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If you want advice about how to fix your car, remember that you are the eyes and ears of your helpers. So, you need to be a good witness.
Here are some do’s and don’ts
Do record the make, model, transmission type, mileage and engine size of your vehicle, and any pertinent history of repairs.
Do provide as many details as you can about the problem.
Don’t ask, “does anybody know how to fix Fords?” don’t ask, “how do you fix brakes?” Vague questions like that are a red flag that the person has no clue about auto repair, so don’t be surprised if you get simple answers back. If you show some evidence of your skill set, then those offering advice can better adjust the explanation to your knowledge level. And, there is less risk of walking somebody down a repair pathway that puts them in danger of causing more problems.
Don’t just say “ my car won’t start”. You need to be a better observer. Here’s an example.
I have a 2001 manual transmission 2.3L Ford Ranger with 180,000 miles that won’t start today. It’s never had any serious repair and it’s had no major maintenance before. Last night while I was driving the engine suddenly quit, so I pushed in the clutch and it coasted to a stop on the road, a block from my house. Dash lights and headlights stayed on until I turned the key off. That night I couldn’t restart it, so I walked home. This morning I stepped into the truck and I turned the key to on. Just after I turn the key to on, I hear the fuel pump motor come on for a couple of seconds. The lights on the dash come on, the headlights work normally. The fuel gauge reads 3/4 full. When I turn the key to start I hear the starter motor engage, and I hear and feel the crankshaft spin. I can see the serpentine belt moving when I try to start the vehicle. But it spins the motor at a faster than normal speed, with an unusually smooth whirring sound and no evidence of ignition.
The above history, presented in the kind of smooth and logical way that a mechanic would normally approach the problem, rings familiar bells and makes it much easier for others to help.
Unless you’re sure, don’t start the description with your diagnosis. For example, don’t start with the question “ how do I replace a thermostat” Rather, give the problem, the evidence, and only then discuss why you think you need a new thermostat. You might find that the white smoke out your exhaust that you didn’t mention is also related to the overheating radiator.
Do provide as many clues as you can. for example if the problem only happens in damp or cold weather, mention it.
Do consider making a video of the problem. Posting video on Youtube is free, easy, and fun. A short video of your problem can make a huge difference as to how much you’ll get out of your effort. And you’ll likely meet a lot of interesting friends along the way.
NOTE. PLEASE DO NOT ASK REPAIR QUESTIONS IN THIS THREAD, SINCE NONE OF THE VETERANS FOLLOW THIS THREAD DAILY. TO GET PERSONAL HELP WITH A REPAIR, CLICK THE ABOVE LINK TITLED “SERVICE AND REPAIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE”. THEN CLICK “+NEW TOPIC” TO START A NEW THREAD.
[Edit suggested by Beefy]
Finally, one more thing. Remember to keep your thread active, right to the point that the problem is solved and answered. Everybody who helps out on this forum wants to see how things ended up. If you ask a question on this forum, you owe those who try to help the courtesy of telling them what the solution was, even if you eventually had it fixed by a pro.Good Luck!
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Wow. spelunkerd ! I have never seen an analysis like that. Great post. Perhaps the single most important post I have seen on this site yet. Great job.
I always thought this was a very good post… A few things I would like to add…
While being descriptive is good. A two page long “wall of words” can be hard to read and decipher.. Break things up with paragraphs… it makes it so much easier for the reader…
Also, many people expect there to be a “magic” fix… and want to be told “just replace part XX” and you will be fine… Truth is, this happens only very few times… And unless it is a pattern failure and the person responding to this is very versed in that automobile then more than likely there will have to be some diagnosis…
If you don’t have the tools or the wherewithal to do the job… Advice is simply that…
Sometimes to diagnose a problem, you will need a scanner with live data… Without it, there is not much help we can give… Harbor freight sells a good scanner for under $85 (less if you have a coupon)… This scanner can carry you a long way just past one job, so it is always a good thing to have…
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd-ii-deluxe-scan-tool-60693-html.html
If you don’t have a code reader or scanner and have a check engine light, many times you can go to a major auto parts store and get your codes pulled for free (The United States and I think Canada)… Also, ask to find out the historical and pending codes (these also may give you clues)… Post these codes, even if you don’t know what they mean… Someone will help you with them…
Since this is the internet, this is an international forum… We get posts from all over… A false assumption that I am guilty of is that the poster has a car and I think it is from the U.S. or Canada… I try to read between the lines, but sometimes a manufacturer (say Toyota) builds the same named car, but with a different engine… So there is no problem in letting the board known where you are from… It can make a difference…
Pictures are worth a thousand words… If you are stuck, pics can oftentimes give others perspective into what you trying to get done….
