Plain Old Bad Luck...

[@SouthMainAuto]

Before anyone goes full Karen in the comments please try and understand a few things. It is not my job to go over every single car soup to nuts that rolls in my bays. I do the job I was hired to do and then I move on with life. *IF THE CUSTOMER REQUESTS* a full vehicle inspection, then at that point, I provide them with that service and tell them what I see and give estimates on the repairs. If I gave every car a full look over and a list with estimates it would consume my entire day giving free estimates and let's be honest, 95% of what I work on is rotted out junk and most of them only have 3 or 4 years left before they go to car heaven. On the other hand, if a vehicle comes in for a repair and I notice a glaringly obvious safety issue I will let the customer know. Remember though, *I CAN NOT MAKE THEM FIX IT OR HOLD THEIR CAR UNTIL THEY DO.* It is 100% illegal in the USA to hold a customer's car for any reason other than non-payment and force them to repair it. That is called extortion. Hope that clears some stuff up for those that are concerned. On a side note, I spoke with this customer and she was already aware of the other issues with the MIL (P0420) as well as the brakes. She does want an estimated cost of the repair to replace the rear diff and to replace the broken spring and is not to concerned about the leaking A/C compressor. If I get the job, I'll try and record it for you folks. Cheers, -Eric O.

[@bbrnkyle74]

SOOO glad I live in Colorado!! My 07 Trailblazer looks nothing like the cars you have out there. 202k on her, Just did the lower control arms because the bushings were shot.

[@donniev8181]

Karens are the worst, especially the male versions! Great video, hope that she can find a cheap junkyard special.

[@leftyo9589]

sometimes things just go in streaks. its that persons turn.

[@man350z]

I agree Eric, in Maryland you sign a workorder that states what you want done. If the garage does anything else with out informing you and creating an extended workorder, that work is free to the customer and if the garage attempts to remove the parts, they can lose their license. Not to mention end up in court.

[@edgarcornette6387]

If people cant see that you are honest and have compassion and honor then they will never see or learn !!!

[@holdemNE1]

Ever since I watched this video, my car started leaking.

[@wallingj68]

And now we know why it's called an Encore.

[@RGSABloke]

Eric, you are a good man, clearly because of your reputation your customers trust you 100 % and so they should.

[@josedejesus6134]

That was too funny! 😆

[@railbaron9]

Love the comment.

[@thepetehill]

Touché

[@ericrupert2687]

😂

[@Loueloui]

'It might be time to flush this toilet, lady.' is my new favorite phrase. Thank you Eric for the laugh.

[@99andrianmonk]

"It's ribbed, and not for this lady's pleasure". Too much. 😂

[@stephensklein6952]

Yeah I burst out laughing on that one!

[@brnmcc01]

There's your problem lady, you need a new rear end! lol

[@jussikuusela7345]

EXCELLENT!

[@troysmith9453]

Roll on snare 😅😅😅

[@alexanderzubar9593]

Ha ha!! I missed that one 🤣🤣🤣🫢🫢🫢

[@TDub_ADV]

I love how Luna just hangs out on the counter like a queen.

[@GeraldThomasphotojunkie]

I just love how Luna turns you instantly into a big ole softy. 🤣😂 🐈

[@-BEASTOR-]

Haha 😆so true, who can ignore such a cut cat

[@griffinreitz7041]

Phone call from elderly father. " That mower you tuned up, last fall, won't start, no matter what I try ! " Can I look at it this evening ? " I need to get mowing NOW !" OK, I'll run down. ( It was 4 miles) Get there, put gas in it, starts on second pull. " DANM" "Well thanks I need to get mowing" LOL Old man has been gone 19 years, two days ago. Hell, I'm getting to be the old man now !

[@markh.6687]

"And the differential is shot HI KITTY!"

[@harryl7946]

@@griffinreitz7041that’s the cycle of life 😂. Next thing you know - you’re the old man 😅

[@garycurry4600]

Real men talk to their cats 🐈 like Eric O talks to Luna ❤️

[@anitaodom5155]

Yes!❤

[@bretth1714]

Can confirm.

[@MrRunner]

I get great satisfaction talking to Mr. Wiggly. He has more sense at 19 than most hoomans

[@Intabih]

Luna has no respect for the artistic, filming process. XD

[@JJ-Toreddie]

Only if they live outside. No self respecting man talks to an indoor cat

[@ClaremontClassicGarage]

"Ever since you changed my oil my neighbor's lawnmower won't start" The joys of being a mechanic.

