A while back, someone started a thread asking which was the preferred
Bentley Manual, electronic or print version. The consensus seemed to be that
the electronic version was not worth the premium price. Well, I should have
taken the group's advice.

I received my CD for the Bentley GTI, Golf, Jetta 1985-1992 service manual
late last week. I followed all the instructions, installed it on my
computer, and...big surprise...it didn't work. I screwed around with it for
a few hours, and then broke down and emailed Bentley software support. I was
told that I had purchased "Version 1" of the CD, and I must have purchased
it from a third-party vendor as it was not longer supported by Bentley and
was "removed from circulation". I'm not even sure what that means. They
didn't come right out and say it, but the feeling I got was that they had
had serious compatibility problems with this product that they were quietly
trying to fix. Keep in mind that this was a brand-new, shrink wrapped CD
that I purchased from a reputable supplier that is highly-regarded by this
group.

Well, after a single unsuccessful fix attempt by software support, I was
told that the only possible way that the Version 1 CD "might" run on my
computer was by installing and maintaining a "dummy" version of an obsolete
Netscape browser. Am I the only one who finds this odd after paying $82 for
a brand new CD? I objected, and I was told that they would do a straight
exchange of my CD for a "Version 2" CD this is derived from microfiche and
doesn't include the wiring diagrams. I got the feeling that the Version 2 CD
was a desperate attempt to deal with a serious software compatibility
problem. Alternatively, I could do a straight exchange of my CD for the
print manual, which is significantly less expensive than the CD. Oh, and I
would have to return my CD to them at my cost, and include a letter
requesting the exchange.

I insisted that the more equitable exchange would be my Version 1 CD for the
Version 2 CD and the print manual, since the wiring diagrams were an
important part of why I decided to purchase the CD in the first place. This
is when software support stopped talking to me. I've since emailed my dealer
to see if he will offer a refund, or at least help me negotiate with Bentley
for an equitable exchange. I've also attempted to contact the president of
Bentley Publishing. No luck yet.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with this particular CD manual? Any
sage advice? Is the microfiche-derived Version 2 worth the money? Any
good/bad experiences with Bentley customer service?

--
Kent
1987 VW GTI 8V, original owner, 220,000+ miles