I disagree with this sentiment. It has nothing to do with the forum being old school and set in its ways. The decision will be made in what is best for FTE and its users.

One could argue that you should ask your tech question in the proper tech forum your question fits in.

And you cannot assume said guru would know tech for the older platforms. Logic would suggest that there is a greater chance the newer tech is what they would be interested in being guru's for.

It's possible.

C'mon bud, let's be logical and not overly dramatic.

Now we're potato heads because we're not jumping into your truck in full agreement with you? We're potato heads because we don't all immediately agree with you and do what you want?



Stewart

 

I agree that the recalcitrant Stinky has "forced" me into learning more about these trucks than I intended. I ultimately won out, but there are battle scars.

 

Yup that's IT! (Double entendre intended.)

The most tech savy kids will be working with newer used vehicles. If we want to learn from them - for vehicle coss-fertilization and down filtering to occur - we need the scan tool general discussion centralized in a top level forum.

Tugly is spot on when he says:

Using the search function for "New Generation Star" in each of the abovementioned "proper tech forums" for my 1995 Bronco, there was NOT ONE POST where anyone used it. Nadda. Zip. Nothing. (I mean, who buys a $725 scan tool for a vehicle which may not be worth that much? In 2005, I paid $8K for my cherry Bronco because I am a "Ford Enthusiast.")

The most telling search results were from the Small Block V8 (221, 260, 289, 5.0/302, 5.8/351W) forum where a search for "New Generation Star" returned NO HITS! Nadda. Zip. Nothing.

So Stewart do you still suggest that I learn about using my New Generation Star scan tool in those "proper tech forums?" Please think about what I am saying. Don't be just offended. Only be offended if it makes you think about my plight and how this forum can help solve it.

It was best said by Steve88 in a sticky in the 1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks forum:

QUOTE=steve83;696784]This is from the Ford Service CD, but I've edited & reorganized it so it's easier to follow. I deleted the info about the STAR testers since I doubt anyone has one and doesn't know how to use it.[/QUOTE]

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/n...reply&p=696784

But I will dutifully do the expiriment. I will post for help with my New Generation Star scan tool in each of the "proper tech forums" and report back what I find.

You are not potato heads because you are not doing what I want. You are potato heads because scan tools are the future for the computer programmer EE whiz kids and the new uses of scan tools will be on newer vehicles by these kids, and their knowledge will not cross-fertilize to our trucks or filter down to my 1995 Bronco without a top level centralized scan tool forum. Opposition to innovative thinking is often referred to as "Potato Head."

In closing, if the nose fits, wear it.

 

"Passion both gets us in trouble, or starts a Revolution....in equal measure."
I'm such a Poet.

 

coax9952: I prefer to call it "Enthusiasm" on this forum. I bought the 2002 7.3L E350, the 1993 Bronco, my current 1995 Bronco, the two volume (combined 10" thick) 1995 Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis Ford Service Manual On Board Diagnostics books, and the Ford OEM scan tool New Generation Star, because I am a Ford "Enthusiast."*



*Now if you want to talk T.E.A. party vs Rino that's for a separate passionate discussion:


"Cruz/Walker - Cruz to cut the size of federal gov't and Walker to run what's left."

 

Oh I hear you, I have 6 Fords in my family of different years so this hits home for me too. I get counseled at work all the time for my "Passion" for my job, so I penned that prose for my boss. It was not a dig, it just fit the moment......

 

Agreed

This has been my limited experience also. As murky as threads get in forum specific topics imagine what multiple year models might propagate.

 

It seems to me you could sticky such a thread in each engine or model year for this, if such a board wanted it. Otherwise you are adding to much. If you don't have a call for it, it's just more clutter.

IMO, don't add features to try and get a group here. Stick to who you are and grow that. It's what got you here. Yes, some changes and ideas change as time goes, but that can be board by board...

