This is one of the most laid back and mellow web forums I frequent.

 

The search button works fine and so does Google.

Yeah, I'm a Mod here and Admin on another board and all over other boards and groups but I don't know everything. Contrary to belief, I am constantly looking up and learning things about things I'minter ested in or perplexed by. Hell, it's 1.20am and I'm on YouTube looking at how to change a waterpump of the wife's supercharged grand prix.

I admit, I ran a guy off a few weeks back. He wanted part numbers for springs. I tried to guide him in how to find it because if he learned to search here (or Google) he could find it easily. But rather than search and get what he needed, he kept coming back asking the same question. I really had answered it for him but not how he wanted it answered. In turn, he became offended and lashed out at me not only being offensive in his remarks towards me but also saying that he has built more engines that I had and knew more than me..... But yet didn't know how to keep his engine from overheating and how to find part numbers for springs. I mean, hell, the damn parts manuals are right there in my signature. And truth be told, I can tell you know that once he got what he wanted, he never would have been back here. That's just how most (not all) new members are.

Anyway, if anyone feels a topic, thread, post has gone south, any member can report it and staff can address it. No one s above the site rules, not even staff.

 

I haven't been on here that long but if everybody should just use the search function then the site should just be an archive not an active forum and save everybody the aggravation

 

weedahoe on the gp make sure and get the plastic elbow since you will break the original (my other car is a gtp)

 

^^ This....this... ONE THOUSAND TIMES THIS!!!! ^^

The key to searching is practicing. I'm on two different automobile related forums, and on both there are people who complain that "The search sucks", "The search doesn't work", or some other lame complaint about how to search function is lacking.

For a while, I was tempted to write up a DIY for searching but figured that it, like the FAQs, would be ignored because [most] people are not inclined to put in some effort into research. These same people will start a new thread over a topic that has been beaten to death under the guise that their question is somehow different or unique. It's that attitude, and the expectation that other members owe the OP an immediate and direct answer to the question(s), some of which are not intelligently posed, that turns off the more competent, aka "Jerks", on the forums.

Before I posted my first ever question on the Dodge Forum (2nd Gen) I lurked for a good two weeks. I skimmed over thread titles and perused some generic questions to get a feel for common issues associated with the Second Gen Ram. I then searched the forum using various key words that I knew would generate results. If I did not get the results I wanted, I would make a note for how to best tweak the criteria.

The worst people are those who come to a forum and get defensive when a forum Veteran points out that he/she needs to do some research first. And yes, I've witnessed people here and on the other auto forum flat out get in a snit because someone didn't answer the question in a manner that suited him/her. IMHO, if someone is "too busy" to phrase an intelligent and coherent question for others to answer; is "too busy" to search the forums, and feel that people owe an immediate answer (or the answer he/she wants to hear) then that person should go elsewhere.

 

Gary-L

As for DIYs/How To's/FAQs

Several months back I joined several other boards that pertained to my bike and my wifes car. The first thing i did was go through the DIYs/How To's/FAQs section(s) because it not only taught me several things but also gave me ideas others were sharing.

It is a great place to start and go through.

 

Good point, Weed. I forgot to mention that I also spent a great deal of time digesting the FAQs and DIY sections when I first joined (2nd Gen). When I was contemplating a 3rd Gen, I started from scratch before posting my initial 3rd Gen related thread.

Case in point: The bearings in the A/C compressor for my Mazda occasionally grind. My initial Google searches showed that to replace the compressor would cost me dearly. I dug around and *bam* I found an awesome DIY on a MazdaSpeed forum. Even though my car is not a MazdaSpeed, the parts are not engine/transmission related in a sense that there would be any difference. The author posted some great pictures along with a great write-up as well as posting a bearing cross-reference to save people money. I found the bearing I need for $13 shipped on e-Bay.

 

I just jumped right in. Started bugging EVERYBODY and in general being real annoying. Its awesome. Lol. Search works. Google works. But sometimes it is a pain in the butt also.
I like to read most everything. Help when I can. Get help when I need it and generally like to hassle people who ask the real dumb question.
But thats just me. Some of you are actually starting to get used to me. Lol.
USE THE DAGNABBIT SEARCH. And when that doesn't work, get annoying. Lol.
Archive? No way man. This place is fun. I myself enjoy the place as is.
But dont tell the mods.

 

I would actually reccomend buying the Aluminum elbows and lube them up with vaseline or motor oil when you install them.
Dorman makes them and you can find them in the HELP section at AdvanceAuto.

 

One step ahead of you. Already bought the aluminum ones and put them in

Reviews on the plastic ones were that people were replacing them not to long after installing them.