Chrysler owners’ manuals go digital

For the 2010 model year, all Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models will switch to digital owners’ manuals.

The American automaker is the first in the world to adopt the DVD-based guides. It says the switch will save 930 tons of paper, or the equivalent of 20,000 trees on an annual basis – not to mention untold riches on printing costs for the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based manufacturer. 

“As vehicles have increased in complexity, so has the size of traditional owners’ manuals,” said Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO—Mopar service, parts and customer care. Chrysler says its traditional guides may be longer than 500 pages and weigh nearly four pounds.

The DVDs will include everything from vehicle and tire warranty information, to video tutorials on features like folding the soft top on a Jeep Wrangler or operating the navigation system. Owners can search by topic, too. 
 
A small printed user guide will accompany all the digital manuals. Essentially, they’ll outline the vehicle’s basics like changing tires or jump-starting a battery and fundamentals like the temperature controls, windshield wipers and seat adjustments.

Thankfully for us Luddites, a traditional paper owners’ manual is still available at no charge.