I have a comment / general statement to make based on recent

[Guest]

observations of the quality of some technical questions.

We have a lot of new folks on the board and I personally believe this is a good thing.

However I have noticed that when some of the newer members post, asking for technical assistance, they are not providing adequete information about their specific problem. :@ Such as the results of diagnosis they've already performed, nor are they providing any details about the type of 5er we're dealing with, transmssion type, etc. The result is the game of 20 questions. :?:?:?:? IMO this is a waste of forum bandwidth and contributor's time.

Maybe it's time to develop a Sticky for the Tech Section, indicating what information should be provided, if possible, in the initial post. Especially for the more complex or esoteric problems.

Just a thought.

Rich


[Edit by Rich Euro M5 on [TIME]1110411545[/TIME]]

[T_C_D]

Rich,
Why did my headgasket blow out of the side of my engine at 30psi? Please help.
Todd

[napatransplant]

[QUOTE="Rich Euro M5"]observations of the quality of some technical questions.

We have a lot of new folks on the board and I personally believe this is a good thing.

However I have noticed that when some of the newer members post, asking for technical assistance, they are not providing adequete information about their specific problem. :@ Such as the results of diagnosis they've already performed, nor are they providing any details about the type of 5er we're dealing with, transmssion type, etc. The result is the game of 20 questions. :?:?:?:? IMO this is a waste of forum bandwidth and contributor's time.

Maybe it's time to develop a Sticky for the Tech Section, indicating what information should be provided, if possible, in the initial post. Especially for the more complex or esoteric problems.

Just a thought.

Rich

[Edit by Rich Euro M5 on [TIME]1110411545[/TIME]][/QUOTE]

While I hope I have not been "that guy" as referenced above, I want to say thank you to all you crafty veterans that have helped me out so far, with my 533i problems.

Kudos especially to Sheldon/Spark, who not only walked me through my problem over the phone, BUT CALLED ME BACK TODAY TO MAKE SURE I WAS OK. Seriously, I am indebted.

Thanks.

[Boru]

[QUOTE="TCD"]Rich,
Why did my headgasket blow out of the side of my engine at 30psi? Please help.
Todd[/QUOTE]
Because you didn't use ring shanked nails.

[Ed]

[QUOTE="TCD"]Rich,
Why did my headgasket blow out of the side of my engine at 30psi? Please help.
Todd[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE="Sweeney"]Because you didn't use ring shanked nails.[/QUOTE]

Coca Cola burns the inside of my nose.

[Guest]

Todd,

About your question.

Rich,
Why did my headgasket blow out of the side of my engine at 30psi? Please help.
Todd

I think Sweeney hit the nail on the head

Because you didn't use ring shanked nails.

However Sweeneys solution is half Ass'd. To make sure your never have this sort of problem again requires a couple of super secret techniques that only REAL Gearheads know about.

But since you're such a good buddy, I'll share them with you.

The secret to never blowing a headgasket ever again is .... Drumroll Please.....

Permetex Form-a Gasket and I'm not talking about the sissy non-hardening stuff. No siree, only the original dries hard as concrete stuff will work. If they don't have this up in Ohio, you can substitute Liquid Nails. This might be a better solution with the Ring Shank nails.

Now the second secret is something only gearheads that spent time in the USAF know about. The USAF sends Jet Engine Mechanics to tech school for 8 weeks to learn this. Proper headbolt torqueing techniques. You used to need a super secret unobtanium security clearance for this info. But it's been recently declassified, so now I can share it with you. Before it was declasiified, I could've told you the secret, but then I would have had to get my cousin up in Jersey to pay you a visit and ... well you know.

The approved USAF Jetmech technique for torqueing headbolts is to tighten them until they smoke. Then back-em off about 1/8th of a turn. You have to be very careful when torqueing the bolts. If you go to far they make a screeching sound, kind of like a rabbit when it's scared shitless. This sound happens just before the bolt shanks yield and the bolt heads shear. Your screwed when this happens, as the threads typically have fused into the block at this point. But if you applied the Permetax correctly you won't need the headbolts anyway.

BTW: That's the other problem with this super secret gearhead way of installing heads. It takes two Stevedores swing 15 lb sledge hammers about two hours to beat the freakin head off the block. If it comes off, it's usually not reusable.

HTH

Rich

[Guest]

Hey Ed,

I think your confused

Coca Cola burns the inside of my nose.

Wrong kind of Coke, you don't snort CocaCola, it's a softdrink, used to come in a 8 oz bottle for 5 cents + 2 cents deposit.

Rich

P.S. Inside secret for you since your a confirmed speed junky, (cars that is) :p :p

When stuff breaks you don't really need to get out the welding rig. Racer Tape and stainless safety wire is all you need. Any racer worth his salt can fix/fabricate anything on their racecar with these two items.

