I don't go to shops most of the time. I watch SMA videos, invest in tools and do my own work. Seriously...between SMA and ChrisFix I have saved me thousands over the years. I've even managed to diagnose electrical issues and have a couple of "no parts required" fixes under my belt. Thanks Eric! Love your channel
I have to agree with you Sir! Watching these videos and a two others that are informative, I believe that I can tackle my vehicles issues. As you mentioned, I have save thousands of dollars 💵 DYI.
@@fixingitrightish Any recommendations on a scanner for a guy with one or two cars? I got an expensive cheap one but of course it doesn't have any of the actuator testing nor many of the data PIDs I see Eric looking at all the time.
I opened my own shop in maine almost 3 years ago now. I was tired of having to go behind the shops around my area and fix my vehicles and friends and family, when we all paid good money to have it fixed. Best decision I ever made, the first 3 or 4 months were slow but I did alot of posting on fb and relied on word of mouth. Now I'm sitting at 3 weeks to a month out year round, I treat my customers how I wanted to be treated. Stand behind my work but now I'm to the point I don't want to install customer parts, cause they always buy the cheapest junk and I can't stand behind that, or I'd be doing warranty work all the time.
So happy to see you save the customer as much as you could, two knuckles and a axle was probably like a thousand bucks. I imagine most shops would have just replaced them and moved on. Integrity doesn't get much better than that. Thank you Mr. O. Great Job.
Bear in mind that that's lost revenue. I'm not saying he shouldn't do it; he absolutely should. Integrity is doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking, and even when it costs you money. He hasn't lost labor on that job, however, let's say it's an even $1,000.00. His cost on $1,000.00 is minus 40%. That 40% is what pays the bills. Well, that and the money the shop makes on the labor. Some so-called experts recommend a lower markup, but with a higher labor rate. Others say that the parts should be marked up higher, but with a more moderate labor rate. But 40% is probably not unreasonable, especially since customers can buy chinesium parts from the interwebs; from big-box type auto parts places; and in some cases, for the same price that someone like Eric can buy them from his preferred distributors. By the way, the reason repair shops are very reluctant to use customer-supplied parts or parts from the non-preferred places is both warranty-related as well as cost on the parts. So let's say Eric quotes you a labor price of $150.00 and a parts price of $100.00. Next thing Eric knows, you're trotting into his shop with a guaranteed used part, or a part you bought from Pep Boys or somewhere like that, and you brag to him "I only paid $40.00!" Like you need a pat on the head and told what a good boy you are. Well, you've screwed Eric out of the markup on the part, which he could have bought from NAPA for $60.00, sold to you for $100.00, and everybody is relatively happy. On top of that, if something goes wrong with the part you brought in, you're going to have to pay Eric to remove that part, give it back to you, so you can go return it, get another one, and hopefully, that one will work. "Oh, but Hard Head! That'll never happen!" It happens ALL. THE. TIME. If I had a dollar for every time a customer did that, and then carped about having to pay twice (or more), I'd have several dollars, because it doesn't take very many times before a mechanic and a shop realizes you can't do business that way. And I come from a time when NAPA wasn't derisively called "CRAPA." Back when the local parts houses would pay the warranty time if something went wrong with the parts they sold us.
I have always enjoyed being the "dealership" tech who fixes all the comebacks. Parts cannons, swapnostics and straight up tri-ags. I love to see Eric just proving that slowing down and actually performing the diagnostic pays in the end!
Yes I totally agree. Eric is one of the smartest and best troubleshooters out there. Yes Eric and Vanessa are both down to earth and they are some of the few honest people left on planet earth. God bless them both!
note to anybody that considers opening up an automotive repair shop in New York State. Whatever you do, do not call it the other shop. It won't go well for you.
The other shop 2 coming to a city near you, we do the hackery others are afraid to do, you may survive after we work on your vehicle you may not but we guarantee to be the cheapest 😅😅😅😅
Finding a good shop is very much touch and go... most often GO. You try them out, they fumble, you move on. I end up doing myself... things I've never done... better than someone who does it for a living. Shocking.
I agree. I had a shop try and talk me into a valve job for a Subaru with 65k on it. I didn't bite and took it to another shop and found out that it only needed a coil pack. Huge difference.
Same for me, I’ve been going through the local shops trying to find one I like and trust… still looking. I always joke the mechanics in my area have caused more problems for my vehicle than the vehicle itself…
@@Flyfisher2022 more collateral damage than anything, anything nearby a repair, hoses, wires, clips, etc are all vulnerable. No one gives a crap anymore.
I believe that it is truly awesome that Mrs. O makes you a full lunch every day. Not just for the “what a wonderful woman” but for how a full meal provides excellent energy for the afternoon (and it’s healthy!).
And a full kitchen in the office! The closest thing to a kitchen in the shops I visit have the filthy Mr Coffee with the burned swill at the bottom and the styrofoam cups and the greasy jar of powdered creamer.
Well it's a family operation so Mrs O has the time to do that. I don't know a big lunch is conducive to better work in the afternoon, can make you feel a bit sluggish.
It's amazing how many people think they know what they are doing, but really don't. I work out of my garage, and will only do the right job every time, no matter what. Seeing what you do every day, would drive me crazy.
