[1st ID4]

I have taken the delivery of my blue ID.4 1st Edition this Saturday, March 27. 2021, and the car drives flawless. But the Owner's manual is definitely written by someone who doesn't know how to write an operator's manual.

For example, if you want "deactivating the vehicle's drive system" (p129)
"Only perform these steps in the specific order:

• Bring the vehicle to a stop.
• Park the vehicle --> page 158.
• Set the electronic parking brake --> page 132.
• Pay attention to the messages in the ID. cockpit --> page 16."

Now my question is: Do your smart guys know how to park your car now?

This is just one example. The entire manual is written in this style and it's a pain to go through it. If you have not felt it, then you are really among the smarter ones.

VW, please learn from Lexus and others how to write a readable manual!

 

[Huey52]

Regrettably I have to second this complaint. The engineering dept I managed for a F-500 defense contractor had within a Tech Manual group and their's were far superior, so I know a good one when I see it. My prior Audi manual was also superior, but then I guess you get what you pay for (Q4's likely better).
Typically I would read the OM cover-to-cover day one, but soon found its form factor and somewhat generalized content tedious. Thus far I've more relied on VW's numerous 'tube video's, which are excellent, as well as kind assistance here. Perhaps VW figures most will rather watch video's so just provide a basic OM?

 

[BlueDH]

Regrettably I have to second this complaint. The engineering dept I managed for a F-500 defense contractor had within a Tech Manual group and their's were far superior, so I know a good one when I see it. My prior Audi manual was also superior, but then I guess you get what you pay for (Q4's likely better).
Typically I would read the OM cover-to-cover day one, but soon found its form factor and somewhat generalized content tedious. Thus far I've more relied on VW's numerous 'tube video's, ecwhich are excellent, as well as kind assistance here. Perhaps VW figures most will rather watch video's so just provide a basic OM?

For my Jetta, certain VW dealerships would provide short videos on special topics, like how to get into your car if your battery is dead.
The OM seems to have more warnings than detailed information, lawyers sheesh.
In my experience, if you make something foolproof, only fools will use it. Kinda' like Murphy's law.

 

[sethpo]

I wonder how much of this is a translation issue. Are other VW manuals this poorly written?

 

[Andy at Ross-Tech.com]

My favorite section of the manual:

How old is your clip art?

 

[1st ID4]

Regrettably I have to second this complaint. The engineering dept I managed for a F-500 defense contractor had within a Tech Manual group and their's were far superior, so I know a good one when I see it. My prior Audi manual was also superior, but then I guess you get what you pay for (Q4's likely better).
Typically I would read the OM cover-to-cover day one, but soon found its form factor and somewhat generalized content tedious. Thus far I've more relied on VW's numerous 'tube video's, which are excellent, as well as kind assistance here. Perhaps VW figures most will rather watch video's so just provide a basic OM?

Haven't finished reading it cover to cover yet since I am so discouraged after the first 100 pages. It makes me dizzy referring to the pages back and forth. Thanks for the video recommendation, I will check them out since I am one of the dumb ones

 

[1st ID4]

I wonder how much of this is a translation issue. Are other VW manuals this poorly written?

They must have some English employees over the pond🙄

 

[egsell]

I wonder if VW would benefit from an online or Wiki manual as the platform is going to evolve some what over the next 12-24 months. Provide a more general but concrete paper manual. Just a thought

 

[AZgman]

Most Germans speak better English than Americans do.

 

[Huey52]

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8OSEy0q-LfdAWC6biT4PPD0Nzpgt8fcw

Haven't finished reading it cover to cover yet since I am so discouraged after the first 100 pages. It makes me dizzy referring to the pages back and forth. Thanks for the video recommendation, I will check them out since I am one of the dumb ones

 

[nigela]

Most Germans speak better English than Americans do.

I certainly felt like a bumpkin in Sweden with my colloquial American English. Almost everyone there spoke immaculate English.

 

[nigela]

My Ducati manual has Italian and English on facing pages, there are places where you can clearly see mis-translations, such as confusing left and right, or clockwise and anti-clockwise.

I don't usually read manuals, I find "how does this work?" explorations work better for me. Both of my car manuals are mostly legal disclaimers, with the rest explanations of things that are obvious to anyone who is even vaguely familiar with a motor vehicle.

I'm thinking with rolling firmware updates, the internet will be a better source of information than printed manuals, which are costly and may be obsolete before they are distributed.

 

[NBCGLX]

Haven't read the ID.4 manual yet since it'll be a minute 'til my AWD Pro S pre-orders shows up. However, what you'd described is pretty typical of every German vehicle I've owned. I'm guessing their logic with the steps outlined in the original post is that you already know how to do the first three steps if you drive the vehicle, so it's really only the last step that you need to pay attention to. From that perspective, it makes sense to me 🤷🏻‍♂️ Or, maybe I'm just accustomed to this stuff, having owned almost 20 German vehicles.

 

[jonese]

And please VW, stop putting your manuals in "web" HTML format on the internet (that is, whenever you decide to publish manuals for 2020 and later). Make it a PDF. I want offline reading.

I can only assume the ID.3 European PDF was a leak..... But if it wasn't, please continue and do all of them.

 

[nigela]

I have taken the delivery of my blue ID.4 1st Edition this Saturday, March 27. 2021, and the car drives flawless. But the Owner's manual is definitely written by someone who doesn't know how to write an operator's manual.

For example, if you want "deactivating the vehicle's drive system" (p129)
"Only perform these steps in the specific order:

• Bring the vehicle to a stop.
• Park the vehicle --> page 158.
• Set the electronic parking brake --> page 132.
• Pay attention to the messages in the ID. cockpit --> page 16."

Now my question is: Do your smart guys know how to park your car now?

This is just one example. The entire manual is written in this style and it's a pain to go through it. If you have not felt it, then you are really among the smarter ones.

VW, please learn from Lexus and others how to write a readable manual!

I’d call that a fairly standard way to present a manual: introduce concepts, then bundle a group of concepts together to describe a more complex concept. It certainly saves redundant informatio.


Reminds me a bit of the repair manual I had for my Type I: “Step 1, remove the engine.”

 

[ericy]

And please VW, stop putting your manuals in "web" HTML format on the internet (that is, whenever you decide to publish manuals for 2020 and later). Make it a PDF. I want offline reading.

I can only assume the ID.3 European PDF was a leak..... But if it wasn't, please continue and do all of them.

Volvo has an actual smartphone app with the owners manual in it. Sort of like pdf, but with improved navigation through the manual.

 

[gonzogeezer]

In PDF format it is effectively full of broken hyperlinks. It begs for an online version or a hard copy to make moving between pages easier. Every question I had so far has been answered in the manual, it was just painful to find it. My Pro S is almost here, I’m looking forward to having the hard copy manual.

 

[nigela]

Is there an actual paper owners manual? I didn’t get one with my ID.4.

 

[BlueDH]

Is there an actual paper owners manual? I didn’t get one with my ID.4.

Absolutely

 

[ericy]

Is there an actual paper owners manual? I didn’t get one with my ID.4.

Mine was in a little white cardboad box that was in the trunk.