For car sounds, a video helps as well… Pics and Videos can be of great assistance when trying to find out how to remove something or diagnose a certain type of noise… Feel free to link them into your post…
A point of frustration can be when a member is asking the same question, getting answers and never doing anything about it, then asking again, getting the same good advise from different members, then asking and again, then saying he has no intentions of fixing a known problem, then proceeds to ask the same question and again and again….. and never doing anything about it… Eventually, people will just start ignoring you… as what happened about 9 Months ago with one particular member… Fortunately, the member is gone now…
It also gets frustrating when someone needs instructions about how to jack up a car… Usually we can help, but if your mechanical knowledge is this limited, more complex things are going to be difficult for you. Can you do it? There is nothing wrong with asking what a problem is to be better informed when you take your car to a technician… Sometimes, it may be the best thing to do…
It is human nature to want to find a simple solution… However, sometimes there is not one.. On occasion, PEOPLE WILL BE TOLD WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR, NOT WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR… Like anything else, you can get a second opinion….
Online diagnostic advise I can relate to calling a doctor and just saying “I have a cough”… Well, that cough could be anything from pneumonia, a cold or you smoke too much… More information is needed for a proper diagnosis, sometimes tests are involved…
Nobody bats a “1000” giving internet advice on fixing cars… NOBODY… Occasionally, the only thing to do is take the car to a qualified technician…
Even with all the proper information, it may not always be possible to give a 100% correct answer… Even when a car is physically in front of a tech and presenting the symptoms it may take hours or days to find out what is wrong…
Having the tools is also important, if you don’t have the correct tool, the job may be impossible for a DIYer… For those in the U.S., almost all major auto parts stores have a free tool rental policy… Usually it will be you buy the tool and then return it for a full refund… this is a great service to have at your disposal and one that should be considered when doing things yourself….
“One and done” posters… They ask a question, get an answer and you never hear from them again… It is always nice to hear how the advice went… right or wrong.. gives us all feedback and makes a solution to the problem… Most people can relate to this when they search the internet for how to fix or diagnose something and see the exact problem presented three years ago, a trail of comments and never a solution… If you solve the problem it is nice to create a close out for future reference…
Be cool and thank those who help you… Everyone who helps here consistently is here voluntarily and is willing to share their knowledge and experience for free… There is a little “Thank You” button on every post… If someone really helped you, let them know it…
Just my 2 cents… (these are my views and not necessarily the views of Eric and the other Moderators)
-Karl
I always thought this was a very good post… A few things I would like to add…
While being descriptive is good. A two page long “wall of words” can be hard to read and decipher.. Break things up with paragraphs… it makes it so much easier for the reader…
Also, many people expect there to be a “magic” fix… and want to be told “just replace part XX” and you will be fine… Truth is, this happens only very few times… And unless it is a pattern failure and the person responding to this is very versed in that automobile then more than likely there will have to be some diagnosis…
If you don’t have the tools or the wherewithal to do the job… Advice is simply that…
Sometimes to diagnose a problem, you will need a scanner with live data… Without it, there is not much help we can give… Harbor freight sells a good scanner for under $85 (less if you have a coupon)… This scanner can carry you a long way just past one job, so it is always a good thing to have…
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd-ii-deluxe-scan-tool-60693-html.html
If you don’t have a code reader or scanner and have a check engine light, many times you can go to a major auto parts store and get your codes pulled for free (The United States and I think Canada)… Also, ask to find out the historical and pending codes (these also may give you clues)… Post these codes, even if you don’t know what they mean… Someone will help you with them…
Since this is the internet, this is an international forum… We get posts from all over… A false assumption that I am guilty of is that the poster has a car and I think it is from the U.S. or Canada… I try to read between the lines, but sometimes a manufacturer (say Toyota) builds the same named car, but with a different engine… So there is no problem in letting the board known where you are from… It can make a difference…
Pictures are worth a thousand words… If you are stuck, pics can oftentimes give others perspective into what you trying to get done….
For car sounds, a video helps as well… Pics and Videos can be of great assistance when trying to find out how to remove something or diagnose a certain type of noise… Feel free to link them into your post…
A point of frustration can be when a member is asking the same question, getting answers and never doing anything about it, then asking again, getting the same good advise from different members, then asking and again, then saying he has no intentions of fixing a known problem, then proceeds to ask the same question and again and again….. and never doing anything about it… Eventually, people will just start ignoring you… as what happened about 9 Months ago with one particular member… Fortunately, the member is gone now…
It also gets frustrating when someone needs instructions about how to jack up a car… Usually we can help, but if your mechanical knowledge is this limited, more complex things are going to be difficult for you. Can you do it? There is nothing wrong with asking what a problem is to be better informed when you take your car to a technician… Sometimes, it may be the best thing to do…
It is human nature to want to find a simple solution… However, sometimes there is not one.. On occasion, PEOPLE WILL BE TOLD WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR, NOT WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR… Like anything else, you can get a second opinion….