I’m from West coast Canada (BC). I’ve been watching you for a while now, and for my 40th birthday I decided to buy myself a new hoodie…a SMA hoodie. The first UA-cam merch I’ve ever bought.🤙. Love the videos, funny and informative.
I guess it's a liberal application of the word "shop". Some dude was correcting every one last video of where someplace Eric says he knows the shop and showed receipts or something. I still don't believe it's a legit shop, how could any insured business do work like this? It's incredibly dangerous to lots of people and this "shop" should be reported to someone ( the police maybe? ) for public safety reasons. I imagine it could be construed as negligence for not reporting it. Would you want anyone you cared for being on the road along with this vehicle?
Just the marks left on the bearings from the vice leads me to believe what you state because if it were a legitimate shop they would have the necessary tools to complete the work.
@@markrandol8765how could this possibly be explained by a "bad day"? You either know what you're doing or you haven't a clue. Any range of bad days doesn't change that.
@@devschlong It's on the DA to go after shops. I've seen my local DA catch a dealer doing fraudulent billing for repairs not being done. They sent in decoy vehicles. It took months to collect information. Eric will end up spending a huge amount of lawyer fees to pursue someone else's quality of work. Any decent lawyer can think of many things to push back any criticism.
Eric (SMA), thanks for continuing to put good content out. Your approach to repair and showing content makes this one of the best channels. Your level of detail and educating the viewer is first-rate and the overhead of making, editing and publishing these episodes is nontrivial. You should make a video of what's involved in "making a video". I enjoy your restraint is throwing rocks at others even if it's deserved as in these videos. Keep up the good work.
The best local shop I ever had was back when I was still farming, there was this little run-down building with all the paint peeling off and no sign. They had all the cars and tractors they were working on just kinda parked wherever, and the lady at the desk was old, mean, and kept the lights real low in her office. I could go in there with my sad, rusty little Jetta that stalled out every time I stopped at a light, and they'd slap together whatever I asked for (I couldn't afford to fix the whole thing up right, but they'd slap on the bare necessities for me without blinking an eye- no judgement at all). No muss no fuss (except from the mean desk lady of course), and they'd always do it right. That was a good shop
My vocational school instructor described toe out wear on your tire as petting your fish, smooth when your rubbing in one direction (with the fish scales) and chattering in the other (against the fish scales). Got the point across.
When my car broke down on the road and I lived in an apartment (they didn't allow car maintenance) AAA recommended a repair shop and each time I was very satisfied with the work they did. Busy California freeway.....very stressful place to break down......the AAA towing company took me to a shop that turned out to be A-OK. They didn't take advantage of me. What a relief.
I have found "word of mouth " business cards are 10x better than paper business cards, ABSOLUTELY ask friends and family about where they go and like others have said if the shop isn't up to your standards try another local shop. As always Mr. O a great "how to" video.
I got my butt kicked by inner tie rod took me 2 days. Red thread locker is a beast I was ready to send to south main auto. You have tough job brother! I have a desk job but wanted to tinker cause of your channel. I got my man card renewed for another year now.
Eric over the years I've had to correct shoddy and crooked mechanics mistakes, or cons. This year at 70 I sold my garage and everything in it, even my rad vat and old Hunter algn rack....and even some machinists tools. Your honesty will keep me a fan of your channel....and and occasional view of Mrs. O
I had to find a new shop when the owner of my old shop sold his business. He wanted to take a break and then just work for someone else. He said running a business can be a PITA. The guy that took over the shop I didn't feel comfortable with. The guys didn't seem as attentive to details. So I started looking around and trying out different shops. The ones I tried out did okay with their work. I decided on one small shop owned by a younger guy and he had another mechanic working with him also. He's honest and the work quality has been good. There's another shop I liked. It's a bigger shop. Has about four or five mechanics working there besides the owner. Finding a good shop isn't easy.
I've used your video information many times. Between you and Ford Tech Makuloco I have been able to find the information needed to complete many repair jobs on my own as well as family and some friends rides.I do have one or two local shops that I would trust their work just due to the lot being full and always having business. Dad was a mechanic for a well known catalog store, I "Blame"😉 him for the knowledge I have today...Just don't have him here to verify the problems I come across today which is why I'm thankful for folks like you. Keep up the good work!🍻
I built my own press and installed a 'porta power' cylinder. I then purchased an air over hydraulic control valve and connected to 'ram'. Compressor provides the air for operation. I have a 50 Ton system that works great!
Anyone can have a bad day at work, but they are out there, the one's for which every single day is a bad day at work. And that's the guy who messed up on this automobile. Top quality work Mr O, you will go home and sleep soundly tonight knowing that circlip groove has been successfully and properly filled up.
This is why I will never let anyone work on my cars! They are cheaply built to begin with and to just bubblegum them back together and expect my family's safety be put in jeopardy because they don't take the time to inspect their work, is the reason they only see the dealership for recalls! All other maintenance and important mechanical work are done by my son and I! I wish there were more people like you who do care about the work you do, and just don't pass it off to the next shop! Thank you for being the kind of person who still cares about their work👍👍👍
I did my own wheel bearings, which failed soon after, as in I could feel the spindle get very hot and hear the hum. I think I didn't do the hub bearing to spec as it it was 52.7 lbft + 90° & it wouldn't go the full arc without feeling ridiculously tight. So I just took it in to a good shop the second time around. Big relief.
