[quote author=Mike Laupp link=board=24;threadid=1504;start=msg10637#msg1063 7 date=1068048917]
The postings in the new section would soon duplicate what is already in the maintenance, general, and other sections.[/quote]You are probably right here. It would be difficult to avoid.
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- Who would be willing to develop a comprehensive troubleshooting flowchart? It would need to be the size of the New York phone directory in order to completely cover all of the TrailManor models and model years?
- Would the majority of the membership be able to use such a troubleshooting flowchart?
- I don't know of any place where general troubleshooting skills are taught. How do you impart this skill to someone?
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I don't think anyone was suggesting a general troubleshooting flowchart. You're right, it would be an impossible task.
On this board, most people ask their questions pretty well. If you have visited other boards where members attempt to solve problems experienced by other members, you know what I mean. But occasionally, some guidelines on how to describe a problem might be good. As Jim points out, "Help! My ____ won't work" doesn't provide enough information, which then delays a solution. Not all guidelines apply to all situations, of course, but I think of things like these.
Troubleshooting suggestions- If "it" doesn't work, what is the "it"? What specific device is not doing what you expect it to do? If you don't know its technical name, that's OK - describe it - but don't feel the need to fake the jargon. That would often be counterproductive.
- What are you expecting it to do? (We have seen a number of non-problems, where the poster was expecting something to happen that isn't supposed to happen.)
- Did it ever work? Did it ever do what you are expecting it to do?
- When it doesn't do what you expect, what does it do? What are you observing?
- Can the problem be reproduced - can you make it happen again, or did it just happen once?
- Under what conditions does it happen? For example, if it is an electrical problem, is the TM plugged into shore power when it happens? Is the weather cold? Rainy? Dead battery? Is the TM attached to the tow vehicle? Propane on? Tires inflated? And so forth. Describe anything that might be related to the situation, even remotely.
- What steps have you taken to investigate, isolate, or fix the problem? What were the results?
- Do you feel that you have the basic knowledge to handle the problem, and just need a couple ideas? Or are you looking for a ground-up step-by-step procedure? Either one is OK, but it helps the responders put together a helpful answer if they know where you are.
- Do you have any of the tools that might be needed? Again, it's OK if you don't, but it helps the responders if they know.
- Where are you and/or the TM located (City & State)? We might know of a professional (dealer) solution or a non-professional (one of us) solution that is located close to you that can help in person. (Thanks, Mike Laupp!)
I'm sure a number of other bullets could be added, and I would welcome them. Join in!
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I think that a full description of how to use the advanced search capabilities of this board would be of more use. It should be a sticky topic.
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Excellent idea!
Bill