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How To Easily Find Information on Your E39 Topic Before Posting a New Thread

202K views 105 replies 59 participants last post by  bjflwrs1919 
#1 ·
Having been a member of this forum for awhile, I have noticed that many newer members post up a thread regarding their issue, question or problem without doing any research on their topic. Often times, these topics have been repeatedly addressed in the past and the responses are well documented (see the wiki). Long-time frustrated forum members often respond to these same questions/topics :banghead: with a sarcastic or curt response (Do a search!), which then makes the new member feel unwelcomed :cry: and may hinder future contribution. This is counterproductive to the long term quality of this forum which relies on contributions from anyone to reach the "best" answer, which often is not the same for everyone.

What I would like to do here is to provide some short, clear guidance for new members on how to best search for the information/answer they are seeking. If these methods do not result in a satisfactory result, then feel free to post up a new thread. While these tips may seem to be common sense for most folks, I suspect that many new members are unaware of how to best find information on the e39. Given that I have somewhat limited computer skills, I invite everyone, especially BlueBee, to add to this thread to provide their tips and tricks for others to find their answers.

1. Searching this Forum ***8211; Pretty much every topic regarding the e39 has been addressed in one form or another already. Much of this information, including DIYs are located in the wiki. Top search this forum:
a. Click the search tab arrow on the black bar above.
b. Click on Advanced Search
c. Identify any specific keywords you want to find in the Keyword box. Use "quotes" to find a specific phrase like "secondary air pump" or "Vanos seals".
d. If you know the user name associated with the thread or post, input that under User Name box.
e. In the Search In Forum box, scroll down to E39 (1997-2003) and highlight it.
f. You can limit your search by specifying constraints in the Find Threads With or Find Posts With boxes.
g. Click Search Now and it will generate your results.

2. Searching the Web ***8211; Google is your friend. A search will yield other BMW forums that may provide a better answer to your question. I personally think the 'Fest is the best, but that's just my $0.02.

I would like to ask that folks do not post any comments (good or bad) on this thread other than adding to the list of ways to find an answer. This will keep the thread shorter and more focused and efficient. If you have any comments or criticisms to what I am doing here, please start another thread and flame away :flame:!

Thanx! :roundel:
 
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#3 · (Edited)
For me, I have found google searching better than forum searching and if you want to google this specific site use the following in the google search field:

site:bimmerfest.com with your search word and it will confine the search to this site only. i.e. site:bimmerfest.com secondary air pump returns any results with secondary or air or pump. Whereas, "secondary air pump" with the quotes yields ONLY those three words consecutively within a thread/post.

Also, I find less is more for the first search i.e. search for "pump" first before searching for secondary air pump. Sometimes people refer to the secondary air pump as S.A.S., SAS. The same can apply to the FSU aka Final Stage Unit aka blower resistor aka Final Stage resistor.

Finally, I find the first search should not be limited to the E39 forum as there are common issues and parts across the model lines that sometimes you can find M62 issues in the E38 forum and M52/M54 issues in the E46 forums.

Problem I see with the suggestion above is many newbies don't know this about cross platforms or what some things are called.

Another problem at times is when we suggest do a search, the future posts of certain members say, "don't ask me to search or google it in the first line of their post. Stating "what is the point of interacting on the forum if all I need to do is search? I want to interact with you guys" So, they feel it is their right to ask the same question even if it is for the 1000th time. Followed by stating, if you don't like the question, move on and don't answer the thread. :dunno: So lately, I do just that, ignore the thread and move on so someone else can deal with it.
 
#43 ·
For me, I have found google searching better than forum searching and if you want to google this specific site use the following in the google search field:

site:bimmerfest.com with your search word and it will confine the search to this site only. i.e. site:bimmerfest.com secondary air pump ...
More on Google search in the presentation starting at approx. 0:47:00. (First part of the video is about Bing and I found it uninteresting)
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=12437
It's not so much an eye opener as a good general educational video on search tactics. I'm sure other videos like that could be found on YT.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Always search the bestlinks first, before posting a new thread!