Little metal spot in the split ring groove, looked like welding slag. May have put the welder on the bearing to get it out with no press. Eric is a scream.............what a guy!
I gotta come in with another.....YIKES! I've seen some kick-the-can shoddy work in my time. But whoa buddy! It is a good feeling though to get things straightened out, done correctly, and just DO THE RIGHT THING! I love this channel!
You did a very good job there Mr. O. When you were showing the feathering in that tire, momentarily the bottom of the tire had the sunlight shining in back of it and the feathering angle was clearly visible. I hope these people are happy with the repairs and all is well in Chevy land till the next one comes in. Nice to almost see Mrs. O, and hear the cat's still around.
Best story I have on oil leaks is: Took my camry into a shop for an oil leak and they said "We cannot find the leak" I said did you check the oil? They said no, I then said well it has all leaked out (Crank Seal). Last time I took anything there.
pressing it out with an extension, chrome no less, is why I am here. Also glad that old first gen Dodge you helped that Gal get going is still on the road.
I look for old guys, but I did come across a young guy that jus like you. Worked in his Gramps shop and was a crackerjack mech. . Went there a lot even though I did a lot of my own stuff, brakes, mufflers stuff like that and they would advise me when it was time to trade up. He eventually went into computers and was very happy, and cleaner ! LOL Shop still run by family.
Mr O. There were so many glitches to overcome, yet you managed to overcome every one of them. That shows just how experienced you are. I wish you lived closer.
I did Fleet Management for over 40 years on 3,500 vehicles throughout the Unites States. I used National Accounts, Fleet Accounts, Dealerships, Commercial shops and Independant shops for vehicle warranty, repairs and maintenance. I had a very nice list of go to shops, that were honest and charged a reasonable price. I also had a very long list of shops not to use. From my experience I could quickly tell if a shop was going to be a good repair shop by asking a few questions. From all of my years of dealing with vehicle repair shops 1 out of every 3 (33%) will be a problem for many reasons. Checking reviews can work but not 100% accurate. When you find a good shop even if the repairs costs are above average, you must stick with them. Look for good shops through business associates, friends, and family, they are out there but remember 1 out of every 3 will be a problem. Love your Channel Eric O, good honest technicians and vehicle repairs shops are difficult to find. You are one of the best! Great work! Always enjoy the South Main Auto LLC.
If you are in Pa. in the Lock Haven area, I can highly recommend D&G Auto. Been using them for over 30 years. Always the best service. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive, right in the middle. I can promise you they don't screw customers over.
Yet another save by South Main Auto! It’s amazing what comes in to your shop from other “shops”. Even more amazing that everyone within 150 miles isn’t coming to you!! If you were only closer I’d be there, it’s a long drive from Oregon!
I sure wish I had more confidence in the techs in this area of the USA... really hard to trust people after getting stung a time or two! Great video, thank you !
Awesome episode. To respond to Eric’s closing remarks- it is a scary world out there in the realm of auto repair. Only once, in another area I lived, did I find a repair shop that I absolutely fully trusted. Family run with 2 brothers as owners/ mechanics. God I miss them…..
I was a tow truck driver for quite a while, so I went to pretty much every shop in town. the one we take our cars to (and have been for a long time), was chosen because of the quick turn around and the owners being great people. I've had minimal issues with them and will continue to go there for the forseeable future.
i replaced the turbo on my mothers 14' , was chasing an oil leak, did the valve cover gasket [cover was good], pulled the hose off the bottom,oil poured out so it was passing right thru, changed turbo, fixed the oil leak,,turbo prop is the size of a silver dollar lol.
You don't tug on superman's cape; you don't piss into the wind; you don't pull the mask off that ole Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with...people's lives.
You're a perfect example of good in people. You let everyone know that you can trust people in the service industry to be honest and do the job the correct way. I really enjoy watching and learning from you!
S.M.A. Is the type of shop I would look for. I worked on School Buses and hundreds of county fleet vehicles for 30 yrs. And retired. Don’t wrench much anymore. Watching Your videos bring back lots of memories. Love Your videos. Mrs O. and Your kitty are Great too. Pretty and Cute. Mike J.
Always worth watching an SMA video to get a glimpse of Mrs. O. We know Mr. O can clean a hole, we see it in every video and now Mrs. O. can confirm since he "does a good job". I bet this was a DIY job, he just blamed a shop.
I've only ever been to two shops. I few times trying to get the dealer to fix something under warranty, which they said nothing is wrong. Then on the advice of a friend took it to a place and in 15m they diagnosed the issue as a known issue and toyota had a SB out for it.
it is very scary going to a shop....i do alot of my own work but when it comes to electrical or transmission i have no choice and finding a good honest shop is absolutely impossible to do thats why i keep saying i wish you were closer lol....keep on being honest man your a great person and the best mechanic ive ever saw hands down so keep on keepin on brother man
@@DarylSAdams Meh. I did that at the Superman Festival in Metropolis, Illinois last year. Of course, I knew the guy that was dressed up as Superman and he worked at the Metropolis Planet Newspaper.
Eric, I started working on my own car and then others when the shop I went to had all my money and I had no choice. Then I found all the stuff that was less than what I thought I had paid for. Long story short, If you find a shop with someone as attractive as Mrs. O that's a good place to start. Always a pleasure watching your videos. Thanks for Sharing! 🙃🙂
A front axle on my 11 year old Lexus. ~$950 for the part only if you buy from Lexus. 😢 But I was able to save it and it's been good for 10k miles so far.