[@wolvesone]

aint that the truth lol

[@goodcitizen64]

Been there done that!

[@johnt.848]

He wishes, lol.

[@jessehickman668]

lol I’ve had customers say when I fixed their bathroom gfi their bedroom dimmer doesn’t dim as far as it use to….. 🤨 right…… Or since I put in a new breaker, now if I plug in 2 or 3 space heaters upstairs the power turns off (like it should). Bu

[@Onewheelordeal]

Even worse when you're young working on cars. I put a sound system in a girls car in HS and her dad blamed me when she had a flat tire the next week

[@deanmoncaster]

Never heard of you before. I have no idea why this video was on my feed. I am not a car mechanic. I have no interest in being a car mechanic, I do not watch car mechanic videos and I really don't know why this was offered to me. I loved it!

[@SouthMainAuto]

🤷‍♂️

[@Anonymous-it5jw]

@@SouthMainAutoWait until you have to pay an excellent mechanic, like Eric O., to find and fix the broken or poorly designed systems put on the car at the factory. Watching videos of this type of work will take on new importance, and save you money.

[@arubanjames]

It offered it, because it knew, you would love it!

[@thomasshaffer8547]

@deanmoncaster, you should thank the Gods (pick whichever ones you like) that you have now been introduced to Eric O. I predict you will subscribe and bang that 'like' button on a regular basis like bazillions of the rest of us seeking everything South Main Auto!

[@deanmoncaster]

@@thomasshaffer8547 one not been back I don't think. Unless it pops up in my feed.

[@cincy9381]

"I think it's ribbed up there too, but not for this ladies pleasure!" Best line of the video. 😂

[@the_bishop]

At 3:33 - The transition from gruff mechanic to pet owner is amazing.

[@osrr6422]

I love how everything stops for the cat... cause... kitty cat!

[@anitaodom5155]

And so it should.😂

[@patrickinottawa27]

Twice this year so far, Eric has needed Luna to perform a cat scan. Yes, she get's treated with respect.

[@ejwxb2561]

I would have never thought of that type of failure - the thing just cracked and wasn't from a crash. Man, I love up state NY but that place is brutal on cars and trucks....and I'm saying that from someone who lives near the east coast in Florida where everything rusts! Thanks for taking us along Eric - always enjoy these videos!

[@mattrose2413]

I hate having to call the customer and tell them the bad news. But I always remember what you say "I didn't make it, I didn't break it, I'm just here to fix it"

[@dddevildogg]

I have a friend ,a career wrencher and he says "I did not tell you to buy this heap,lady"

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Right @mattrose2413

[@troysmith9453]

Facts

[@OcRefrig]

That's Great ! had not heard that one before. i'm going to use that one. Works for my trade too !

[@randybeard6040]

Good Honest Quote...

[@floorpizza8074]

The way Luna talks to you is so cute. What a sweet little kitty.

[@jbrhel]

That poor lady. I understand how you must approach this professionally, but you still wear your compassion on your sleeve. We can hear it. Thanks, Mr . O.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Yes he does @jbrhel

[@KenLayfield]

When designed obsolescence goes perfectly to plan. Well done engineers.

[@dunebasher1971]

Planned obsolescence does not exist in the form it's commonly portrayed by the people who believe in bullshit conspiracy theories. Nobody is asking an engineer "make this thing so it will fail sooner".

[@MrTexasDan]

You really wouldn't want to pay for a car that's engineered to live in 365-day/yr road salt ... unless you live in the PRNY.

[@sspnugen]

Another quality GM vehicle made in some foreign country, Wilberts to the rescue

[@ekop1778]

REMINDS ME OF MY LAST CAR THAT WENT TO SCRAP 97 NEON 4 DOOR 166K THEM CHRYSLERS RUST OUT LIKE GM ID GET RID OF THIS GM

[@Slicerwizard]

No. Wilberts will just have more rotting diffs.

[@jaydotseedot]

@wayneb27 South Korea at Buick’s Bupyeong manufacturing plant…Enclave is assembled in Detroit. Encore was never assembled in the USA.

[@vmitchinson]

Amercian cars are junk! The vehicle was a 1991 Nissan King cab. I put 265,000 miles on it over 10 years. The only coat was gas, oil, tyres and one timeing chain tensioner. I would still be driving it except I got T Boned at a red light. Bent the frame and put me in hospital with a concussion.