ADVICE:
Please make your 1st search a simple /keyword click within the bestlinks thread BEFORE posting a new thread!

Note: This fast & efficient technique searches 'only' within that one thread.

QUICK:
It takes about two or three seconds to find the best of the links on any topic!

EFFECTIVE:
You'll know right away if it's a common subject or not - and - if it's common, you'll know exactly what everyone else knows & says about that subject. Better yet, if it's not a common subject, you'll know that too (by the dearth of links).

FOCUSED:
If, after reading the best links found, you still need help, you can read focus your followup post on your variant in that existing well-attended thread.

Besides having subscribers, these focus threads generally have plenty of pictures and cross references. Many of the odd-ball whacko ideas & misconceptions have already been culled out by sheer numbers of eyes viewing these threads (many have over fifty thousand viewers, and some have over one hundred thousand viewers!).

INCREMENTALISM:
In practice, even if the quoted links aren't 'the best' (at first), with inevitable additional cross-threading, picture posts, & thousands upon thousands of visitors, these links tend to become, over time, a one-stop-shopping resource!

SIMPLE:
The 'trick' I use in Firefox to instantly find the best of the links is: /keyword (F3).

That is, I simply press /keyword in that bestlinks thread; and then I repeatedly press the "F3" button to move forward to successive matches ("shift F3" to move backward).

Use "control F keyword" in Internet Explorer.
Use "command F keyword" on the Macintosh.
Linux is the same as Windows.

EXAMPLES:

  • /cooling system overhaul (F3)
  • /secondary air pump (F3) <== abbreviations also work (e.g, SAS, SAP, etc.)
  • /headlight adjusters (F3)
  • /window regulator (F3)
  • /replacing shocks (F3)
  • /power steering (F3)
  • /spark plug diy (F3)
  • /fan clutch nut (F3)
  • /diamond key (F3)
  • /vacuum leak (F3)
  • /white smoke (F3)
  • /overheating (F3)
  • /trunk lock (F3)
  • /motor oil (F3)
  • /homelink (F3)
  • /abs diy (F3)
  • /wheels (F3)
  • /brakes (F3)
  • /misfire (F3)
  • /seats (F3)
  • /giubo (F3) <== various spellings work (e.g., guibo, gweebo, etc.)
  • /fluids (F3)
  • /tires (F3)
  • /disa (F3) <== the /search is case insensitive (e.g., DISA, disa, DiSa, etc.)
  • /inpa (F3) <== finding INPA also finds Carsoft, GT1/DIS, EDIABAS, Peake, etc.)
  • /fuse (F3)
  • /mpg (F3)
  • /.pdf (F3) <== finds scores of the best PDF files ever posted to the forum!
  • /gdo (F3)
  • /ccv (F3) <== various nicknames work (e.g., osv, pcv, pvv, cvv, cpv, etc.)
  • /fsu (F3)
  • etc.
SETUP:
In practice, it's best to set your posts-viewed to the maximum allowed so a single search finds all:

  • User CP -> Edit Options -> Number of Posts to Show Per Page -> 80 -> Save Changes
UPDATE:
Note: So that others find this thread more easily, I'll add it to the bestlinks in a keyword-rich sentence of the ilk:

- Hints from the experts for newbies on searching before posting in order to find common E39 information (1)

 

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#6 ·
I received a PM from an experienced user who wasn't aware of the multiple ways to do a search 'within' a thread.

This screenshot was drawn to help in show two ways to search within any thread for a keyword within that thread.

 

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#7 ·
Thanks, Fudman. I'm sure many of us will be linking back to this thread. Also, Bluebee's suggestion to use the browser search function within a page or a thread is helpful. For the Mac users among us, the key combination "command f" brings up the search function. In Safari, it's a little search window at the top of the page with forward and back arrows. In Firefox, it appears at the bottom of the screen.
 
#10 ·
This has probably already been mentioned, but the advanced search feature, in addition to giving you the option of searching for keywords by thread titles or all posts, also has a couple checkboxes at the bottom of the search screen that give the option of filtering the hits by "threads" or "posts" that contain all keywords. I find this particularly useful.
 