Sounds like a good deal to me! I’ve got 2 GM vehicles with just about zero support for new genuine parts, or direct aftermarket for that matter. Getting an axle would be a fancy custom “chrome alloy titanium tool steel billet speed shop made to order” type of ordeal 🤣
We are considering buying a Lexus SUV here in the UK as probably our "last" retirement car. I want the peace of mind of the 10 year warranty, if main dealer serviced. Have you run yours for a long time, has it been worth it?
@@billdoodson4232 I really haven't had issues. I'm at 162,000 miles with just regular fluid changes. The axle was a case of a boot clamp came off. The shop I used to go to recommended a new axle. I decided that I'd replace the lost grease and reclamp it. It wasn't making noise or anything. But through that experience I learned that parts are not cheap at all.
Good shops are few and far between. I only know of three in my area (three towns of about 130K folks total). The one that does alignments had a 6 week waiting list for alignments! The kids at our local corporate tire store just do not have enough experience. They are all supposed to be trained but don't have enough time on the rack to do a good job as they do everything else too. The 6 week wait place has one guy in his 50's or 60's that does alignments all day, every day. He has showed me his results vs. the corporate place and they were way, way off. I could tell because the car drove bad.
"Other then screwing everything up they did a good job" lmao love sma
This. Should be the next SMA t-shirt.
I am not really sure that piece that Eric ground out wasn't there before. However, that should have been removed.
@@lvsqcsl Although not the correct way, a little notch could have been ground into the snap ring to clear the little piece in the groove.
that line, I nearly nasal'ed my ginger ale I was drinking.
@@Tom-ei8ly You want to weaken the snap ring?
I don't go to shops most of the time. I watch SMA videos, invest in tools and do my own work.
Seriously...between SMA and ChrisFix I have saved me thousands over the years. I've even managed to diagnose electrical issues and have a couple of "no parts required" fixes under my belt.
Thanks Eric! Love your channel
I have to agree with you Sir! Watching these videos and a two others that are informative, I believe that I can tackle my vehicles issues. As you mentioned, I have save thousands of dollars 💵 DYI.
Pine hollow is great too
Get a nice scanner and some tools, good to go
Eric is real good at teaching the techniques.
@@fixingitrightish Any recommendations on a scanner for a guy with one or two cars? I got an expensive cheap one but of course it doesn't have any of the actuator testing nor many of the data PIDs I see Eric looking at all the time.
I opened my own shop in maine almost 3 years ago now. I was tired of having to go behind the shops around my area and fix my vehicles and friends and family, when we all paid good money to have it fixed. Best decision I ever made, the first 3 or 4 months were slow but I did alot of posting on fb and relied on word of mouth. Now I'm sitting at 3 weeks to a month out year round, I treat my customers how I wanted to be treated. Stand behind my work but now I'm to the point I don't want to install customer parts, cause they always buy the cheapest junk and I can't stand behind that, or I'd be doing warranty work all the time.
So happy to see you save the customer as much as you could, two knuckles and a axle was probably like a thousand bucks. I imagine most shops would have just replaced them and moved on. Integrity doesn't get much better than that. Thank you Mr. O. Great Job.
Bear in mind that that's lost revenue. I'm not saying he shouldn't do it; he absolutely should. Integrity is doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking, and even when it costs you money.
He hasn't lost labor on that job, however, let's say it's an even $1,000.00. His cost on $1,000.00 is minus 40%. That 40% is what pays the bills. Well, that and the money the shop makes on the labor.
Some so-called experts recommend a lower markup, but with a higher labor rate. Others say that the parts should be marked up higher, but with a more moderate labor rate. But 40% is probably not unreasonable, especially since customers can buy chinesium parts from the interwebs; from big-box type auto parts places; and in some cases, for the same price that someone like Eric can buy them from his preferred distributors.
By the way, the reason repair shops are very reluctant to use customer-supplied parts or parts from the non-preferred places is both warranty-related as well as cost on the parts. So let's say Eric quotes you a labor price of $150.00 and a parts price of $100.00.
Next thing Eric knows, you're trotting into his shop with a guaranteed used part, or a part you bought from Pep Boys or somewhere like that, and you brag to him "I only paid $40.00!" Like you need a pat on the head and told what a good boy you are.
Well, you've screwed Eric out of the markup on the part, which he could have bought from NAPA for $60.00, sold to you for $100.00, and everybody is relatively happy.
On top of that, if something goes wrong with the part you brought in, you're going to have to pay Eric to remove that part, give it back to you, so you can go return it, get another one, and hopefully, that one will work.
"Oh, but Hard Head! That'll never happen!" It happens ALL. THE. TIME. If I had a dollar for every time a customer did that, and then carped about having to pay twice (or more), I'd have several dollars, because it doesn't take very many times before a mechanic and a shop realizes you can't do business that way. And I come from a time when NAPA wasn't derisively called "CRAPA." Back when the local parts houses would pay the warranty time if something went wrong with the parts they sold us.
Mrs. O left us hanging on the question of whats for lunch....
But we know she's impressed with Eric's hole polishing skills.
