Anyone Else Getting Frustrated With Newbs?

[straped for cash]

I just threw out a bunch of worthless scans flashes. Each one was for small changes. If I started with a new vehicle these would be done on the first day. Learning what each little change does has been very important. I have not been here long but even now I see questions and think wow, search a little.

Knowing how an oldschool carb and distributor works would quite helpful for understanding what some of the tables are for (hard to believe but probably a lot of the youngster have never even driven with a carburetor). Idle circuit, metering rods, air bleeds, chokes, enrichment circuit (PE), mechanical advance, vacuum advance among other stuff. It is nice that you don't even have to lift hood anymore. Right now I am kicking myself tor waiting so long to do this. For you are a newbs reading this if you don't have a wideband yet go research them and order one today.

Thanks for reading this newbs post.

[jamesthacker]

OK, maybe I was just having a bad day before because now I feel like a jackass for starting this thread. I just need to learn to filter out the spoon feeders and I'll be happy. I don't mind helping out extreme newbs. I don't expect for everyone to have a firm grasp on things when they first start out. It's very daunting at first and the learning curve is exponential. It's still a very nice place to hang out, get help and help others.

Thanks 5_Liter for your work on this forum!
I've read some of your work here and you go way beyond the call.
I'm a Noob, but rarely post. I believe that becoming competent with hptuners is a long, long, hard road.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you 5_Liter (again), EC_tune, ken, bill, WS6, jimmyblue, (I know there are more) for the hard work.

[5_Liter_Eater]

Thanks much James!

[gman4dx266]

All i gotta say on this is...well...Im one, if not THE youngest HPT owner/user on here, and if I can figure it out, then pretty much anyone can. It takes reading and patience for sure. In a sense it's like learning computer programming. (Thats what we're doing arent we? VCM programming?)

For me though, 2 years ago when I bought my HPT setup, I committed to buying the equipment for $500. So basically if I bought it and decided it was too hard to use, i was out half a "G". When you're 17 with a 6.50/hr after-school job, 500$ is alot more than 500 to other people. lol So I guess I had that looming over my head as well.

...Plus if you become proficient enough with HPT you can put all sorts of juicy stuff on a resum'e hehe

[james007moore]

Hey 5 liter eater, its guys like you that make forums like this so valuable, important and extremely helpful. I like the fact that you are willing to share your knowledge with anyone that is interested. Many people are not willing to share their knowledge or experience. The more people you help, the more people will learn and then they can help others and before you know it, you have helped thousands or more.

[jim2092]

While I am new to tuning, I am not uninformed when it comes to how computers and engines work. But I have to tell you, everything I have attempted to learn about my HP Pro unit and using it with a wideband sensor has been a real struggle. As I have progressed, I have read more books, forum posts, stickies, product instructions, etc. just to do a simple process. I don't believe the instructions for these products are getting the kind of review by non-techicians that they need to reach what I assume is their intended audience - those who do not know how to do this! Or, if I am not the intended audience - let me know and I shall stop trying.

[Chris@HPTuners]

We were all noobs once, even folks who have been here forever

i think the thread title is a little misleading - many people get frustrated by people asking questions that are covered in stickies, this may or may not mean they are noobs. One thing i will say is that if you did search and read the stickies and didn't find your answer or weren't satisfied with the answer, it's becoming common to mention that *you did* try to search and read the stickies as part of your post. This will prompt mods to flag a sticky as needing extra description and will also give your question (if it seems like one that has been asked a lot) a little more attention.

it's all about the fun guys

Chris...

[Keith@HPTuners]

The lack of search use is existant EVERYWHERE..

People who are new to computers, internet, forums, software, etc.. just don't realize there is help files in which most cases are SEARCHABLE, as well as forums with search capabilities..

I see it on all the forums.. huge stickies telling people to use search, big bold leters, people getting mad.. the problem is the newb's naturally don't look there first.. they simply look to the new post icon to ask for help..

I think it would be great if we had a first post popup that informed people how to use the vcm suite help files as well as the search feature on the forum. I think that may help the newbs...