[shifty]

Rich,

Good stuff on the head bolt torquing! I'll have to try the Smokin' Bolt Torque Procedure the next time I need to properly torque my wheel botls.

I completely agree with your original post, too. This is a common problem with many newbies, even back on the old board. It's just SO hard to figure out what they're talking about, but many just don't know what kind of information that they need to provide. That's why they're here: to learn!

I think the key here is, you can never provide too much information when asking a technical question.

You CAN, however provide too much information when talking about FastPat. :p

[greg.epps]

[QUOTE="Rich Euro M5"]We have a lot of new folks on the board and I personally believe this is a good thing.

However I have noticed that when some of the newer members post, asking for technical assistance, they are not providing adequete information about their specific problem. :@ Such as the results of diagnosis they've already performed, nor are they providing any details about the type of 5er we're dealing with, transmssion type, etc. The result is the game of 20 questions. :?:?:?:? IMO this is a waste of forum bandwidth and contributor's time.[/QUOTE]

I could probably be called GUILTY on this one. I know, from helping people troubleshoot in the telecom world, that you need as much info as you can get. I just usually forget that you guys don't all have an 88 535is that's exactly like mine, including the cracked windshield and peeling clearcoat.

I, for one, would like to thank all of the 'senior' members of the board for all of the assistance that they provide me and all the other newbies to the e28 world, and for all of the patience. I've only been in this world for about 8 short months, but I love it, and I've already made a couple friends on the board. Like someone said the other day, it's not about the cars, it's about the people.

[Guest]

Shifty,

I know the lack of info issue has always been a problem. But how much trouble is it to start a thread with ,

My 535is recently started to accelerate in an uncontrolled manner whenever I see a Hottie walking down the street. I've checked the Fuel Pressure against the specs in the Bentley and everything seems to be OK.

At least we'd know the individual posting has an M30 engine and a Bentley Manual which would be a good start. We would know that he isn't having fuel pressure related problems and then we could concentrate on asking pertinent questions about the Hottie. Most important being , Do ya have any pics ?

Rich


[Edit by Rich Euro M5 on [TIME]1110469373[/TIME]]

[a]

HELP, MY BEAMER WONT START


[Edit by a on [TIME]1110474406[/TIME]]

[a]

WTF, ITS BEEN NEARLY A MINUTE. WONT ANYBODY HELP ME ? PRETTY PLEASE

[kit533i]

How about an adaptation of this?

* Make the subject title indicative of the problem (or program) in question.
* When posting a question regarding a specific product, include the Version number.
* If you're experiencing problems with a program that generates an error message, then include the message or error code verbatim.
* Indicate what, if any, changes were made that may have led up to the problem.
o Any new or similar applications added?
o Any new hardware added? If so, have you checked Device Manager (if using a Microsoft OS) for errors?
* And most importantly, when your problem is resolved, let everyone know!!! Many people put a lot of time and effort into helping you. Let them know what suggestions worked.

Retrieved from: http://www2.dslreports.com/faq/1378

Something like:

* Make the subject title indicative of the problem (or part) in question.
* When posting a question regarding your car, include the year and model (e.g. 1985 528e, or 88 535is).
* If you're experiencing problems that generate some symptom, unexpected noises, smoke, no start etc., then include a clear and COMPLETE description of said symptoms.
* Indicate what, if any, changes were made that may have led up to the problem (e.g. "I got these new aftermarket wheels and tires and now I have a front end shimmy."
o Any new parts installed or replaced?
o Any difficulty in installing any new parts?
o Did you run over any road debris or small animals?
o Have you received any advice already, and if so, what was it?
* And most importantly, when your problem is resolved, let everyone know!!! Many people put a lot of time and effort into helping you. Let them know what suggestions worked.

Please make appropriate changes and if a consensus can be made, maybe William can make a sticky.

Kit

[Edit by kit533i on [TIME]1110488901[/TIME]]

[Edit by kit533i on [TIME]1110488969[/TIME]]


[Edit by kit533i on [TIME]1110500812[/TIME]]

[dworthy]

It is the same at any board, here or roadfly or a couple others out there. It would be nice at sign-up time that you could put that page or even have a tour of the board and show how to do "smart" questions. Normally I don't mind asking the "poster" some quick q's, but that is just a little more time spend on properly identifing the real problem.

[Shawn D.]

Kit,

Your suggested list is excellent -- the best I've seen yet. Thanks!

-Shawn

[SmokinDav]

[QUOTE="dworthy"]It is the same at any board, here or roadfly or a couple others out there. It would be nice at sign-up time that you could put that page or even have a tour of the board and show how to do "smart" questions. Normally I don't mind asking the "poster" some quick q's, but that is just a little more time spend on properly identifing the real problem.[/QUOTE]

You've obviously never been to Corner-Carvers.com.

