So go to Index. 

Under Tyres, Page 4, & 78,  Only deals with Phenmatic Tyres under IS specs.   Next heading is Front & Rear Tyre Pressures. Go to page 44  So I go there, but its all about (TPM)

Go back to Index page....Arh Inflation Pressures, page 114   Doh, yes its all about Inflation pressures, But all the technical details of pressures but no Pressures.

Go back to Index page...115   Again all to do with (TPM) o dear back to Index page.

 

Arth page 140, but this is under Specifications......But at least I now have Tyre Pressures listed in here.

 

So I have just put a sticky label on the rear of the book with F 34  R 42

 

Simples.

[Llanigraham]

Even simpler on the Yeti though.......................................look in the fuel flap!

[Falmouthboy]

Just got our new Yeti too - in the words of Eric Morcombe, I have all the right pages, but not necessarily in the right order!

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