Newer forum users: learn to use the search feature

bstory

New member
This is a heads up for new forum users: almost every topic in conversions has multiple interesting and informative threads from many years of users's experience. Early forum users were serious DIY'ers, so some of the best advice may come from these guys in older threads.

If you can't find what you need using "Search" then try the search field below of "Advanced Search. That provides an option to search the sub-forum but you may get a few results from off the forum first. Just keep looking through the results and you will find every thread/post with your key words. I have found this feature to be very useful and can spend way too much time just reading old threads, remembering how things got figured out and how little I knew when I got started in 2009.

If you post lots of specific questions that could be easily answered by using this feature then you will get either: answers mainly from other new users and/or quick answers from the old timers who wish you would do a little homework, or no answers by people who are tired of that question.

Also very helpful and time-saving for everyone are the "sticky" posts at the top of each section of the forum. Those who posted the sticky posts put a fair amount of effort into the topics and trying to explain them.
 
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220629

Well-known member
I find that using the advanced search to key in on specific sections eg.- NCV3, T1N, Conversion helps to narrow down the received hits.

I was using the Google option for a while. Lately I've been more sticking to the search options within Sprinter-source. An odd Google result is that sometimes the Sprinter-source hits will show as "archived". Using the titles to search within Sprinter-source will show that those same threads/posts are current and active.

3 letter words/acronyms eg. - EGR, DPF, ECM seem to work better in an advanced search than they do in the general search box. That may be an assumption on my part though. :idunno:

Choosing the proper key words can be a challenge. I avoid using too many key words at once. Less can be more. Typically I limit my key words to 3. If that doesn't get me what I'm looking for I will often remove one and add another rather than lengthening the string.

:2cents: vic
 
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mmanning

New member
Thanks you must be talking about Me:rad:
This is a heads up for new forum users: almost every topic in conversions has multiple interesting and informative threads from many years of users's experience. Early forum users were serious DIY'ers, so some of the best advice may come from these guys in older threads.

If you can't find what you need using "Search Forums" then try the search field below "Search Forums" - "Google Search." It is set up to search the forum but you may get a few results from off the forum first. Just keep looking through the results and you will find every thread/post with your key words. I have found this feature to be very useful and can spend way too much time just reading old threads, remembering how things got figured out and how little I knew when I got started in 2009.

If you post lots of specific questions that could be easily answered by using this feature then you will get either: answers mainly from other new users and/or quick answers from the old timers who wish you would do a little homework, or no answers by people who are tired of that question.

Also very helpful and time-saving for everyone are the "sticky" posts at the top of each section of the forum. Those who posted the sticky posts put a fair amount of effort into the topics and trying to explain them.
 

MA5TER5

New member
May I humbly ask/suggest putting together a short glossary of terms? As a new member of the community, a categorization of topics and related search terms would have been very helpful during my first few months of research.

That said, I appreciate all the member of this forum who have contributed and shared their knowledge and experience to help me as I begin my conversion. Thank you!
 

Skunkhome

New member
Strange I really thought this was a forum but I guess it's a library. "We've already talked about that and don't want to do it again". I try using the search feature here and on other sites by Vertical Scope that have the same feature and find that it either gives you no results or a mountain of superfluous posts that fail to address my query after I invest the time to wade through them. I can't even find things I know I wrote without going to my profile and searching through my posts. Seems pretty arrogant to me.
 
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220629

Well-known member
...Strange I really thought this was a forum but I guess it's a library.
It is what it is. There's some really good people here who add value for no other reason than that they like the Sprinters and like to help others.

... Seems pretty arrogant to me.
Some people like this forum, some move on to other places.

My suggestion is to try and use what is here. Being involved has a good chance to make it work for you. Offering labels will likely not work so well.

:cheers: vic

P.S. - :hmmm: I guess that the above is just another example of an arrogant undertone.

Back to the sticky, search topic.
 

vanski

If it’s winter, I’m probably skiing..
Where’d the google search functionality go?? For those of you who rely on that f(x) you can go to google and enter sprinter-source.com: <insert query>
Kind of a pain but works well
 

nctrailseeker

Active member
And not one of the "New Members" state where they're located in their signature... other than MA5TER5. Thank you sir
 
G

Gsand31415

Guest
I have better luck searching in google and looking for the sprinter-source threads there.
 

220629

Well-known member
Existing, if relevant.
I agree.

I've noticed on some other forums that new threads are encouraged. I see no problem with resurrecting a thread which has the basics related to a newer similar problem. It gives some continuity for future searches. A repair/fix that worked for the similar problem may not work for all. Tagging on to an existing thread keeps more possible solutions in one area.

I suppose that if a thread gets tagged on too many times it gets unwieldly.

To be clear, I'm not against opening a new thread or tagging on to an existing one that fits. Whatever works for the member is fine.

Except posting the exact same question duplicate/multiple times in many sections. That clutters the forum and can add confusion. Don't post duplicates.

:cheers: vic
 

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