[@paulbarrese6537]

at least when it winds up at wilberts you will know of a few good parts to pluck for the next p.o.s gm vehicle!😂

[@JT-dx1qk]

I'm an ex-tech from the NE Ohio rust belt who moved to NC and now delivers used parts from a scrapyard. I see 25 year old parts that look like new. I don't miss using my heat-wrench at all

[@Mr.NiceGuy80]

I'm from NC born and raised. I've worked on a few vehicles that came from up north. Man, I'm glad I don't wrench for a living up north.

[@cyrilhudak4568]

👍👍Youngstown Strong 👍👍

[@Mr.NiceGuy80]

@@cyrilhudak4568 Charlotte here.

[@mikemeiring6710]

Mechanic from Ohio to South Florida,saw a plymouth reliant the other day

[@oldcynic6964]

JT-dx1qk: How about sending Eric the addresses and phone numbers of a couple of the best scrappers in your neck the woods, so he can see if it is worthwhile buying one from NC ?

[@Shiver2002]

Need a slogan for these types of videos. "If I can see it, you can see it (Pending Eric O. has his glasses on)"

[@TomM-iw3te]

Since you’ve introduced a great play on words how’s about Eric trying the phrase ‘If I can’t fix it - You can’t fix it’😢

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Love that @Shiver2002

[@steveo6631]

The last part of this video is proof that there are mechanics with integrity and good character out there...

[@chrisperry9002]

At least she was smart enough to notice those problems in the first place. She sounds like a keeper.😊😊😊😊

[@recklesstim]

Time to whip out the big ole tub of JB-Weld

[@fastglassman624]

Exactly my thought. Clean the area well with brake cleaner, layer on the JB-Weld, let it cure, then do a fluid service on the diff. Repair the spring, and it's driveable until something else breaks or rots off.

[@markh.6687]

Naw, Alumaweld. Be a professional.

[@drbichat5229]

Don’t forget the spray foam

[@nickmcwilliams685]

And mold a whole new car lol.

[@jacksmith2315]

​@@fastglassman624 with it already rotting out, how porus aluminum is, all that fluid on and around the crack, i dont think jb weld would hold very well, even if it did, the crack would continue to spread, even if you could get it clean enough to hold. Jb weld is great stuff, and can fix almost everything, but its really not worth his time and reputation to use it in a situation like this. Best of replacing it because its most likely going to continue to spread, then she'll be mad at him. Pretty crazy seeing aluminum deteriorate like that on an rear dif. Gm must use some trash alloy. I know its the rust belt, but ive even seen multiple sets of gm/caddy rims stop holding air because of corrosion when they were only a couple-few years old. Ive never seen aluminum corrode that bad, unless it was because of dissimilar metals, but never in the middle of big thick cast parts like that. Quality of everything has gone to shit in america. Its like all manufacturers care about is lasting long enough for the lease and warranty. Everythings made to fail. Nothing is made to last anymore. Its pretty sad

[@rbailey225]

You're a good egg Mr. O. Your reputation is established, stop explaining yourself. Not many of us get to the Pearly Gates with video evidence of our good deeds. I don't know you but I've been watching long enough to glimpse a bit of your moral make up. Honest and fair family man.......... with a dash of sinner. LOL! St. Peter is probably a channel member.

[@jeffreygortz6146]

There are so many things I love about you eric , master mechanic , great storyteller , great family , but the one thing that I love is when " luna" shows up , you always stop what you are doing and give some love to your cat , I do the same thing my two " orange ginger" kitties , Eric , you are a smart , funny and very sweet person !!!!! My favorite y.t. channel , by far ❤❤❤❤❤

[@robertprelewitz4511]

Luna sure is a pretty cool cat. Hopefully she keeps the RATS out.

[@andrewtetley3883]

Look forward to hearing about what the lady decides 😊😊

[@amber07701]

Great find. Kinda hard to notice a leaking rear diff when the thing didn't even start and drive when you had it in the first time. Probably sat over a couple weeks in the winter because it did t start, and with the dirt water on top of the rear diff freezing could have led to it cracking as well. Who knows🤷🏻‍♂️

[@plankton199]

Being from a salt-enriched state near you I feel that crusty pain with every repair I do. We can see that you actually care about your customers in these videos. It gives me hope when I see that people like you still exist.