#11 ·
Thanx, Propellerhead for stickying this thread! :thumbup:

Using the tips and tricks mentioned above, I would suggest that folks start their searches with:
1. the VERY Best of E39 Links
2. E39 faq

This information is also complemented by the View the E39 Wiki in the header above.

These three areas contain virtually every major DIY and discussion on relevant problems and topics WRT E39s. If you can't find what you need there, these links may help you to better understand the complexities of your problem or issue so that when you post your next thread, it can be more specific. Don't forget to add E39 model, MY, mileage and any other relevant info when you start a thread :typing: so that other folks can better understand the situation and hopefully better help you out! And lastly, PLEASE post a conclusion to your threads so that you add to the collective experience and we can all learn from your experiences. :beerchug:

Drive on! :roundel:
 
#12 · (Edited)

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#13 · (Edited)
Regarding the "Bimmerfest" search ... Here's an efficient-search technique I often employ:

While most issues have at least one 'canonical' thread listed in the bestlinks or the wiki or the FAQ - each of which has had thousands of eyes on it ... 'some' issues are not (yet) listed in the easily-found locations.

When that happens, what "I" often do next is a ...
Bimmerfest-only E39-only Title-Only search:

  1. Select "Search->Advanced search"
  2. Enter your keyword(s), e.g., "giubo"
  3. Select "Titles Only" (helps focus if there is too much information otherwise found)
  4. Select "E39 (1997 to 2003)" (again, helps focus)'
  5. Press "Search Now"
  6. In Firefox, I right-click on each of the finds, opening each in a separate tab
    • Then I skim each of them, killing all which are of little value
    • What's left are the threads that I read for information!
    • HINT: I use this setting in Firefox to keep the tab-kill [x] button from jumping around!

Optionally, select "Find Threads Started by User" and then type a well-known user's ID such as any of the following who write excellent DIYs & comments:

Optionally, select "Find Posts by User" and then type a well-known user's ID such as any of those below who are known for detailed and accurate posts on a wide variety of subjects:

Note: For the better good, I risked listing logins which inevitably leads to accidentally omitting some; so please PM me for helpful login additions which I can make as edits here! This list is merely to help others (who are new to the forum participants) figure out how to search better.

And, below, I list the firefox settings I use for efficient tab handling when culling out the riffraff from extensive search results:
 
#54 · (Edited)
And, below, I list the firefox settings I use for efficient tab handling when culling out the riffraff from extensive search results:
Regarding opening many tabs and efficiently closing them as they pan out, Mozilla has disabled the about config BrowserTabCloseButton={1,2,3} setting so that what I wrote above no longer works after Firefox version 31:
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=865826

The workaround is to install the Firefox extension "tabs-closebutton-restored":
- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tabs-closebutton-restored/

EDIT: The good thing is that you get a close button both on every tab, and one that never changes location (to be placed where you want it placed).

To repeat the reason this matters, is that efficiency is a lot of little things done well. Searching, by necessity, involves opening multiple tabs, and closing those that don't pan out, so that you can concentrate on the best of the links found. This is an easy way to close out the tabs, with an absolute minimum amount of effort, so that you will be willing to open the tabs in the first place to ascertain whether they'll be useful.

The worst search is the search not done, and this little tidbit helps get the search done.
 

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#18 ·
I realized a new technique today to 'save' for later the results of an extensive search.

Let's say you've run a search and found, oh, let's say a dozen or more articles of interest (which is typical).

In Firefox, there is no longer a menu item to save all open tabs to a bookmark folder.

But ... if you simply right click on any one of the dozen open tabs, you will see a menu item called:
- Bookmark All Tabs

A form will pop up asking you for a folder name.
This way you can save the results from your searches for use later. Works for me, mainly because I read dozens of references on any particular topic of interest ... but YMMV, as always.

