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What is this website?

This page, and the other pages hosted on the same site, are the 1000 Already Answered Questions FAQ for Diamond-Star Motors vehicles. The name is often abbreviated to 1000AAQ.

The Last Word: This site is about DSMs, wholly about DSMs, and nothing but DSMs.

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Isn't this the Talon Digest?

No. The Talon Digest is (or, at least, was) an email mailing list. This is a website. DO NOT send email intended for the Talon Digest to any address shown on this website. To locate information on the Talon Digest, go here.

The Last Word: R.I.P.

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What is this website for?

The purpose of the 1000AAQ website is to provide owners of Diamond-Star Motors (DSM) cars an additional on-line resource for locating information. This file contains comprehensive answers to many of the most frequently asked questions regarding DSM cars, their operation, modifications, performance and so on. The name was derived from the fact that most of these questions appear over and over on the Talon Digest, and have been answered a 'thousand' times already.

These pages are not the only on-line resource for DSM owners. Club DSM is the central jumpsite for a huge variety of on-line information regarding DSMs. This site, and other sites like it under the dsm.org domain name hierarchy, is a part of Club DSM.

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Who's idea was the site?
How long has the site been in operation?
Why did you make this site?
How much work did it take to make the site, as it is today?
Who has helped with this site?

This site was conceived by the moderator of the Talon Digest, Todd Day. He envisiaged a 'super-FAQ' that would once and for all answer the questions that kept coming up over and over and over on his mailing list. The idea was first introduced by Todd in 1998 as part of the reorganization of the Talon Digest website.

I picked up the idea after Todd didn't get any other volunteers for it. I didn't get a reply for a while, but decided to work on it anyway since nobody else seemed to be doing it. I felt there was an ongoing need for a DSM meta-FAQ to help tie together all of the other excellent information that people somehow were not finding. That was roughly September 1998.

The 'official' 1000AAQ site debuted in December 1998. This site required several weeks of work - mostly in the form of research in order to determine the correct answer to the more than 170 questions answered on the site at that time. At that time, each question required between 1/2 and 4 hours worth of work to research and document, leading to a minimum workload of 85 hours for that version. This is partly because the site is not database-driven - the entire site was created manually, using the Paul Lutus excellent Arachnophilia editor.

By January 1999, the site was up to 210 questions. It was expanded to about 450 questions before a time crunch and lack of interest (and support) took it's toll and the project was shelved for many months. As a result, it remained static for about 1-1/2 years. It was picked up now and again briefly, but the updates were not transferred to the live website at that time. It was 2001 before the project was again revived.

These pages have been sporadically updated in 2001 and 2002. It has suffered a bit as a result of the decline and demise of several DSM-related FAQ sites, including www.dsm.org, pics.dsm.org, and brochures.dsm.org. In my mind, that makes this FAQ site even more valuable and necessary, since advice like "search the DSM archives" has ceased to be relevant.

To date, I have received very little help with this website. I have had a few offers, but nobody has been able to contribute a meaningful amount of content. In other words, I have done all of this pretty much on my own.

My goal is to publish the answers to 1000 questions about DSMs. At that time, this FAQ will cease to be updated. Until then I intend to continue work on it for no other reason than I said I would.

The Last Word: Didn't ever get to 1000, but oh well. This site will no longer be updated.

The Last Last Word: Why I keep updating this stuff, I'll never know...

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What kind of information is here?

The website is broken into several sections, each with a specific focus of information. The subjects include answers to common questions involving common problems, recalls, operation, modifications, performance, racing, equipment, wheels, tires, instrumentation, and so on. Since the content of the site might change at any time, please browse the complete index here for a complete list of categories, as well as an index and search engine.

As of the last update, the information presented at this site is specific to the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, and Plymouth Laser cars built between 1990 and 1999. There are more answers concerning 1990-1994 cars than 1995-1999 cars, and none concerning the 2000+ Eclipse. Please note that this is not a result of prejudice or bias - it is simply that there are more "frequently asked questions" about older cars than newer cars. More 2G information is being added as it comes up.

Regarding 3G cars, the 1000AAQ site is a part of Club DSM, a club that largely does not support the 2000+ Eclipse models. For more information on the 3G Eclipse, try Club 3G.

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Yeah, sure, but how do you know?
How reliable is the information on this site?
How can I be sure that the information presented here is correct?

