Not going to make donation for nothing will I get an answer if I do

What was the question? Isn't it neat that this site is set up so you don't have to pay to ask a question? Think of your donation as a tip, not a requirement.

Also, I am busy 16 hours per day answering questions from people who did make donations, not because I'm trying to ignore you, but because they have more invested in the problem and are more likely to remain in the conversation to see the problem through. Nine out of ten people who don't make a donation don't ever respond back after I research and type an answer that can often take over an hour. That wastes my time so I don't do it anymore. I'm also busy with followup replies and some of my conversations add up to more than 25 posts over many days by the time we find the solution as a team. It's only when I'm all caught up with those that I scroll through the free questions, which is where I found your comment. It's been over a month since I had a chance to look here. I have access to the list of recent donors and I read 100 percent of them. Still, I only feel competent to answer about one out of twenty of them, but at least I read them. In the free questions, I might not have the time to read throught them for a month or more. Then, I'm not familiar with anything other than Chrysler products, I'm not familiar with anything newer than a 2002 model, and I'm not an engine performance expert. That means I won't be reading a large percentage of the free questions, and of those I do read, I won't be able to offer a decent answer to most of them. But, ... At least give me a chance before you grump about the entire site. I've run across two people who wanted a refund of their donation in the year and a half since I've been here. You're the first person who was unhappy before even giving the folks here a chance.

Next, regardless of how wise and intelligent I appear to be, I'm not an expert on all cars so I won't try to make you think I can solve any problem you have. My areas of expertise are steering, suspension, and alignment, brakes, electrical, charging and starting systems, and late '60s to early '00s Chrysler products. If your question doesn't pertain to those subjects, I most likely won't respond, especially if you made a donation, because other, smarter people will see a reply has already been posted and therefore won't look at your question.

Finally, the biggest reason for someone to not get a reply is they entered very little or confusing information. "Car doesn't start". That's it. Nothing more. No history, no details, no symptoms. Geez, if you call your doctor and say "I'm in pain", what is he supposed to recommend? Should he treat you for a stomach ache, a hang nail, or you cut your foot off with a chain saw? If a person can't be bothered to type for at least a minute or two, they aren't really interested in finding help with their problem.

Some people are too lazy to type "needs TO BE replaced". If they can only type "needs replaced", I'm too lazy to care to reply. This seems to be the wave of the internet that people can't be bothered to use correct grammar, don't use punctuation, and obviously don't proofread before posting. I'm spending a lot of time to try to help people but it should work both ways. Why should I have to work to try to decipher what someone means before I can respond?

Some people get really snooty when we dare to ask for additional information. They think we are psychic and are going to know the answer right away just by laying our hands on the computer screen. We can't feel the vibration, we can't hear the noise, and we can't see the loose part unless you hold your computer closer to the car. It's amazing how some people expect us to know what's happening when we aren't by the car.

If you search through the thousands of questions, replies, and solutions, you will see that you are out-of-line with your comments. I will gladly offer you any advice or information I can if you repost your question.

As for the people who do make a donation and are reading this, thank you. I've had three laptops crash a total of five times since January. I've had this new one for three days and no problems, ... Yet. The donations do not cover the cost of 'puter repairs and buying service manuals. I do this because I like to help people, and I don't have a real job to go to. It costs me money to be on this site, and I am still happy to answer free questions when I have time. I don't know of anyone else who works for free so please don't be angry if I spend most of my time with the people who donated. I don't even get to know how much was donated. I only know they cared enough to do so, and it is appreciated.

Caradiodoc

Thanks for the kind words fabian1. As another unemployed person, I can appreciate being careful with your bucks. If you'd care to post your question or problem in this thread, I'll get an automatic e-mail directing me back here. Keep in mind though the things I'm not an expert in; engine performance in particular and cars less than ten years old. I'll give you an answer if I can.

Caradiodoc