[@Mr19ford93]

Hope everybody enjoys their Chinese engineed and built Buicks

[@jblyon2]

I remember being at an auto show maybe 8 years ago. Out of all the Buicks on display only 3 of them were American built, and 2 of those models are gone now... South Korea and China. Ford is starting with it too, a new Lincoln model is Chinese. I'll keep driving my 80% domestic parts content US-built Camry...

[@bartgoins1782]

Thanks for putting in the customer's reaction to your diag. That's what I was looking forward to hearing. Great video, as usual.

[@mentatphilosopher]

Some of the best advice I had was after finishing car payments, keep paying them to yourself, in a separate account if possible, for repairs, maintenance, or a future car. Once you start considering that extra cash as extra you will be looking to a black day in the future.

[@mrlt1151]

I do this, and tell everyone I can get to listen to do the same.

[@Jimmeh_B]

100% GREAT advice. The only addition I would make is, make that separate account a Bitcoin wallet. Since I've never had a car accident (at least, none that involved other people/property in almost 30 years of driving) I do the same with what I used to pay in comprehensive insurance.

[@vmitchinson]

I advise my friends to do that but I do not follow my own advice. Instead I buy new and drive it until it is junk. My current car in a 2005 ford focus. Only last fall did a auto parts replacer gain access under the hood. He replaced a cracked cam cover and two injectors. Not bad for a 19 year old fix or repair daily. The thing that motived me to buy it was the motor was European designed and built.

[@DraftySatyr]

@@Jimmeh_B Mmm, I think that might be rolling the dice one too many times. But you live your life your way.

[@Jimmeh_B]

@@DraftySatyr I can understand. Same to you my friend. Though... I challenge you to find literally any class of any asset type that has outperformed BTC since it's inception And it's only just beginning.

[@kway7583]

Yeah, that's why I'm not a fan of GM or NY. She is lucky to have a shop like yours to go to. A real honest, hardworking, american technician. When life throws you junk, turn to SMA. You will get an honest evaluation. THANKS for being a stand up couple.

[@ekop1778]

I LIVE IN CT I KNOW

[@quantumleap359]

Ah, the joys of car ownership and life in the salt belt. This is not a good day for this ol' Enclave. You did what you were paid to do, there were just a few more "problems". Thanks Dr. O, you are the mechanic we all wish we had to take care of our cars.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

Tough thing about living in the rust belt that you folks understand as just being part of life. I'm a southerner, bur lived and worked in New York for a while. Beautiful place, wonderful folks and you know that folks just have to take the bad with the good. Good find.

[@mrbill8542]

GM--the gift that keeps on giving------- lots of money to the mechanics !!!

[@seanfalter9903]

Eric, I’m from central ohio, but was in bath Friday, wanted to stop and say hi, but I understand you have a business to run. Having said that, I really appreciate your knowledge and going into depth with each repair, whenever I get stumped at home wrenching you are my go to! Thank you for all the help you may or may not have known with repairing these salt belt vehicles!

[@BigDaddy_MRI]

I used to gripe about cars/truck in Texas when the A/C compressor/expansion valve/dryer had to be replaced. Mostly on my old Dodge RAM pickup with 212,000 miles on it and almost no rust. And I've had to do that twice. Dang old truck... that thing is old enough to vote now. I guess I'll just have to shut up about the little stuff, and thank my lucky stars at night are big and bright... Deep in the heart of Texas.... sorry. Can't help myself. I hit that like, been subscribed for almost 6 years and rang that bell. Say HI to the family and keep the dirty side down.

[@grahamcooper3399]

This video has all the elements of a 5-star SMA video! It has Eric giving a damn about the customer, pointing out all the avenues the customer can take, conversation with the lovely and talented Mrs. O and of course, everyone's favourite feline - Luna! I'm curious what the customer will do. If it were me, I'm not sure what I would do.

[@Slicerwizard]

Uh, read the pinned comment.

[@kevinfergusson8239]

Well done Eric. Open and honest, we need more like you. A hard call, but facts are real. Cheers.

[@23billd]

That car looks just like my 74 year old body feels! I never realized the extent of corrosion you get in the salt belt. Here in sunny California, my 12 year old car looks fine. I enjoyed the video. When I was a 12 year old boy, I'd hang around a shop like yours, they would let me actually fix things and I would absorb everything. My pay was one free Pepsi per Saturday and I learned quite a lot from guys like you way back then before we had lawyers.

