“Should car companies be inclined to let owners know how to do a little maintenance on added features” - OP
Good Lord don’t let any politicians read this! Next thing you know we’ll have a $100 million regulatory agency and 2,000 pages of regulations telling manufacturers what they need to tell customers. And guess who’ll pay for all this?
Hee, hee, hee, or mandatory service contracts on cars.
The last thing the car companies want is you fixing anything on your car. That is why they have removed transmission dipsticks and give you dire warnings that the transmission must be in a specified temp rang when you refill it.
bloody_knuckles: “The reality is that almost nobody, except the folks on this board, reads the car manual these days.” It is sad and scary. If the user’s manual suggested not approaching a 15mph corner at 95mph! Now-days the user’s manual contains more information regarding the " electronic (tech) gadgets" than operating the vehicle itself! If I purchase a new or used vehicle (used rarely has user’s manual but they are now available on-line) I first check scheduled maintenance and ensure it is followed. Todays clueless will not know what a low oil pressure light is. I guess it serves them right.
Nevada writes
Service information is available for a fee
Likewise for car mats, and sometimes the manufacturer or dealership will throw those in to close the deal.
@“oldtimer 11” I am glad my car still has a transmission dipstick… So most cars today then are relying on a sensor that lets you know if the trans fluid is low?