Many people don’t read instructions for appliances until they’ve made a mistake and are forced to pull out the owner’s manual. When purchasing a car, which may be the most expensive appliance you’ll ever buy, don’t wait until you make a mistake: Read the manual cover to cover on Day 1. If a manual doesn’t come with your car, you can almost certainly obtain one from an online source, regardless of the vehicle’s age. The owner’s manual will tell you when the various systems must be serviced. It will also show you how to find things like the oil-level dipstick, the coolant tank and the power-steering reservoir.

Source: New York Times September 27, 2020 02:03 UTC