Everything you read on the net should be suspect information. This site is no exception, and a healthy skepticism is the hallmark of critical thinking. In other words, unless you know me personally, you don't know that what I'm saying is likely to be correct. [Hell, even if you know me personally, I could still be wrong! Nobody's perfect!]

As the author of these pages, I personally am not going to guarantee the accuracy of any of this information. If you have not already read the legal disclaimer, do it now. You are responsible for your own actions (and car).

However, I believe that the information here is correct. I have worked hard to make this site as complete and comprehensive as I can. There may be errors or omissions that were accidentally introduced through my good-faith efforts, and for those I apologize (and ask you to e-mail me a correction).

Most of the information presented on this site is an amalgamation of information presented from various sources. These sources include the Talon Digest archives, other information gathered from various spots on the Internet, and various printed references such as newspapers, technical manuals and shop manuals.

Having said that, the Talon Digest is a mailing list and, as such, is subject to the common problem of substituting opinion for fact. This is especially true of items where no hard facts exist, and rumors or conjectures take over completely.

As with everything you read on the net, you need to have independent verification before you can be confident the information is correct. At the very least, I advise you have at least three independent Internet sources which agree with each other before you come to any conclusions. If you can find at least three sources that corroborate each other, and can't find any dissenting sources, chances are the information is correct.

The information presented here can be verified by doing the necessary research. That is how these pages were created. There are many other sites on the net that can verify the information; many are linked into this FAQ. So check it out!

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The questions and answers are out of order! How come? Can't you fix it?

Due to the many reorganizations that I have done to the site, the order of questions and answers does not always correspond. I am trying to make it easier to navigate the site and locate the information you need.

I could try to fix the order of questions to answers, but it's futile. Many questions that occur in different sections point to the same answer. By taking advantage of the linked nature of the HTML format, I can organize the questions in a more intuitive order without necessity of undue repetition. This is much more elegant than the older text-only FAQs of the past.

If you truly cannot stand how the site is organized, spend some time and help me out.

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I can't find the answer to my DSM question. Can I e-mail you for the answer?

Sorry, but no. There are lots of other on-line resources that likely have the information you need. These cars have extensively discussed for eleven-plus years, and there is little about them that is not well understood. Start with the Club DSM website, but don't forget to hit the FAQ Locator, the Talon Digest archives, and the Regional DSM sites along the way.

Having said this, if you know of a question that should be on the 1000AAQ site, please e-mail me with the question and some information relating to the answer.

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I don't understand! Why won't you help me by answering my question about my [DSM]?

Mostly, I just don't have time. But it is more complex than that.

Questions break down into two separate categories: those I can answer and those I cannot. Simple, until you realize that I am not a mechanic. Consequently, I have no previous experience to draw upon. To put it simply, everything I know about DSMs I learned from Club DSM and the Talon Digest.

As a result, if I am able to answer your question, that means at some point in the past I learned the answer from the resources present at the Club DSM website. If I did it, so can you - there is no need for me to spend my time solving your problems. In actual fact, many of the questions I get asked have their answers contained in this very same 1000AAQ site you are presently reading through, and I do not care to repeat myself endlessly because people cannot read.

On the other hand, if I am unable to answer your question, it is because the answer is beyond my experience. In that case, asking me the question is a waste of time for everyone concerned. This does not imply there is no answer - there are many aspects of DSM cars that I do not understand - it simply means that I do not know the answer. You would be better off using your time looking through the above-mentioned online resources to see if another person has answered your questions.

It is no exaggeration to say that you can become highly knowledgeable about DSMs by simply reading through the Talon Digest archives. All of the information contained in this FAQ, and almost every other DSM FAQ, is contained in the archives. This is how I and thousands of other DSM owners learned. We had no choice, for at the time, nicely formatted FAQ files didn't exist. There was no FAQ Locator, this 1000AAQ site didn't exist, a regional site was unheard of, and VFAQ wasn't even a word. Still, I and most other people managed quite well, and envy the new membership that has such a broad range of superior resources available to them.

If you feel you must email me, there is nothing I can do to stop you, but you are placing yourself at the mercy of my whims. If you want me to reply, your message should be well composed and coherent, with proper spelling and grammar and a clear description of your problem. If it looks like you wrote it in less than thirty seconds and didn't even bother using the spell-checker, you obviously don't care enough about the problem for me to bother replying. For examples of questions I did not reply to, visit the 1000AAQ Wall of Shame.

