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fixrman
From a broken heart to a hole in the sky
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join:2003-02-10
Hatboro, PA
·Verizon FiOS

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fixrman

Premium Member

How to ask for help

Too often, someone will post a question here, such as, "My brakes are noisy. How do I go about getting them fixed?"

The above is near enough to a post recently made in the DSLR Auto Forum.
In order to help, we need the year, make, model, mileage, engine and transmission (Autobox or Manual). The Model designation would also be good to include (S, SE, XL - whatever). They are NOT all the same. The more work you make us do, the less likely we are to help you. We know how to fix our own cars, we don't have to help you with yours, on our own time - for free.

Be specific in your question, please use punctuation and please refrain from gross generalisations. Don't say something along the lines of, "All technicians are..." because that will likely get you ignored. Recognise that many of the people who may answer your request for help are professionals who have been or still are in the business of repairing cars. If the word "stealership" is included in a post, I will almost assuredly write the poster off as a crank or an alligator and not respond. Many others will do the same. We do not like being denigrated just because we work for a dealership or get our hands dirty. Repairs are expensive; preventative maintenance, not so much - the choice is yours.

Please bear in mind that it is often difficult to diagnose what cannot be seen. Sometimes posters use incorrect terminology, do not properly describe a problem or even withhold important information that would be needed. Please don't make us get the drill out. If you've done something to the car or had someone else do it, let us know. Sometimes we know the mistakes that people commonly make during repairs, especially botched repairs that could cause a different path for correction. If the problem is intermittent, it may be difficult to diagnose.

If you are unwilling or unable to perform basic diagnostics on your vehicle or do not have tools with which to perform those repairs, it would probably be preferable to have a professional do the job for you. It is nigh to impossible to train somebody how to fix cars over a forum post. Try a You Tube video instead.

Please don't try to pick fights with us or try to discredit our knowledge. We don't have to help you and as I said before, we can fix our own cars. After all, if a post is made asking for advice and the answer is not appreciated or agreed with, why was the post made in the first place? We get enough aggravation in the workplace, we don't need it here.

To non-professionals: We know you want to help, too. But PLEASE refrain from posting something that is of dubious value to someone with vehicle trouble. Anecdotal fixes have little value. Just because Bubba screwed plugs into the Toyota over the course of a case of beer does not make him an "expert". There is no such thing as "FM" (Mark of Unknown) in car repair. If I have to explain that to you, you shouldn't really be offering advice on repairing automobiles.

Any other professional should feel free to add their thoughts here as well.
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