@@ferrumignis Eric O. hitting the groove.
@@ferrumignis😂😂😂😂😂
@@ferrumignis Just takes a good tool.🙂
@@davejohn255well he’s got the proper tools for the job unlike the others!😂
I have always enjoyed being the "dealership" tech who fixes all the comebacks. Parts cannons, swapnostics and straight up tri-ags. I love to see Eric just proving that slowing down and actually performing the diagnostic pays in the end!
That sounds a lot like work. And the customer has to pay less in the end. How is that advantages to the shop?
Yes, I am joking...
Did you see that Rotor try and make a break for it>? lol
@@larswilms8275 Return Business. :)
Your customers are blessed to have someone so knowledgeable, personable, and honest!!!
Great video Mr. O
Yes I totally agree. Eric is one of the smartest and best troubleshooters out there. Yes Eric and Vanessa are both down to earth and they are some of the few honest people left on planet earth. God bless them both!
Eric's humor is just perfect on a Sunday morning. "Sure makes it easier to take off" HAH
"pecker marks" made me chuckle.
note to anybody that considers opening up an automotive repair shop in New York State. Whatever you do, do not call it the other shop. It won't go well for you.
Hahaha 🤣😂
😂😂
The other shop 2 coming to a city near you, we do the hackery others are afraid to do, you may survive after we work on your vehicle you may not but we guarantee to be the cheapest 😅😅😅😅
I'm glad you got the job so we can follow along.
Finding a good shop is very much touch and go... most often GO. You try them out, they fumble, you move on. I end up doing myself... things I've never done... better than someone who does it for a living. Shocking.
I agree.
I had a shop try and talk me into a valve job for a Subaru with 65k on it. I didn't bite and took it to another shop and found out that it only needed a coil pack. Huge difference.
Same for me, I’ve been going through the local shops trying to find one I like and trust… still looking. I always joke the mechanics in my area have caused more problems for my vehicle than the vehicle itself…
@@Flyfisher2022 more collateral damage than anything, anything nearby a repair, hoses, wires, clips, etc are all vulnerable. No one gives a crap anymore.
@@plkracer Sadily-some don't know nor care. Pride in workmanship is gone!
I believe that it is truly awesome that Mrs. O makes you a full lunch every day. Not just for the “what a wonderful woman” but for how a full meal provides excellent energy for the afternoon (and it’s healthy!).
And a full kitchen in the office! The closest thing to a kitchen in the shops I visit have the filthy Mr Coffee with the burned swill at the bottom and the styrofoam cups and the greasy jar of powdered creamer.
Well it's a family operation so Mrs O has the time to do that.
I don't know a big lunch is conducive to better work in the afternoon, can make you feel a bit sluggish.
You're one of the few techs left that still uses air tools, man that sound brings back some memories
I’d love to be a neighbor across from the road of his shop. I could sit on the porch and listen to that all day haha.
My man you have no idea how hard it is to find a good shop.......its what inspires alot of us to (break it) trying , First!
It's amazing how many people think they know what they are doing, but really don't.
I work out of my garage, and will only do the right job every time, no matter what.
Seeing what you do every day, would drive me crazy.
I’m from West coast Canada (BC). I’ve been watching you for a while now, and for my 40th birthday I decided to buy myself a new hoodie…a SMA hoodie. The first UA-cam merch I’ve ever bought.🤙. Love the videos, funny and informative.
Nice
I was getting ready to buy one until I saw they didn’t have pockets, don’t think I would want one without them
I can’t find any shops in my area that can do what you do. The people in your area are lucky to have you.
Awesome work Eric! The owner of that Trax should be a customer for life!
I still can't believe another shop did this and it wasn't just somebody doing someone a "favor" and "fixing" their car.
I guess it's a liberal application of the word "shop". Some dude was correcting every one last video of where someplace Eric says he knows the shop and showed receipts or something. I still don't believe it's a legit shop, how could any insured business do work like this? It's incredibly dangerous to lots of people and this "shop" should be reported to someone ( the police maybe? ) for public safety reasons. I imagine it could be construed as negligence for not reporting it. Would you want anyone you cared for being on the road along with this vehicle?
Just the marks left on the bearings from the vice leads me to believe what you state because if it were a legitimate shop they would have the necessary tools to complete the work.
@@devschlong You know, everyone has a bad day. A bad four months though?
@@markrandol8765how could this possibly be explained by a "bad day"? You either know what you're doing or you haven't a clue. Any range of bad days doesn't change that.
@@devschlong It's on the DA to go after shops. I've seen my local DA catch a dealer doing fraudulent billing for repairs not being done. They sent in decoy vehicles. It took months to collect information. Eric will end up spending a huge amount of lawyer fees to pursue someone else's quality of work. Any decent lawyer can think of many things to push back any criticism.
Eric (SMA), thanks for continuing to put good content out. Your approach to repair and showing content makes this one of the best channels. Your level of detail and educating the viewer is first-rate and the overhead of making, editing and publishing these episodes is nontrivial. You should make a video of what's involved in "making a video". I enjoy your restraint is throwing rocks at others even if it's deserved as in these videos. Keep up the good work.
Perfect Sunday morning, PHAD and SMA
PHAD?
@@devschlong Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostic
@@devschlong Eric's buddy, Ivan Temnykh, with PIne Hollow Auto Diagnostics.