 

Mr. Hodgson, by your own admission, there is not enough NGS traffic to where you can even find a post about it. Just where is all this pent-up demand that FTE should be hosting, and, by not giving it a separate forum, will go elsewhere and cause FTE to ultimately fail? FTE is not here to support your particular unique interest - if there is so much demand, you should start your own board and put FTE out of business. Then you too can know the joys of server load management and begging for donations to keep your little enterprise afloat.

 

jas88: You both make and misconstrue my point. I agree that there is very little discussion on the NGS on FTE. (Check out my search re the 1995 Bronco and NGS on the four forums above.) It may be out there, buried in the various subforums. That is one of the reasons why I am an advocate for a centralized top level forum devoted to scan tools. Where we can all learn about the up and coming scan tools and the pluses and minuses of each.

You are right about the NGS, it would be one of the many scan tools with threads in that forum. Quite frankly, I would like to hear from anybody with a NGS...

 

First off, I barely know how to post. I still use a flip phone because the touchtone screens on those newfangled phone/computers intimidate the hell out of me. (had one for 2 days and returned it. couldn't scroll through the contact list without calling every contact I touched on the screen.) I still can't post pictures on here!

OK. I said that just so you know how stupid I am with computers. (I should probably own an IDI!) If I get what Rich and Tim are saying, there are scan tools that work for multiple trucks, but require different programs to accomplish that. By having one forum for tech guys to gather and hang out, they can learn from each other by offering advice in forums that they may never see because one guy spends his time in the V-10 forum while the other guy is in the 94.5-97PSD forum. Buy having a place for all of these guys to hang out, much information could be shared back and forth making everybody more knowledgeable about the tools they already have.

Is that what I'm seeing here?

 

CampSpringsJohn: That's how I see it working... But this 6.0 FTE Brother said it better than me:

 

The more forums you have the more spread out things get.
We have broken out Expeditions, Explorers, F150s into Multiple Forums based on Model Year, so we have already built-in sub-divisions which make it tougher to find something.

That folks 'know' what the right forum to use, isn't so obvious. I regularly read folks posting in the SuperDuty forum (thankfully ALL years are in one forum) their question about 7.3, 6.0, 5.4, 6.8, 6.2, 6.4, and 6.7 engine - because (I believe) they have a SuperDuty Truck.
It would seem to me, just putting AE, DashPro, SG2, Fordscan in the TITLE in an existing Forum would allow folks to properly search for the info they need.
Thread titles: "I have a question" "Help needed" etc. are less helpful - to the masses.

I rarely visit the "General Automotive discussion" forum, but it MIGHT be the best place for a "How-to Install/setup" thread on a given tool.

 

Here is the example of the day: [LINK]

This little nugget will work with AE if it's attached to a Bronco, F150, Superduty of any era, or even a Mustang or Nissan. There are general settings in there that need to be adjusted, and problems to resolve - like installation. I'm sure if there was an NGS forum, it would get populated with posts (since it works on all Fords - remember Ford Truck Enthusiasts, not just 99-03 7.3L enthusiasts).

 

I think there is a few issues going on here-
We're talking about tuning here, along with new and different software and hardware.

Let's not forget there are 10 different kinds of people on here, those who understand binary, and those who don't. Point being, some plug a tuner in and understand little, others are wanting to customize their own software and hardware for the truck.
It seems to me, that the more simple issues such as choosing a tuner for a 7.3 diesel, or 6.4 diesel, etc, are already suited by how the forum is currently setup. I am aware of how some advanced questions go unanswered, especially regarding custom wiring, custom software, etc.

If anything, it seems like maybe a sub forum could be inserted somewhere, possibly under competition, that could be something like "Electrical performance, diagnosis, and repair".
In this forum, it could cover things like scan tools, advanced tuner options, DIY mods, advanced things that the average person is not going to care about. This would be where we could discuss advanced software, android based code readers, car computers, etc, the stuff some are interested in, but most don't care about.
This would keep the super advanced stuff out of the main forums.

If I want to ask what tuner is the best for my 7.3, I'd ask in the 7.3 diesel section.

If I wanted to ask what chinese clone android system and wiring I need to read codes, I'd ask in the Electrical, codes, diagnosis section.