Alternatives to Online Auto Repair Manuals: Mobile Apps

the AutoMD iPhone app

So you don't want to bother with online auto repair manuals, huh? We understand—sometimes the sheer unfamiliarity and the inaccessibility of the content found in these beloved resources can hinder certain DIY mechanics in terms of growth and training.

Well, the good news is that there are plenty of alternative options that you can turn to should you find auto repair manuals (especially those of the online variety) unsatisfactory or not to your liking. For example you can always turn to applications or apps that can be installed in mobile phone operating systems.

One good example of a reliable mobile app is the AutoMD app for iPhone, iPad tablet, and the iPod Touch media device. You can find the app at this link. It's a good all-around tool; there are still many quirks in the app's current version, but most of it is pretty serviceable. The app offers repair estimates, a shop finder, how-to guides that are linked to the AutoMD website, TSB and recall information, and some other stuff that you can access. It's a free app, anyway, so do give it a try if you like. We'll come up with our own review sometime. Maybe when the next version is released, to be fair.

Additionally, some automakers do provide customers with mobile apps that are focused on particular vehicle models, so you get the power of a manual in the comfort of your own mobile device. Plus, most of these are optimized to be written in a language that many will find relatively easy to understand.

If you own a vehicle, you can look up your ride's manufacturer's web site and check if they offer manual information online (like Mercedes-Benz does). You can also check your respective app store to see if the manufacturer also provides mobile apps. We'll tackle more alternative options in the future, so do stay tuned!

More Online Owner’s Manuals via Edmunds.com

Since we upped that post about the interactive online manuals for the Mercedes-Benz SLK and then the Tesla Roadster, we thought it would be nice to compile all of the online repair manuals information concerning these valuable resources.

There’s only one problem. Edmunds.com has already beat us to the punch. They already have a listing for practically every vehicle make along with the links to those makes’ respective web sites. Edmunds has also conveniently provided answers to questions like “is my car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) required?” or “do I have to pay to access these online car care manuals?” They have also provided info on which model years you’ll be able to find a manual of.

It’s really a great list, and we applaud the writers for making the effort to track down all of those sites and all of those links just to provide a comprehensive list of online manuals for a wide range of car owners.

If you’re not in the mood to use your computer when you need to find some information about a particular part or system inside your vehicle, you can always order a printed owner’s manual. Ordering information is usually provided in the manufacturer’s site, or you can get one online via car repair manual retailers.

Want to see the list? Just click here to jump on to the Edmunds index of online owner’s manuals.

Keeping Things Green with Online Auto Repair Manuals

One of the easiest and most convenient ways to help the drive to keep Mother Earth happy is to cut back on the consumption of paper products. This is largely why many companies are already shifting a lot of business processes involving packaging and documentation. Mobile phones are coming in smaller eco-friendly boxes. Many tech stuff come with virtual manuals instead of paper manuals. Heck, even auto manufacturers aren’t shying away from this practice—which is why we now have a lot of models with online manuals.

Online auto repair manuals are great because they never consume any trees (um, for paper, right?) and all they do is cause a little eye strain (although you might be able to view them using your spankin’ new laptops, netbooks or tablets or other mobile devices with fancy optimized displays that won’t cause too much strain on your precious orbs of sight).

Car owners can still purchase paper / printed manuals since sometimes there really is nothing more convenient than a book you can read through without having to rely on technology—just good old brain processing power. Still, there’s no denying the economic and ecologic impact that adoption of purely online or digital resources can bring.

Maybe you think I’ve just been watching too many reruns of An Inconvenient Truth or that special about Garbage Island, but it’s true—I think all of the little ways people and business come up with to reduce carbon footprint and encourage recycling will all add up to have a big effect. That’s just another reason why I love online auto repair manuals so much.

2008 Tesla Roadster Owner’s Manual

I was browsing random stuff and documents over at Scribd when I chanced upon an interesting find: an online owner’s manual for the BEV (battery electric vehicle) supercar, the Tesla Roadster. To be specific, it’s an online manual for the 2008 model of the car, produced by California-based Tesla Motors.

Of course, only a single model has been in production since 2008, so I guess it shouldn’t be much of a problem that I failed to find a 2009 or a 2010 edition of the owner’s manual anywhere online.

