67 GMC

For the mods, I think a general "How to post a question" would be helpful. I see there is a HOW TO POST which tells people how to navigate etc but it doesn't tell them WHAT to post.


It is really useless when people post "My Jeep won't start" or "I keep trying to start it and it won't"


Maybe this is like herding cats but people keep using the wrong terminology which make people respond to the wrong problem.


How many people still continue to post "My Jeep won't run" but what they may mean, is :
-it starts to run and then dies or,
-it turns over but won't ever run or,
-it runs for a few seconds but then dies or
-it runs fine, I can't put it in DRIVE.


For example: Normal condition: When you turn the key to START, you might hear the fuel pump prime, you should hear the starter motor turning the engine. After a second or two, the engine should then RUN and remain running.


Good NEWBIE post: I have an '87 Cherokee Laredo 4x4. I've been driving it for 3 months more or less fine. It has 200,000 km. I turned the key to start but I don't hear the starter. I checked the battery and it reads 12V. I can hear the a noise in the fuel tank for a second or two (fuel pump?). It started and ran fine yesterday when I drove it to work. I haven't done anything to the Jeep in the last few weeks. I've looked under the hood while someone else turned the key to start and I don't see or smell anything. All the fuses in the fuse panel were checked and are good. My buddy says it's the fuel pump. How do I check to see that's working ok.


Bad Post: "my jeep wont run any ideas on whats causin this idk wtf I need to go to work in 5 for my shift at kfc.".


What they are really saying is "I don't know anything about cars, I just turn the key and drive it, I can't be bothered to check or open the hood, please list every possible thing it might be so I can tell my Dad he's wrong". Also, the next post is usually "No one helps me on this forum. I posted a few minutes ago from my iPhone 5G, listened to some One Direction tunes and no one has posted anything to solve my problem for me. I'm going to trade this Jeep in for some iTunes store credit if I can't fix it tonight -I'm going to be playing COD in the mean time until someone helps me"


Maybe an FAQ with some examples would help.


RANT OVER> Hope that's not too harsh. I know we were all newbies once (except for Cruiser).

Tomk4T

hahaha. That's great. But, to be completely honest, I've posted very detailed questions seeking assistance and got zero replies after a bump or two. I'm not sure if the problem was just that bad, that no one knew what it could be and therefore couldn't assist me or they just thought I was a newb.

I won't pay for work on my vehicles though. Not unless I have to. So I know how to diagnose what is happening to try and lay out the question so the problem is better understood.