A guy at the coffee shop told me the best way to ask a question online

I was stuck trying to fix a weird noise in my car engine, so I went to get a coffee and think. I sat next to this older guy who saw me scrolling through forum posts on my phone. He leaned over and said, 'You'll never get a good answer like that.' He told me that when he posts a question, he always starts with exactly what he already tried, down to the tool names and the order he did things. For my car, he said to write 'I checked the serpentine belt with a Gates 6PK2260, then the idler pulley with a 15mm socket, no change.' He explained that this stops people from giving you the basic fixes you already did and forces them to think harder. It happened at The Daily Grind on 5th Street about two months ago. I tried it on a subreddit for my car model and got a real answer about a loose heat shield in under an hour. What's the most specific detail you've ever put in a question that actually got you the right help?

2 comments

2 Comments

pipera5013d ago

I once listed the exact error code from my washing machine's diagnostic mode, plus that I'd already replaced the drain pump with a genuine OEM part. That detail got a reply from a former repair tech who knew that specific code sequence pointed to a faulty door lock microswitch, not the pump.

riverp3713d ago

Ever feel like you're the only one who reads the manual before trying to fix something? (I definitely don't, which is why my own repair attempts usually end in more broken stuff.)

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