[@JacobEcret]

“Ribbed, not for her pleasure” pushing those KZbin boundaries 😂

[@BobSakamoto]

This was one of the toughest I've had to watch. I had pretty much the same thing happen a couple of times and it's always with people who know nothing about cars. Sadly, there are a lot of incompetent and/or dishonest shops out there so even the nicest person is going to question "But it just started after you worked on it". If you're trying to do the right thing, that talk with the customer is gutwrenching. Hate to go so long, but one I've never forgotten is a 80 something Impala with a 350 that came in for an oil change and never started again. The only thing that saved me with the customer is that the timing chain had gotten so loose it wore a hole in the timing cover before it failed completely. Bad luck that it let go when it was shut off after driving on the rack.

[@bionicman6969]

If it weren't for GM's dedication to quality your kids could never have went to college.

[@Peter-pv8xx]

My sister who lives in Colorado bought a Buick encore the first year they came out and other than a battery or two oil changes and brakes just routine maintenance hers has been trouble free for 11 years now, a couple of her friends liked hers so much that they also bought one and my other sister also bought one a couple of years ago.

[@maytagfixer]

Wow...even I feel awful for that poor woman, I love the compassion you show towards situations like this. Wish more shops were like yous guys and much closer to Halifax. Keep up the great work and the great videos.

[@ekop1778]

DODGE IS KRAP MY 17 SUBIE BARELY ANY RUST AT 25K IM IN EASTERN CT

[@midnightrunner684]

Back in the 70's we lived on dirt roads in northeast Ohio. The county used to send tankers truck out to spray oil down on our roads to keep dust down .They soak that road with oil .Dad would wait till the tanker truck was gone then he would take our cars up and down that road .Driving fast and doing burnouts ..Dad got that oil all up under those cars ..Free under coating he called it 😮

[@oldjarhead1125]

Eric, looking at that "enhanced" closeup, the rectangular line you see looks like a seam line in the Die Cast Die that made the Casting instead of a large long crack. I don't doubt that it's cracked or eroded up there but what I saw was an "insert line" from where the tool shop inserted the die for some reason. I spent 40 years designing & building injection molds & dies cast dies. just saying buddy. Love your videos, keep them coming. Greetings from the Old Jarhead in WNC

[@paradigmsubsignal1643]

Agree completely. The curved line looks like a casting mark, it does have a crack but it's not that large.

[@julianlangdon3456]

Some shops would just see Dollar signs, do one bit knowing it'll be back again soon for the next... and the next... and the next. Nice to be reminded that not every garage will rip you off / not do it properly. I however have been doing my own spannering for years now, coz many would and I ain't paying no-one to cock it up when I can do so for free !! ....and learn something. No complaint here, you done the right thing as usual Mr O

[@frankiehensley2928]

I don't understand how aluminum corrodes steel or iron corrodes lot faster, however aluminum is so easy to crack that's why I never trust engine blocks and or heads made from aluminum, the kitty is always the highlight of my day and thank you for filming the kitty 🐈

[@Ram14250]

So you will never own a vehicle built after 2005? Everything is Aluminum block now. Toyota has been building aluminum engines for many years, so has Honda... many of them last well over 500,000 miles and still run fine. The material isn't the problem.

[@troydavidson1803]

You're awesome Eric, Just be honest with her and tell it how it is, she might blame you for it, but I don't think so, I think she with thank you for it, and you will have a customer for life. Do a honest job, and telling people the truth goes a long ways. Most garages would turn a blind eye and say, no, it was only in here to get it running, and we got it going. Good old Rust belt a h! Yes I am Canadian :)

[@ShaeLuther]

You're a better man then me, a big reason why I do what I do now is that it's easier to explain to a company that their machine is a POS. With customers and family I always ate everything out of guilt. It's how I got my start wrenching because I couldn't afford to pay someone to work on the pos's I could afford. No one has any reason to judge you, you're fair, thorough, and still have a family to provide for.

[@MC-de6tf]

Do what is reasonable, do what is logical, do the best you can with what you get paid to do- that is all you can do. Seems to me the people that are designing and producing the automobiles might be a major part of the problem. Seems a lot of vehicles are not built to last and not built for ease of maintenance and repair- and that would be a whole other story. Thanks for the video, seems to me you are doing the best quality work that the customer will allow, good job.