Awesome, I'll check that channel out too.
There was also a Project Farm, Video today
The best local shop I ever had was back when I was still farming, there was this little run-down building with all the paint peeling off and no sign. They had all the cars and tractors they were working on just kinda parked wherever, and the lady at the desk was old, mean, and kept the lights real low in her office. I could go in there with my sad, rusty little Jetta that stalled out every time I stopped at a light, and they'd slap together whatever I asked for (I couldn't afford to fix the whole thing up right, but they'd slap on the bare necessities for me without blinking an eye- no judgement at all). No muss no fuss (except from the mean desk lady of course), and they'd always do it right. That was a good shop
My vocational school instructor described toe out wear on your tire as petting your fish, smooth when your rubbing in one direction (with the fish scales) and chattering in the other (against the fish scales). Got the point across.
Awesome analogy.
Best line by Eric.."besides them screwing everything up, they did a pretty good job😅" I don't care who you are that's funny right there!
When my car broke down on the road and I lived in an apartment (they didn't allow car maintenance) AAA recommended a repair shop and each time I was very satisfied with the work they did. Busy California freeway.....very stressful place to break down......the AAA towing company took me to a shop that turned out to be A-OK. They didn't take advantage of me. What a relief.
It is so hard to find a honest and reliable mechanic
Such an honest guy! Very refreshing this day and age.
I have found "word of mouth " business cards are 10x better than paper business cards, ABSOLUTELY ask friends and family about where they go and like others have said if the shop isn't up to your standards try another local shop. As always Mr. O a great "how to" video.
Mr. O: Hey Mrs. O just got done hole polishin.
Mrs. O: Looks like you did a good job like you usually do 😂
Too true, good mechanics are hard to find anymore.
Love your videos, love watching the diag and the troubleshootingv
I got my butt kicked by inner tie rod took me 2 days. Red thread locker is a beast I was ready to send to south main auto. You have tough job brother! I have a desk job but wanted to tinker cause of your channel. I got my man card renewed for another year now.
I haven’t watched a SMA video “fully” in a month or so it seems like. Life has got in the way. Without SMA it’s been dark, scary and pointless. Lol
The good shops have a shop cat.🐱
That's how you can keep a straight face when you say you gave the car a cat scan.
@@billburkart9087 👍I’ve been scanning the wrong animal. The shop dog.
Eric over the years I've had to correct shoddy and crooked mechanics mistakes, or cons. This year at 70 I sold my garage and everything in it, even my rad vat and old Hunter algn rack....and even some machinists tools. Your honesty will keep me a fan of your channel....and and occasional view of Mrs. O
I had to find a new shop when the owner of my old shop sold his business. He wanted to take a break and then just work for someone else. He said running a business can be a PITA. The guy that took over the shop I didn't feel comfortable with. The guys didn't seem as attentive to details. So I started looking around and trying out different shops. The ones I tried out did okay with their work.
I decided on one small shop owned by a younger guy and he had another mechanic working with him also. He's honest and the work quality has been good. There's another shop I liked. It's a bigger shop. Has about four or five mechanics working there besides the owner. Finding a good shop isn't easy.
I've used your video information many times. Between you and Ford Tech Makuloco I have been able to find the information needed to complete many repair jobs on my own as well as family and some friends rides.I do have one or two local shops that I would trust their work just due to the lot being full and always having business. Dad was a mechanic for a well known catalog store, I "Blame"😉 him for the knowledge I have today...Just don't have him here to verify the problems I come across today which is why I'm thankful for folks like you. Keep up the good work!🍻
See you on the next Video Eric O great video very entertaining as always 28:03 @South Main Auto Repair LLC
I built my own press and installed a 'porta power' cylinder. I then purchased an air over hydraulic control valve and connected to 'ram'. Compressor provides the air for operation. I have a 50 Ton system that works great!
Anyone can have a bad day at work, but they are out there, the one's for which every single day is a bad day at work. And that's the guy who messed up on this automobile. Top quality work Mr O, you will go home and sleep soundly tonight knowing that circlip groove has been successfully and properly filled up.
This is why I will never let anyone work on my cars! They are cheaply built to begin with and to just bubblegum them back together and expect my family's safety be put in jeopardy because they don't take the time to inspect their work, is the reason they only see the dealership for recalls! All other maintenance and important mechanical work are done by my son and I! I wish there were more people like you who do care about the work you do, and just don't pass it off to the next shop! Thank you for being the kind of person who still cares about their work👍👍👍
Great video as always Eric O 25:20 @South Main Auto Repair LLC
Your channel is my favorite channel on UA-cam and my favorite show ever. I am entertained and educated at the same time!
I caught that Dead or Alive reference at 17:58!
Took my daughter to see the Violent Femmes this past summer. Gotta love the 80's!
I did my own wheel bearings, which failed soon after, as in I could feel the spindle get very hot and hear the hum. I think I didn't do the hub bearing to spec as it it was 52.7 lbft + 90° & it wouldn't go the full arc without feeling ridiculously tight. So I just took it in to a good shop the second time around. Big relief.
Little metal spot in the split ring groove, looked like welding slag. May have put the welder on the bearing to get it out with no press. Eric is a scream.............what a guy!
Hahaha ! I got that speed sensor bearing retainer joke as soon as you said it was a joke. It went right over my head at first.