 

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#19 ·
In addition, I just realized another useful technique to most efficiently narrow the results of a bimmerfest search when the bestlinks has nothing to offer the users.

Take the 'engine failsafe' error that "540 M-Sport" had today:
-> E39 (1997 - 2003) > 2001 540 "Engine Fail Safe"

I ran a quick "/engine failsafe" in the bestlinks, only to find, much to my chagrin, nothing was found! (oh, the horror!)

So, I ran a quick "advanced" selecting E39-only title-only search for "engine failsafe", which found 23 threads of interest.

To zero in on the 'best' thread, I sorted the results by number of views. The assumption is that a thread with only, say, 10 to 100 views might not have had enough 'eyes' on it to fully flesh out the problem or to weed out the inevitable bad advice. However, a thread with, say, ten thousand views, should have most of the bad advice weeded out and most of the good advice suggested.

As always, YMMV.
 

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#22 ·
Saw this animated GIF in a thread today, and figured it would be useful in the future over here:
And next time



The topic had been covered many many times.
 

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#23 · (Edited)
Just for the record, the position of the forum stickies changes depending on which thread has last been updated - but - since there are only 3 stickies overall - it shouldn't be too hard for people to find 'em! :)

Refer to the stickied thread (3d thread) when you open this forum. It gives explicit directions for searching for anything you would need about e39s.
Refer to the stickied thread (2d thread) when you open this forum. It gives explicit directions for searching for anything you would need about e39s.


EDIT: By way of example, this post brought the sticky back up to the top of the three:
 

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#24 · (Edited)
Just for the record, by now, most topics are represented in the bestlinks, so what I've been doing strategically, to maintain the links with new information, is:
a) I choose one thread on bimmerfest to be 'canonical' (this is a subjective decision which is not infallible)
b) The reason the canonical thread must be on bimmerfest, is so that we can cross reference to all the other existing threads
c) If the canonical thread is not on Bimmerfest, then I CREATE a thread on bimmerfest, referencing the canonical thread elsewhere <=== in practice, this rarely happens simply because Bimmerfest has most topics covered by now
d) In addition, as new information comes in, I cross reference BACK to that canonical thread.
e) I make sure, at least in the canonical thread, that all links (e.g., to Ebay or Amazon) have persistent SCREENSHOTS
f) So, that way, at least that one thread references all other threads, and the important things are captured for posterity.
g) In the event that the one thread wasn't the BEST, it soon becomes so, simply because it has everything easily linked to it.
h) In general, that canonical thread is the FIRST in the list of references in the bestlinks (e.g., - How to do blah blah blah (1) (2) (3) <=== The canonical thread is (1)).

Note: In the past, when new links came about after the 60-day editing period expired for a post on the bestlinks, I merely reproduced the reference with new numbers [e.g., the reference grew from "- How to do blah (1) (2) (3)" to "- How do do blah (1) (2) (3) (4) (4) (6)"]; but repeating links grew too repetitive and cumbersome over time - so that's why I implemented the new system described above, which eliminates the need for new links.
 
#26 · (Edited)
This sentence was posted today by a new user:
Hey guys. New to the site and posting on a phone so it's hard to search. ...
My first question is:
Q1: Is it actually true that it's too hard to search using a smartphone?

My second followup question depends on the answer of the above:
Q2: If it's too difficult to search with a smartphone, what can we do to make it easier?
or
Q2: If it's just a "different" use model, then what hints should we put here to point future smart phone users to for efficiently searches?

PS: As an aside, we should probably also list the most recommended smart phone applications for use on Bimmerfest. I'll open a separate thread on that topic.
EDIT: Thread opened:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > What smart phone applications should we recommend for efficient E39 searches?
 

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#28 ·

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#29 ·
do your research

3rd e39 just picked up today,
thks to you all - lots of info, finally found the right one.
2003 540i msport in mint cond. looking 4 a long time
last one was a 2001 530iA
sold with 300 well earned K's
frequented this forum as I searched for this one (i'll post pics soon)
thanks to all
I look forward to sharing stories and info.

Cheers
JCB
 
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