Who would’ve guessed that the Tesla Roadster was just like a normal sports car? I kid. You’ll find the usual owner’s manual stuff inside the one for the spankin’ hot electric vehicle, including intros, basic overviews of components and systems, driving basics and maintenance guidelines. There’s also a thorough section on technical specifications near the end. The whole thing is in there.

Just like your standard online auto repair manuals, here are also sections on how to clean the vehicle, how to replace certain parts, and make sure that your environmentally-friendly and emissions-free ride is always in tip-top shape. Of course, owning a Tesla Roadster, which is a fully electric vehicle that requires no constant oil changes, has no exhaust systems to speak of, and need no spark plug, hose or belt replacments, allows for easier maintenance because there are less systems and components compared to conventional cars.

The Tesla Roadster took the automotive world by storm with its epic performance numbers while running on battery power. As of early December of last year, there had already been 1,400 Roadsters delivered to customers in many countries.

Ready to take the plunge? Head on over to this link to view the 2008 Tesla Roadster owner’s manual at Scribd.

Mercedes Puts Up Online Manual for SLK Class

If you're one of the few fortunate individuals to own a Mercedes-Benz SLK, then you'd be glad to know that you won't have to flip through the contents of your precious vehicle's online repair manual just to find some info about your car. That's because Mercedes-Benz already put up an interactive online owner's manual on its web site for your convenience.

Of course, even if you don't really own an SLK, it's still going to be pretty neat browsing through an owner's manual for a dream car such as this one. This is probably the closest most of us can be to actually owning a high-end Mercedes-Benz vehicle.

Take note, however, that the specs included in the online manual is for the German edition of the car and will refer to regulations in Germany. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz makes it clear that the online version of the manual isn't a direct replacement of the printed owner's manual you'll get when you actually do purchase an SLK from the dealership. SLK owners are advised to contact their dealer to get a printed copy of your ride's manual.

To check out the online manual for SLK vehicles, just point your browsers to this link and browse away.

Haynes Star Trek Manual

Do check out this nifty little video about a special edition Haynes Manual, from one of the most prominent providers of online auto repair manuals. It's an Owner's Workshop Manual for the U.S.S. Enterprise, or that space ship in the Star Trek universe if you're not familiar with it.

It's not exactly an online auto repair manual, really, but I think it's fun that Haynes is recognized enough that it gets to produce an official licensed product like this one because of course it is a widely known publisher of manuals and similar reference materials.

The official info states that it took two years to make the manual, so there really was a lot of work put into this to make it look like a legit manual. The manual was released last November 2, 2010, and it is available in both e-Book and hardcover print formats. The manual contains detailed technical information about the different fictional spacefaring vessels that bore the name Enterprise, along with cutaway internal views, interior focus, and key system information. The book has been authorized in full by CBS as well as Michael Okuda, the technical consultant that had been part of the team that worked on the TV series Star Trek for 13 years.

You can find out more information about the manual in this link: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Ben-Robinson/78112754?mcd=vd_youtube

Online Auto Repair Manuals of the Future

Okay, please be warned: This will be a crazy, left-field, out-of-this-world post.

Still reading? Okay, here goes. I just re-watched Minority Report for the nth time today, so I'm still reeling from all the future stuff that I'm imagining or thinking about. One thing I'm always wondering about is how online auto repair manuals will be like 10 or maybe even 20 years from now.

Will we have some of them downloaded directly into our brains a la The Matrix? Or will they come in the form of robotic mechanics that actually help or assist us in doing our repair, maintenance, or servicing jobs? Maybe it'll be like having your own C3PO or R2-D2 aiding you as you tune up that engine or replace your ride's old and clogged air filters. It may be the stuff of science fiction now, but eventually, these will all be reality.

I believe mobile phones will have a big role to play in the evolution of online car repair manuals. After all, apps are getting more popular these days, aren't they? Pretty soon, we'll have every piece of info we need available at the touch of a finger. It's all a matter of technology, and we've seen it evolve exponentially over this past decade. Pretty soon, I'm sure we'll be seeing some very awesome stuff—and that includes some pretty awesome online auto repair manuals for sure.

Okay, now I guess it's time to stop daydreaming. I remember I still have to fix that busted catalytic converter on my pickup truck.