I gotta come in with another.....YIKES! I've seen some kick-the-can shoddy work in my time. But whoa buddy! It is a good feeling though to get things straightened out, done correctly, and just DO THE RIGHT THING! I love this channel!
Just go the upstate new York and see this guy Eric at SMA, can’t go wrong!
Wish it was that simple. Loonnng drive from NC.
You did a very good job there Mr. O. When you were showing the feathering in that tire, momentarily the bottom of the tire had the sunlight shining in back of it and the feathering angle was clearly visible. I hope these people are happy with the repairs and all is well in Chevy land till the next one comes in.
Nice to almost see Mrs. O, and hear the cat's still around.
Best story I have on oil leaks is: Took my camry into a shop for an oil leak and they said "We cannot find the leak" I said did you check the oil? They said no, I then said well it has all leaked out (Crank Seal). Last time I took anything there.
pressing it out with an extension, chrome no less, is why I am here. Also glad that old first gen Dodge you helped that Gal get going is still on the road.
It’s so fun to watch professional at work!😊😊
I look for old guys, but I did come across a young guy that jus like you. Worked in his Gramps shop and was a crackerjack mech. . Went there a lot even though I did a lot of my own stuff, brakes, mufflers stuff like that and they would advise me when it was time to trade up. He eventually went into computers and was very happy, and cleaner ! LOL Shop still run by family.
Do you think perhaps the owner tried to DIY this and then blamed “the other shop”? What mechanic would make this sort of mess? 😅
U wouldn't............. I mean I wouldn't be surprised what some or alot of jobs I seen and heard what licensed mechanics can do
Faked receipts and everything?
nope, he said in previous video he has seen the receipts and knows the shop
I've been saying that since the first video but if he had receipts then that's probably not the case
New to the channel? There are plenty of horrible mechanics out there.
Mr O. There were so many glitches to overcome, yet you managed to overcome every one of them. That shows just how experienced you are. I wish you lived closer.
I think I'll just have my truck towed to sma from Florida from now on. Probably save money in the long run!
Rainman Ray is in Fla. Save ya 2-3 days of towing.
I did Fleet Management for over 40 years on 3,500 vehicles throughout the Unites States. I used National Accounts, Fleet Accounts, Dealerships, Commercial shops and Independant shops for vehicle warranty, repairs and maintenance. I had a very nice list of go to shops, that were honest and charged a reasonable price. I also had a very long list of shops not to use. From my experience I could quickly tell if a shop was going to be a good repair shop by asking a few questions. From all of my years of dealing with vehicle repair shops 1 out of every 3 (33%) will be a problem for many reasons. Checking reviews can work but not 100% accurate. When you find a good shop even if the repairs costs are above average, you must stick with them. Look for good shops through business associates, friends, and family, they are out there but remember 1 out of every 3 will be a problem. Love your Channel Eric O, good honest technicians and vehicle repairs shops are difficult to find. You are one of the best! Great work! Always enjoy the South Main Auto LLC.
SMA is a good shop, lots of good reviews.
Had to watch this a second time, just for the entertainment.
If you are in Pa. in the Lock Haven area, I can highly recommend D&G Auto. Been using them for over 30 years. Always the best service. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive, right in the middle. I can promise you they don't screw customers over.
Yet another save by South Main Auto! It’s amazing what comes in to your shop from other “shops”. Even more amazing that everyone within 150 miles isn’t coming to you!! If you were only closer I’d be there, it’s a long drive from Oregon!
I sure wish I had more confidence in the techs in this area of the USA... really hard to trust people after getting stung a time or two! Great video, thank you !
Another great job Mr. O! I wish you were 11000 miles and a Pacific Ocean closer to me! Love the videos, keep up the great work!
The finger action putting that banjo bolt back in... very impressive!!!🫴😉
You are W..A..Y.. to kind to explain that kind of incompetence as you did. What a gentleman.
Thanks for another great video Eric, hope you and the family are having a great weekend!
Awesome episode. To respond to Eric’s closing remarks- it is a scary world out there in the realm of auto repair. Only once, in another area I lived, did I find a repair shop that I absolutely fully trusted. Family run with 2 brothers as owners/ mechanics. God I miss them…..
Awesome job Eric. That thing was a mess.
honesty and no upsale are characteristics that make me trust a shop on things I can't do, at 70 I'm still a pretty good wrench!
I was a tow truck driver for quite a while, so I went to pretty much every shop in town. the one we take our cars to (and have been for a long time), was chosen because of the quick turn around and the owners being great people. I've had minimal issues with them and will continue to go there for the forseeable future.
Another Good Trax Series Video to watch and relax Whoot Whoot Eric O 2:24 @South Main Auto Repair LLC
i replaced the turbo on my mothers 14' , was chasing an oil leak, did the valve cover gasket [cover was good], pulled the hose off the bottom,oil poured out so it was passing right thru, changed turbo, fixed the oil leak,,turbo prop is the size of a silver dollar lol.
Best advice I have ever heard Mr O. "Don't pee into the wind."
You don't tug on superman's cape; you don't piss into the wind; you don't pull the mask off that ole Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with...people's lives.
You and your better half play well together.
We always love the jovial repartee between you and the lovely Mrs O! You are a good dude, Eric.
that looked like a weld splatter in that snap ring groove that cant be it
Yep, they may have welded inside the old bearing outer cages to help extract them.