[@robbrobb2161]

Looking forward to the repairs. Loved your analysis. I have to think about repair or replace as well. So far repair has paid off.

[@duanebuck193]

I always appreciate the honesty that you show in your work, and I wouldn't blame you for not seeing something that you weren't looking for. Some people feel that every mechanic that touches their car is going to do a full nose to tail inspection of it, and logistically it's impossible, and the return on time spent would be through the roof in the negative.

[@Bearith]

Eric O, thanks for being an honest mechanic! I can hear the sadness your voice when you talk about the customer's problems. Wish I lived closer (Arizona is too far), I would be one of your customers! Thanks for "taking us along".

[@dnlmachine4287]

Up here in the great frozen tundra of north Canada, we get the full rust acceleration program on our roads. But its still rare to see a gear case crack. Have to assume this is an anomaly, or just another fabulous GM design. In the words of the great Nelson Munz: "WOAH, talk about your pieces of cryap!!" Stay gold.

[@cullenmiller8170]

You just lose all street cred when you get around the cat. 🤣🤣

[@anitaodom5155]

It increases his cred with this ol' "cat lady".😅

[@SouthMainAuto]

But it's a kitty. Cut me some slack 😅

[@adamtrombino106]

My ex g/f had this mutt purse dog that might've weighed 10lbs wet. I would take it for walks around the hood and get a rash of crap from my neighbors, just funn'n me. I would tell um "Hey it takes a real man to walk a dog like this." and we all would laugh. But my neighbor's son got me..He said "Next you'll be wearing a pink hoodie with ears.." Well they're both gone now so back to our normally scheduled programming.

[@TimfromAlabama]

The time I've been following and watching your videos I've read many comments on here how people think you're a tough, mean old man. BUT, Luna and how sweet you are to her told me all I needed to know first hand. You're a great guy, and I know folks like this lady that you're having compassion for, as well appreciate you. The positive outweigh the negative since the auto world has such a bad rep from crooks and hooks other mechanics try. So, remember, we watch you on here, and how you pick, and make us laugh, even make us feel concern like in this case for others and we feel your pain, too. That's one reason I follow along and watch your vids. I see a mechanic I would be PROUD to have work on and keep my cars up if I lived close by. Remember that when those days come and things seem to not work out, or some troll on here starts in on your videos. Those of us who are AVID followers and fans will stick around like a wedgie on someone with no arms...lol. Hope that made your day better. You take care and we want to see more Mrs O and you banter. It makes our day. Cheers.

[@rickharper1497]

Sounds like my luck, I go to fix one thing and I see there is something else and I'm hoping I can fix it myself. Then I tell myself, you've managed so far, 50 years working on my own cars and motorcycles because I've seen and heard the stories of our local garages, except for the one I worked at for a couple of years. You're one in a million Eric, you do your best which is better than 98% of other shops. Wished I had you for backup, but I live in Pensacola.

[@gregphillips1046]

I love watching your videos. I've been wrenching since 1974....mostly in powersports...but the snowmobile customers were worst....once you touched it they had what they thought was a forever warranty...lol....unfortunately most products are built for planned obsolescence. Keep up the great work...

[@Cheepchipsable]

The fluid had already leaked out until Josh filled it up again. "If I can do it, you can do it...I didn't do anything." Welcome to my area of expertise Mr O!

[@davidedgar2818]

We had a customer that was definitely not nice at all. We serviced all 4 brakes, turned the rotors and drums, bled the system. One week later she had it towed back in because the radiator sprang ( sprung?) a leak and it overheated. She blamed our shop for that, luckily my boss knew a very good attorney that let her know that she was barking up the wrong tree and it would eventually losing a lot more money if she even filed a suit. Glad you have a more reasonable customer.

[@calholli]

I think that broken rear spring and the broken case have a common story to tell. lol.. It sure seems more like a blunt force break than corrosion. It's very clean looking, other than the dirt/mud on top. It has likely been that way for a long time and is only slinging out the extra oil that your boy put in. Personally, If I were her: I'd just run it. The crack is on top and shouldn't leak so much once the oil gets back down to a certain level. But like you're saying-- as shot as that car is, I'd just run it and not pump anymore money into it. It has probably been that way for years, judging by the broken spring.

[@ogee634]

Perfect mug placement. I still owe a thumbs up. Current youtube crap disappears when I select it. Literally, the thumbs up goes blank and that’s for everyone not just here.

