Painfully obvious, 'helpful' tips from today's car owner's manuals

Have you ever joked about some consumer warnings that seem blatantly obvious? We’re thinking of the very cautious, “Don’t use the hairdryer in the bathtub,” or the lesser known, “Do not put any person into this washer.”

Does your owner’s manual contain helpful advice like this? (Courtesy of Chicago Tribune)

It seems carmakers have jumped on the bandwagon and are dumbing down their vehicle owner’s manuals.

“If the windshield is covered with snow, remove the snow,” advises the manual for a 2014 Subaru Outback. We love this one the BMW 435i owner’s manual: “When time to wash the car, drive into the car wash.”

Jim Mateja, who’s been writing about cars for years, put together a highly entertaining piece in the Chicago Tribune that we wanted to share with you: “Owner’s Manuals for Dummies?”

And while we had a good laugh while reading the article, we do sincerely hope the carmakers continue to include actual helpful information such as tire pressure specifications, maintenance schedules and where to locate the tire jack.

Does your owner’s manual contain any entertaining pieces of advice? Send it to us, and we’ll publish it on Facebook and maybe even our next newsletter!