May have been splatter from torching out the old bearing
You're a perfect example of good in people. You let everyone know that you can trust people in the service industry to be honest and do the job the correct way. I really enjoy watching and learning from you!
I can’t beat this coffee and a new video from South Main auto it’s gonna be a great day folks
S.M.A. Is the type of shop I would look for. I worked on School Buses and hundreds of county fleet vehicles for 30 yrs. And retired. Don’t wrench much anymore. Watching Your videos bring back lots of memories. Love Your videos. Mrs O. and Your kitty are Great too. Pretty and Cute.
Mike J.
SMA is located in Avaco, NY
"Other than screwing everything up, they did a pretty good job" I'd like to place my order for that SMA T-shirt now, please.
Same! Great quote
Always worth watching an SMA video to get a glimpse of Mrs. O. We know Mr. O can clean a hole, we see it in every video and now Mrs. O. can confirm since he "does a good job". I bet this was a DIY job, he just blamed a shop.
Love the Tommy Boy reference 22.27 🤣
I've only ever been to two shops. I few times trying to get the dealer to fix something under warranty, which they said nothing is wrong. Then on the advice of a friend took it to a place and in 15m they diagnosed the issue as a known issue and toyota had a SB out for it.
I found two local shops for my OBD1 and/or carb'd vehicle. My newest is a '93, two more payments and it's mine. 😂
My 82 Vanagon is pre- OBD1 . Voltmeter reading and a manual . I’ve had mechanics tell me they couldn’t work on OBD1 or set points . WTF
Nice job as always Eric. The Trax is less trashed and safer.
I hope the guy gets his money back from the other shop that did not fix it properly.
Good morning Eric from Bucks County Pennsylvania!
Greetings from Washington County PA.
It's time to go deer hunting.
The way the work looked like it was one of those backyard mechanics smooth talking know it all. Thanks for the video
I like the new shirt I look forward to our trip’s harbor freight has a inexpensive 20 ton air jack for your press ask them to test one
it is very scary going to a shop....i do alot of my own work but when it comes to electrical or transmission i have no choice and finding a good honest shop is absolutely impossible to do thats why i keep saying i wish you were closer lol....keep on being honest man your a great person and the best mechanic ive ever saw hands down so keep on keepin on brother man
Don't pee in the wind. Best advise of the day. Thx!
if you must go; downwind, no cross-breeze :D
Don't eat yellow snow.
Confucius say, man who pees into wind get his own back.
Don't tug on Superman's cape
@@DarylSAdams Meh. I did that at the Superman Festival in Metropolis, Illinois last year. Of course, I knew the guy that was dressed up as Superman and he worked at the Metropolis Planet Newspaper.
Eric, I started working on my own car and then others when the shop I went to had all my money and I had no choice. Then I found all the stuff that was less than what I thought I had paid for. Long story short, If you find a shop with someone as attractive as Mrs. O that's a good place to start. Always a pleasure watching your videos. Thanks for Sharing! 🙃🙂
A front axle on my 11 year old Lexus.
~$950 for the part only if you buy from Lexus. 😢
But I was able to save it and it's been good for 10k miles so far.
Sounds like a good deal to me! I’ve got 2 GM vehicles with just about zero support for new genuine parts, or direct aftermarket for that matter. Getting an axle would be a fancy custom “chrome alloy titanium tool steel billet speed shop made to order” type of ordeal 🤣
We are considering buying a Lexus SUV here in the UK as probably our "last" retirement car. I want the peace of mind of the 10 year warranty, if main dealer serviced. Have you run yours for a long time, has it been worth it?
@@billdoodson4232
I really haven't had issues. I'm at 162,000 miles with just regular fluid changes.
The axle was a case of a boot clamp came off. The shop I used to go to recommended a new axle. I decided that I'd replace the lost grease and reclamp it. It wasn't making noise or anything.
But through that experience I learned that parts are not cheap at all.
@@anthony-i1k8c Cheers, many thanks.
Awesome job! The customer will be very happy! Nice work.
Wow that cat has the power to change the tone of your voice😮
south main street auto, pine hollow diagnostics and jimthecarguy are making my retirement great! stay healthy
10:35 Mrs O fantastically impressed at the polishing skills
@@Thecrazyvaclav she feel in the trap
Great weather in your neck of the woods.
It must feel satisfying to see your repairs 'movin on down the highway' (BTO).
Good shops are few and far between. I only know of three in my area (three towns of about 130K folks total). The one that does alignments had a 6 week waiting list for alignments! The kids at our local corporate tire store just do not have enough experience. They are all supposed to be trained but don't have enough time on the rack to do a good job as they do everything else too. The 6 week wait place has one guy in his 50's or 60's that does alignments all day, every day. He has showed me his results vs. the corporate place and they were way, way off. I could tell because the car drove bad.
Yeah, it’s hard to find a good alignment place. Local one I use is hit and miss, but they get cars through. 😢
Three more than i know of!!!!
You are right about finding a good shop. Good luck. Its a roll of the dice most of the time nowadays
I love how Eric spends just as much time trying to diagnose how they mangled the previous install hmm waffle hammer or vise?
Thank you for doing what you do Eric. A camera on the life of the people that fix the world.