[@ogee634]

Hey, it only took youtube 24 hrs to fix. Thumbs up, your videos are great.

[@magintysmaw]

My old dad used to say “you may strengthen one part, but that will weaken another”. For sure Eric, I have found this true on many an occasion….. you bust your nuts fixing something and within a week, pop, bang goes another 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@erwinrenwick8974]

Sometimes it's hard to deliver the facts, but competent, honest mechanics are rewarded. You have my vote!

[@infin1ty850]

I love Mrs O. You're a lucky man.

[@kevinelsdon273]

Chassis ground, mixed metals in contact. What could possibly go wrong? Lol! My father taught me to put a sprinkler under your vehicle after the weather warmed up overnight (just a regular old traversing one) has worked well for me over 35 years. But up here in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia Canada, we worry more about other drivers than rust during winter for killing vehicles! Keep up the great work, the great videos and everything else you do!

[@danlemke6407]

I wanna see! Make sure to bring us along if you get the job. Ironically, my wife just bought a 2020 1.4 Encore and loves it. So, yeah, I wanna see it. Thanks Eric. Hey, do you need a new cap? The one you're wearing looks as bad as the Encore. Probably the salt or maybe steam after reading some comments.

[@danrandall794]

Eric O you are a rock star and a person with great values and compassion. But and here comes the but I ran some dealership shops for decades. One of our rules especially on an older vehicle here in the rust belt was take a few minutes and look it over before we start on a repair. Many reasons to do this but it really started off as a CYA. As you stated for many even spending a few thousand dollars is much better idea. I still remember the first customer that based on what we said decided to trade it in on a new car. They told the sales manager the reason they did that was because they understood our service department was looking out for them and that is where they wanted to do business. I still stand by what my first sentence says about your values. You are a huge blessing to the industry.

[@ronaldbrosius7488]

Thanks for posting these videos!! Well done.

[@Byrd819]

You learn something everytime SMA puts up a new video. Awesome channel. Thank You sir.

[@JenkinsLocks]

You're paid for a task...that's it. I get people that want locks replaced and assume that means I reframe the whole door as part of it. Nope.

[@missulu]

You would have never found that until it leaked. Honestly, because of the size and shape of this, it looks like a manufacturing defect that finally 'popped'!?! Excellent video!

[@ericpaul4575]

Although there is a crack there, the straight line with the curve is a casting line.

[@jjtt7408]

I HAVE WATCHED YOU OFF AND ON FOR A LONG TIME NOW / I JUST SAW A SHORT VIDEO OF YOU HELPING A LADY SAVE HER OLD OILY CAR JUST NEEDED TO REPLACE HARMONIC BALANCER AND OIL SEAL / AFTER SOME LOW LIFE TOLD HER HE CAR WAS ALL DONE ETHER HE WAS A CON JOB OR JUST A LAZY NO NOTHING /// / MAY GOD ALL MIGHTY BLESS YOU AND YOUR HOLE FAMILY / I HAVE BEEN AROUND THE AUTO BUSINESS IN EVERY WAY FOR MANY YEARS AND ONLY ARE THERE A FEW GUYS THAT ARE GOD FEARING MEN , WHO DO THE RIGHT THING AND YOUR ONE OF THEM / KEEP THE FAITH , JESUS SAVES

[@BigHunt206]

Love how the cat toned you down😂

[@sjman6064]

Haha, love the voice change when the cat steps in. Great work too!

[@joeseuck9235]

Doom, despair and agony on me. Deep dark depression, incessant misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

A HEE HAW classic. I couldn't place why it sounded so familiar. Failing brain, search to the rescue.

[@AnthonySmith-hr2kp]

Jeeze,she's btreakin up Captain. Looks like one of them cars ya drive it till it's towed to the junkyard. Nice jib Mr O.

[@deannesevier6858]

Love the coffee mug at the end that Mrs. O got you!😁

[@Wrang15]

I am glad when my gm truck rusted up and broke all over at in PA.... i did not even look at another GM product. Same issue where i am with dirt roads. Oil sprayed that sucker too. Got 14 years out of it anyway. Now i have a used dealer demo suv saved a ton....on it.

[@xxW00LYxx]

Eric cracks me up with the voice he does every time the cat shows up 😂

[@Mike44460]

Luna appears quite comfortable on her perch, the real matriarch of the operation.