Finally, I am generally sympathetic to those who live outside North America, and who consequently lack local support for their DSM cars. I am generally unsympathetic towards North Americans who are simply too lazy to bother finding the information so generously (and freely) provided by their peers.

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There is a broken link on your site! Should I e-mail you about it?

Yes, please do. However, do keep in mind that I only maintain the 1000AAQ site itself. By its very nature, this site links to hundreds of other external websites that are not under my control. If you find a broken link on one of these websites, or find that a link to another site is down, it is not within my power to correct the problem. In these cases you have to contact the owner of the problem site for a remedy.

Special note: As of the time of this writing, the main site of www.dsm.org is experiencing a number of problems. The site owner no longer actively maintains the site, and certain sections of it are no longer available. As a result, the "Search for this topic now!" icons on this site are likely broken. I do not have time to take them all out right now.

The Last Word: www.dsm.org still lives, but it will never be updated. There are a billion broken links, and I'm not going to try to fix them. What you see is what you get.

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There is incorrect/missing information on your site! Should I e-mail you about it?

Yes, please do. I am not perfect, and independent verification or correction of the information presented on this website is always helpful. Please provide a complete explanation as to why you believe any existing information is incorrect.

Special note: As of the time of this writing, the main site of www.dsm.org is experiencing a number of problems. The site owner no longer actively maintains the site, and certain sections of it are no longer available. As a result, the "Search for this topic now!" icons on this site are likely broken. I do not have time to take them all out right now.

The Last Word: I no longer maintain these pages. Sorry for any blanks, I did my best.

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How can I find out more information on my [DSM]?

Start at Club DSM for an excellent collection of on-line DSM information, including the Talon Digest archives.

Special note: As of the time of this writing, the main site of www.dsm.org is experiencing a number of problems. The site owner no longer actively maintains the site, and certain sections of it are no longer available. As a result, the "Search for this topic now!" icons on this site are likely broken. I do not have time to take them all out right now.

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Is there information on other makes of automobiles here?

Aside from information as it relates to DSM cars, no. It would be impossible to maintain any type of FAQ with such a broad scope. There is some information that may be generally applied to all cars, but most is DSM-specific and of little interest to non-DSM owners.

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How can I find out more information on my [non-DSM]?

Try the various Internet search engines for sites that may have information relating to your car. Many car makes have club websites similar to Club DSM that provide information and support to vehicle owners.

Whatever you do, don't ask me. I do not know anything about other cars, or resources for other cars. I do not answer questions about other types of vehicles.

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I can't find the answer to my non-DSM question. Can I e-mail you for the answer?

No. I know nothing, I have no interest, please don't waste my time. See the above answer for how to locate information on your non-DSM vehicle.

The Last Word: I don't answer questions at all, now, but non-DSM questions were never legit.

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I don't understand! Why won't you help me by answering my question about my [non-DSM]?

Besides all the reasons cited for why I won't generally answer DSM-related questions, I don't know anything about other makes or models of cars or trucks. (Yes, people have asked me questions about their trucks. Not to mention weed eaters.) For examples of this kind of stupidity, please visit the 1000AAQ wall of shame.

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But I can't find any other on-line information about my [non-DSM]! What do I do now? Why won't you help me?

I can't help you, I don't know anything. If you want the information to be on the net, why don't you put it there? It's far easier to do now than at any time in the past.

If you are stuck for on-line resources, go back to the old-fashioned way. Start with your dealership and see what you can learn. Local mechanics can also be great source of information.

Try to locate some owners who have the same make or class of vehicle as your own. You can search the net, look through newgroups, and just ask around your circle of friends. If you locate some, you can start a mailing list through a service such as eGroups, at no cost to yourself.

Most internet accounts have some provision for hosting your own web pages. There are several HTML tutoring web pages now available (HTML is quite easy to learn) and lost of editors and other tools. If you don't have your own web space, try getting a free account from Xoom, Yahoo! or one of several other free services.

Owners of many other cars have often wished they had as much information available to them as is available at Club DSM or the other well-established enthusiast sites. Club DSM exists, in part, because it's members put their time and effort into sites just like this one. Everyone can do it - you can too. So do it!

The Last Word: Just Google it. Repeat after me: Google is my friend, Google is my friend, they do no evil, they do no evil....

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Last edited 04/04/07
Maintained by Sean Costall, DSM1000AAQ@shaw.ca. Changes and suggestions are welcomed!  If you have any information on the answers to any of these questions or wish additional questions, please mail me.

This page is an extension of Club DSM .