How to get a marked-up version of new manuals

[Missile Toad]

Does anyone know how to get a version of the Model S and Model X manuals that show how they have been updated from year 2019 to year 2020? The software is changing so quickly, that its becoming difficult to keep track of how to operate essential features of the car. Frankly, the Release Notes are incomplete, and difficult to thoughtfully read when sitting in the Center Console (internet available versions would be a help).

My main concern, is that I've spotted an error in the 2020 Model S manual at p. 46 and in the 2020 Model X manual at p. 57. If I can find two errors -- I'll bet there are more. And given how responsive Tesla is, they probably won't correct the manuals for a few months. If you are a Model X owner, see Software Version 9/10 for Non-AP/Classic Cars for details.

I've written software, tested software, written computer implemented inventions. I've seen a lot of strange ways to write. But it when it comes to manuals for expensive vehicles that have the capacity to maim or kill its owners and passersby, I think that there needs to be a second set of eyes on what Tesla calls its final product -- in the form of a manual.

To sum: is there a computerized way to synthesize a comparison between the current manual and its predecessor? Microsoft Word allows this in the MS Word format. Can this be done with the manuals?

 

[mipmapped]

Beyond Compare does a pretty good job of doing a diff on PDFs if that helps.

 

[Missile Toad]

I've figured out an OK way to do this for the latest Model X Owner's Manual (probably works OK for the S, 3, Y manuals too):

1. Open PDF
2. Select all text (MacOS uses ⌘A ); and copy
3. Open a suitable text editor. I like VIM. Textedit works well too.
4. Paste the copied text
5. Save to a suitably named file, e.g. including the 'release number'. 2020.4 was freshest available at this time (Jan. 2020)
6. Now, when a new manual is available, repeat steps 1-5
7. Two possible ways to get a 'comparison' highlighting the changes:

1. In a *ux OS, use `diff` to spot the changes
or
2. If MS Word is available, you can 'compare documents' and get underbars and strike-throughs to show the changes​

Notes I added at the bottom of my saved file, x-man.txt, referencing line numbers of interesting parts

5486 Start of these instructions
5085 Index
5200 G
5291 M
5353 S
5452 U
4982 Reporting Safety Defects to NHTSA: File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

EXPECT FREQUENT CHANGES
1020 Steering wheel, RHS buttons
1044 Voice commands
2007 Autopilot
2216 Autosteer
2389 Autopark
2435 Summon
2696 Collision Avoidance​

[[Now, if only there was a way to collect reliable text versions of the Release Notes.]] Things are moving pretty fast now. If anyone knows of errors or typos in the Tesla manuals, this would be a good place to post them. Try this: Release Notes <- I haven't validated these, so I have no idea of their accuracy.

2020.04 North America and Europe manuals - not clear if they will be retained when new versions arrive.
pre-2020 North America Model X Owners Manual - from Manualslib.com