Online diagnostic advise I can relate to calling a doctor and just saying “I have a cough”… Well, that cough could be anything from pneumonia, a cold or you smoke too much… More information is needed for a proper diagnosis, sometimes tests are involved…
Nobody bats a “1000” giving internet advice on fixing cars… NOBODY… Occasionally, the only thing to do is take the car to a qualified technician…
Even with all the proper information, it may not always be possible to give a 100% correct answer… Even when a car is physically in front of a tech and presenting the symptoms it may take hours or days to find out what is wrong…
Having the tools is also important, if you don’t have the correct tool, the job may be impossible for a DIYer… For those in the U.S., almost all major auto parts stores have a free tool rental policy… Usually it will be you buy the tool and then return it for a full refund… this is a great service to have at your disposal and one that should be considered when doing things yourself….
“One and done” posters… They ask a question, get an answer and you never hear from them again… It is always nice to hear how the advice went… right or wrong.. gives us all feedback and makes a solution to the problem… Most people can relate to this when they search the internet for how to fix or diagnose something and see the exact problem presented three years ago, a trail of comments and never a solution… If you solve the problem it is nice to create a close out for future reference…
Be cool and thank those who help you… Everyone who helps here consistently is here voluntarily and is willing to share their knowledge and experience for free… There is a little “Thank You” button on every post… If someone really helped you, let them know it…
Just my 2 cents… (these are my views and not necessarily the views of Eric and the other Moderators)
-Karl
Thanks for the great advice. Finding great deals for car repair or cost of fixing car is something I’ve spent much time looking into in the past. However, no matter how much you plan, you can never be fully prepared for the cost of an auto fix. You can get a payday loan when things are more costly than you expect. A practice many people do not learn about is vehicle fix shops adding more to the bill than was estimated. This is legal up to certain amounts since there is no telling how much a job will really cost until it is done.
Thanks for the great advice. Finding great deals for car repair or cost of fixing car is something I’ve spent much time looking into in the past. However, no matter how much you plan, you can never be fully prepared for the cost of an auto fix. You can get a payday loan when things are more costly than you expect. A practice many people do not learn about is vehicle fix shops adding more to the bill than was estimated. This is legal up to certain amounts since there is no telling how much a job will really cost until it is done.
Don’t remember where I saw it, but practically ALL posters with questions should use a template to post. There are multiple posts that have NO car info whatsoever, even for folks that are in desperate situation yet, as the result, time is lost on obtaining basic crucial information.
Technically, ANY new post may be linked to such template, with warning that without this info questions will not be posted. Call me stickler, but one thing that absolutely can not be recovered is time and I am only trying to be time efficient.Here’s suggested template:
BEFORE YOU ASK ANY QUESTION PLEASE PROVIDE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL/YEAR (e.g. Ford Tempo 1987)
MILEAGE (e.g. 187 155)
TRANSMISSION TYPE, MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC (e.g. manual 4 speed)
ENGINE SIZE AND CYLINDERS (e.g. 4 cyl 2.4L)My 2C.
Best
Don’t remember where I saw it, but practically ALL posters with questions should use a template to post. There are multiple posts that have NO car info whatsoever, even for folks that are in desperate situation yet, as the result, time is lost on obtaining basic crucial information.
Technically, ANY new post may be linked to such template, with warning that without this info questions will not be posted. Call me stickler, but one thing that absolutely can not be recovered is time and I am only trying to be time efficient.Here’s suggested template:
BEFORE YOU ASK ANY QUESTION PLEASE PROVIDE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL/YEAR (e.g. Ford Tempo 1987)
MILEAGE (e.g. 187 155)
TRANSMISSION TYPE, MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC (e.g. manual 4 speed)
ENGINE SIZE AND CYLINDERS (e.g. 4 cyl 2.4L)My 2C.
Best
Has any else found this guy yet? He seems really really good! Way better than scotty ha ha .
Has any else found this guy yet? He seems really really good! Way better than scotty ha ha .
i just found thiss guy on youtube myself check him out
i just found thiss guy on youtube myself check him out
Hello There,
Good Day!
After searching a lot to fix my car issues i have gone through your site and i really got very impressed. You guys are GREAT. I really appreciate. I would like to take your valuable support in order to fix my cars major issue. Can i post this here? Thanks.
[quote=”kpin404″ post=153748]Hello There,
Good Day!
After searching a lot to fix my car issues i have gone through your site and i really got very impressed. You guys are GREAT. I really appreciate. I would like to take your valuable support in order to fix my cars major issue. Can i post this here? Thanks.[/quote]
If you have automotive questions start a thread in service and repair. 🙂
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