[Nitrous]

When I started I was like WTF??? Thanks to guys like 5_Liter_Eater, Bill6531, WS6FirebirdTA00 and others who have helped me out in the past with a few simple questions, you guys got me where I can tune now except for boost but that's coming since I bought a C5 Magnacharger. LOL Bill6531 asked me to send him my scans after personally talking to him and I didn't do it because I wanted to finish learning on my own. I've talked with 5_Liter_Eater personally and haven't called him back either because after reading the help files things just started to make sense after talking with him. Newbs, you've got some experts here but read what you can and play with a wideband and the S/W on a daily basis so you'll become familiar with the tables. Enough of my soapbox but I want to personally thank everyone here that's made some sort of contribution to the forums to help each other learn. Read read read read and you'll finally be able to do this

Thanks guys!

[5_Liter_Eater]

Thanks for the kind works guys.

[EC_Tune]

Please do remember that the learning curve for modern PCM's is very, very steep. I've personally been looking at hex code since 1989 and tuning engines in hex when needed so HPT is truly a godsend (I still look at code though) in that everything is in it's native engineering units. Whew!

Now imagine a forum where you had to give your Operating System part number first (and know where in the code to look for it) just to get an answer.

Then it would be something like:
Go to address 18408(h)
Change every other byte by 17 up to 18580
Redo your checksum for the segment.
Save as a new file.
Now take your Intel xx400 Flash ROM out of the PCM.....

Now take into account that every year things got harder... Here's to the guys that put it all together so we can all use it!!!

[Power Surge]

I can only speak for myself here....

Being that tuning is what I do for a living and tuning and building cars is what I do all day, most of the time I just don't have time to spend hours reading through forums. I'm a Ford tuner, which I've been doing since the 90s, and this GM stuff is still new to me. Even though cars all work the same, the GM tuning is still different enough that it's like learning all over again. When I have a customer car here for tuning, and need some help, I just can't try to duplicate 10 years of tuning knowledge into an hour on the internet. I'd much rather make a post, ask what I need to ask, and let the knowledgable people give answers. Then, with those answers, I will implement them and then understand how and why they worked.

Also, things change over time, methods change over time, and people figure out better ways to do things. I HAVE done searches for answers here, only to be left more confused because the threads that came up were several knowledgable people arguing their different methods.

All can say is that I appreciated the help that I get. I am on your side of the fence on the Ford tuning forums, so I know how it feels to see the same questions asked.

[BADSZ28]

Many of you have helped me directly and indirectly (search usage and stickies). But sometimes I am not sure what a newB question is. So when I do not get a responce, I do not know if it is because I asked a stupid newB question or just nobody knows.

[EC_Tune]

^^^ Or the right person who has experience with that question hasn't read the thread yet.

[WorkingManPerf.]

part of the problem with search, there is so much information, you can not type in a phase or topic and come up with an answer in SANE amount of time. There are times I have spent 4+ hours reading and wading thur 30+pages on topics I search for.

One thing is that the few of top guys(soundengineer, EC tune, Greg B.) have always gone above the call, with that manys thanks guys.

[5_Liter_Eater]

I really should have used "spoon feeders" in place of "Newbs".

[EC_Tune]

It's OK Bill. I think we all knew what you meant. I'm sure there are some "newbs" that knew you meant the "spoon feeders". Sometimes a little spoon feeding goes a long way though.

[black1963cnv]

Just a new guy that would like to say thank you all for helping me tune my rides. It has been a lot of reading and more try and retry and try somemore to get to where i am at with my tune. I have tuned both my trucks and my car and wish that it had been a little easier to grasp. I am not trying to get out of doing any reading or hard work i am just after all i can get out of the tune. Just about ever guy on this post has passed info on to others that i have read and help me tune. So thanks sorry to upset you.

[DanaliHD]

Stickies are fine and good but when you open a sticky that is titled "how to blah blah blah" and it is dated 2005 and is 10 pages long and everyone is arguing with the original poster, it makes it difficult for us to decide what to believe. Nevermind the fact that it isn't worth spending the time trying to figure out who's info is correct.

It would be great if someone would clean them up a bit.

[BBA]

Anyone sick and tired of people bitching about being sick and tired of...



J/K

I'll agree with DanaiHD above.

Hey 5_Liter_Eater....take it easy man, you're a super guy and all but there are a lot of guys who are good at figuring things out but not as quickly as others and they just want a jump start, so giving a hand out once in a while really helps them too.

Besides, I'm pretty sure I have been guilty of not reading a sticky here and there, but I can tell you a few stickies exists that I would not agree with anyway. This is a learn by trial and error type experience for most.