We should strive to be better than "any board" - there's enough stupid ass shit and stupid ass jack asses on the internet already. Just look at how bad Bimmer Forums is. I want to shoot myself after reading that slop for 5 minutes.


[Edit by SmokinDav on [TIME]1110511783[/TIME]]

[scorpion]

i hope that i am not overstepping my bounds as i am only a noob but it would help if for some questions there was a faq about them. like my current question about trans. and diff swaps that included years and models, parts needed, advantages and disadvantages.(i only give this as an example because this is what i am currently working on, can be used with almost anything). With the other boards that i have been and still am a member of they did this and it made it alot easier to look up info on the basic stuff that has been discused before. sorry again dont mean to overstep myself, thanx to everyone that has helped me and might help me in the future.

[kit533i]

Scorpion,

There was a movement to create a series of FAQs or tech articles for a lot of the most often asked questions. IIRC, several people stepped up and said they would create a specific FAQ (in fact, I believe Shawn D.'s FAQ is completed, just waiting for a spot to post/host it), but that's been several months and not much has been discussed lately.

Kit

[kit533i]

Scorpion,

I forgot to add, the archives (both here and at Roachfly) will have multiple answers to many of these "newbie" questions. In fact, one of the best ways to impress this crowd is, after searching Bentley and the archives, still not having an answer to your question. Then you'd be adding to the cumulative knowledge here because, presuming you've done a thorough search already, you've hit on something that hasn't been a topic of concern yet. By the way, the biggest complaint about searching the archives is how slow it is. Do it through Google. There are some posts that describe how to do this you'll find in the archives .

[Evan]

I think that at the VERY least, everybody should take the time to setup their signature. And within their signature should be what year, model, miles, and any major upgrades they have done. That way even if people forget to post what kind of car they are driving, it will say below every post they make. It is something we are trying to accomplish on the jeep forum that I post on, and it really helps.

[Tammer in Philly]

[QUOTE="Evan"]I think that at the VERY least, everybody should take the time to setup their signature. And within their signature should be what year, model, miles, and any major upgrades they have done. That way even if people forget to post what kind of car they are driving, it will say below every post they make. It is something we are trying to accomplish on the jeep forum that I post on, and it really helps. [/QUOTE]

I'll respectfully disagree. Especially with the lengthy laundry lists of mods most of us have, I don't want to page down through miles of sigs in every thread. Year, model, transmission is enough for a starting point. Who cares what suspension you have when you're posting a question about a hard start?

-tammer

[Guest]

I agree with Tammer, if you state the model as a 535is -5sp, most of us know you have an '87-88 535i with the G260/6 transmission.

I want don't like is, MY CAR WON"T START ---PLEASE HELP !!!!.... with nothing else. This type of post shuold just be ignored and left to die in the acrhives.

Going forward I won't be responding to posts with insufficient information. I might consider adding comments later in the thread as others play 20 questions, but I'm not going to be the one to dredge the basic info out of some noob.

Rich

[a]

[QUOTE="Rich Euro M5"]I agree with Tammer, if you state the model as a 535is -5sp, most of us know you have an '87-88 535i with the G260/6 transmission.

I want don't like is, MY CAR WON"T START ---PLEASE HELP !!!!.... with nothing else. This type of post shuold just be ignored and left to die in the acrhives.

Going forward I won't be responding to posts with insufficient information. I might consider adding comments later in the thread as others play 20 questions, but I'm not going to be the one to dredge the basic info out of some noob.

Rich[/QUOTE] neither do I , I was just using a little satire to make a point. I try to help, but I'm not clairvoyant



[Edit by a on [TIME]1110647197[/TIME]]

[Guest]

a,

I know your post was making a point. But I've seen other posts very similar to yours and the author in those cases was serious.

Rich

[Jeremy]

[QUOTE="Evan"]I think that at the VERY least, everybody should take the time to setup their signature. And within their signature should be what year, model, miles, and any major upgrades they have done. That way even if people forget to post what kind of car they are driving, it will say below every post they make. It is something we are trying to accomplish on the jeep forum that I post on, and it really helps. [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE="Tammer in Philly"]I'll respectfully disagree. Especially with the lengthy laundry lists of mods most of us have, I don't want to page down through miles of sigs in every thread. Year, model, transmission is enough for a starting point. Who cares what suspension you have when you're posting a question about a hard start?

-tammer[/QUOTE]

I agree with Tammer on this one. I mean geez, I went over the character limit for my sig trying to list all my mods. Perhaps I should just shorten it to, "Goes fast, when it goes" since it hasn't moved much lately, lol.

Jeremy

[Edit by Jeremy on [TIME]1111019132[/TIME]]