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Car Forum / Pontiac / Pontiac Cars / September 2005Quick and dirty FAQ for alt.autos.pontiac
If you ask a stupid question, expect to be flamed. If you can't type, type in all caps, or can't figure out the basics of language, expect to be flamed. If you ask a question that has been asked and answered dozens of times, expect to be flamed. If you post "My car won't start" with no other info, expect to be flamed. If you are an idiot posting from a message board, expect to be flamed. Now, If you ask for an honest answer and it fixes your problem, a follow up saying thank you is nice. Folks like to know what fixed what. Your answer is probably here; http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.pontiac?lnk=srg&hl=en If it's not, then give us some info to work with. Trust me and see #3 on this one. Info needed is what car, what year, what engine, what tranny, and for electrical issues, what trim package. Codes are good too if you can pull them. If you can't there are billions of places on the net to figure out how to. What is spam? Any ad by a commercial seller. Any crosspostings. If you want to bring up an iffy topic please put OT in the front of the subject line. Private sellers please put FS in the beginning of the subject line and don't expect to be responded to via email. Post here, read here. Also this is not a binary group, please post links to any pictures. Do I own or moderate this group? No But I am tired of seeing it go to sh.t. I was going to shrug it off and decided not to. BTW, you can post things other than problems. Hell, road trip with a rental Poncho? Tell us about it. Thinking about buying? Also a good question to ask in a place full of folks who probably have driven or owned the same car. Car show with a cool GTO or G6 and you were impressed by paint/mods? Once again, share. This group is an open group but it will turn to sh.t if all we get are four line posts from idjits on message boards. <spelling intentional> If someone has to wade through 800 posts of "Call me a Whambulance" How many honest questions will be overlooked? Don't like my posts? Don't read them. Want to add to this FAQ or help me make it better? Please post in this thread. Thanks! Just to take this a step farther, Let's say Jane Doe from talkaboutautos poses the question, "My car won't start". No car info, anything else. If Jane really has a problem and can grow skin thick as folks here wear, and maybe don some nomex undies, after the flames, most of which will ask questions, she will repost with more info. The thread will continue and dang, Janes Doe's car now starts, she maybe learned some things she didn't know before, and maybe made a friend or two in the process. Now the message boards DO NOT carry all the content of the Usenet groups they scavenge for content OR THE THREADS THEY START. It is not in their interest for Jane to get her car to start and make friends. It IS in thier interest to generate click-throughs. If Jane stays on the message board rather than going to Google-Groups etc, she will never see any posts that mod of that message board deems unfit. No nomex undies, no new friends, no fix. And you can bet niether of the previous posts show up on any of the message boards. actually, you are wrong FBR. Its here on google groups. just a FYI! http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.pontiac/browse_thread/thread/b025804805 92dbe0?auth=DQAAAGkAAAAO5cC5ukXAAJmZYCvpHx_16y-2gGzLNWhXf7bVt0rbvdUsArBd9rb9u0V0 8qzIHKQsyPWqZxdaGCN9p5kkJY1k_1FSVaGtHhuyub6GJlw_8TOY7BFccPyvxt-6lPD128qW55sAkqjq l1pUPBw-cp6U > If you ask a stupid question, expect to be flamed. > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > them. If you can't there are billions of places on the net to figure out > how to. Erm ... how about some clues for the clueless on what keywords might get the most relevant results? I'm not being snarky; I just tried a search for my car (which is great, incidentally, and I continue to love it) and +codes +"97 grand am" didn't turn up anything useful on how to pull codes; "how to pull codes" +97 grand am turned up zip!  Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather clues for the clueless on what keywords might get > the most relevant results? I'm not being snarky; I just tried a search > for my car (which is great, incidentally, and I continue to love it) and > +codes +"97 grand am" didn't turn up anything useful on how to pull > codes; "how to pull codes" +97 grand am turned up zip! Ok, great question. I'm guessing you used a basic Google search. For info on more advanced search techniques try here; http://www.google.com/help/refinesearch.html Even better though, hit Google groups, then this group; http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.pontiac?lnk=srg&hl=en then pose your search. Also if you have an account at your local library you can usually access Mitchells online databse or something equivelent. Another idea, start with a search for 97 GrandAm, then search within those results for either error or code. Then search within those results to pull it down further. You try too many parameters at once when you begin your search and it's almost a forgone conclusion you will not get any relevant info, just a mass of crap. By doing this I ended up with; http://autorepair.about.com/library/ts/obd-i/bl-dtcs-69a.htm which while for a 95, might at least get you started. Good luck! > clues for the clueless on what keywords might get > > the most relevant results? I'm not being snarky; I just tried a search [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Good luck! Thanks! I meant this as a suggestion for the FAQ - right now, knock wood, my GA continues to be running fine (I'm still making a note of it ... just in case).... ... although I did post a little while ago about the ABS and ETS warning lights staying lit after the car was started, and that happens about every 50 starts (ETS has not been disengaged). When it happens, I do what the manual says and turn the car off and restart it, and the ETS and ABS lights go out and stay out. The warning lights don't go on while I'm driving. No problems braking. Am I right in thinking that I should avoid taking it to a shop until the ABS and ETS warnings *stay* on? 1997 Grand Am SE, 3.2 V6, 75,500 miles, brakes replaced 8/04 (when purchased). Crap, didn't mean to hijack your thread, but you seem to know so much about, well, everything and I don't want to make a bad decision about my car. I also have no idea what to Google, though I get the impression that taking in a car that might/might not have a brake problem is a good way to lighten a wallet. (Maybe you can use this as an example of a query that does/doesn't suck?) Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather You could have it scanned with an abs capable scanner, may be some stored or pending codes pertaining to the problem. >> some >> clues for the clueless on what keywords might get [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > (Maybe you can use this as an example of a query that does/doesn't suck?) > You could have it scanned with an abs capable scanner, may be some stored or > pending codes pertaining to the problem. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can find someplace to get that done. There doesn't seem to be any problems braking, but if I can avoid a costly problem, I'd like to do that. Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather > > clues for the clueless on what keywords might get > > > the most relevant results? I'm not being snarky; I just tried a search [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > that taking in a car that might/might not have a brake problem is a good > way to lighten a wallet. Hijack away. I don't want to claim to know everything, buit having a knack for finding things. > (Maybe you can use this as an example of a query that does/doesn't suck?) Doesn't suck at all. Depending on who did the brakes, and their level of competence it might be a number of things. Good article here to get you started; http://www.swedishbricks.net/700900FAQ/BrakesABS1.html BTW, while the article is about Volvos, the basic ideas on cleaning sensors, not forcing fluid back, etc, applies. Like I say, just a starting point to maybe help you get an idea of what in particular to search for. > "REP" <rep@inanna.com> wrote in message > > ... although I did post a little while ago about the ABS and ETS warning > > lights staying lit after the car was started, and that happens about [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > http://www.swedishbricks.net/700900FAQ/BrakesABS1.html Thanks again for your help! I'll try to think of something else for the FAQ and not hijack your thread anymore. Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather |
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