[@pootthatbak2578]

These are the bad days. Everyone brings their problems to you. You do your best and thats not enf.. car falls apart in front of you. Its not your fault eric. I do appreciate you second guessed( a tiny bit) your original work. RIP poor encore

[@johnnysechrist6313]

I always hated telling a customer her next parking spot should be a junkyard, but now we have facebook marketplace to suggest.

[@clintprice2123]

Eric, you’re a good man, you’ve got a good heart and care about your customers. It’s amazing how destructive the salt is up by you, here in NJ I’ve never had any severe salt issues.

[@calholli]

If it were my own car.. there's enough room in there that I would probably clean it off as best I could.. and dab some layers of JB-weld over the cracks. lol. All it has to do is stop the leaks. I've done this before on motorcycle engines, and also lawnmowers. It works surprisingly well. Especially with this crack being on top and not the bottom somewhere-- where the oil is much more likely to leak from.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Can work, but once the crack has started it will probably get longer. Probably serve as a temp fix until she can get another car.

[@cyrilhudak4568]

I thought about MarineTex to repair this.

[@RichieRich-l6s]

My thoughts exactly! JB Weld ftw.

[@zacscott5031]

I had an 03 ford ranger. It made it to over 160,000 miles before the engine went. Had a reman engine installed because the rest of the truck was mint for being roughly 17 years old. Once that happened it went through 2 more engines within 2 years and everything went south on it. Everything broke and even the “new” parts broke within a month of install. The body ended up rusting out within a year along with the rear leaf spring shackles. Sold it to a kid who wanted a farm truck for the same price as the remain engine. Funny story my dad bought me that truck in 2007 for my first vehicle for 9,000 having 54,000 miles. I sold it for 7,500 with over 165,000 miles. Not bad.

[@ronallen6578]

It reaches a point when you have to take a loved one off life support. The time has arrived. RIP

[@gwbuilder5779]

Well Eric, As you said in the beginning, this one is in tough condition and very likely when the all wheel drive system was repaired, it is quite likely that the additional torque on the rear differential caused is to buckle across those weak points, especially the way those carriers are mounted in the housing. Tough luck, sorry for the lady.🤙

[@ryanmg92]

This vehicle is a perfect example.of when stuff just goes to hell, a garage can end up gaining a reputation that's unfounded but can hurt the business. Nothing anyone could have done, just one of those things. The only thing I'd be suspicious of, is has this vehicle been sat around for a while prior to coming to you initially.

[@renereyes4999]

Sometimes when it rains it pours! I've been there. You're an honest mechanic mr. O.

[@vicferrarisgarage]

Crap! Now I feel bad for this lady! Thanks a lot Eric 😢 I’m paying to be a SMA early bird JUST so you can make me feel sorry before everyone else😅

[@williamschmitz971]

Nice coffee cup! Who got you that???😉😉😉😉

[@MacAutoDiag]

Man up

[@vicferrarisgarage]

@@williamschmitz971 coffee cup? As in like pedant tears? Or was there a coffee cup in the vid? Help me understand the joke. Lol

[@vicferrarisgarage]

@@MacAutoDiag it’s a joke based on a joke in the vid. But thanks for the fatherless advice. Lmao

[@williamschmitz971]

@@vicferrarisgarage at the end of the video, Eric has a coffee cup with “I ♥️ my wife” on it-I know Mrs O has to get him that!! LoL

[@zeke1eod]

Awesome video, I hate it for the lady but in the rust belt that happens. Glad we're in the south. Stay safe, and God bless

[@johnnyblue4799]

I get the aluminum corrosion, but that fracture looks like the diff assembly took a hit. That upper rib has a missing piece that looks a bit too sharp to be only caused by corrosion. Is it possible maybe, because of the broken spring, the body to sit lower and hit the diff housing if the car hits a big bump, or a pothole? That square fracture line doesn't look like it's due to the salt. It looks more like hit from above. Then, when you fixed the rear diff module it started working and splashing oil everywhere and heating up a bit more, because now the gears are under friction and the case dilates more... just guessing...

[@Blazer02LS]

Nope. The diff housing is bolted to the body not floating like a solid axle on a truck. No way it can move and hit.

[@johnnyblue4799]

​@@Blazer02LS There seem to be a TSB talking about this... static(dot)nhtsa(dot)gov / odi / tsbs / 2018/MC-10137579-9999.pdf

[@johnnyblue4799]

@@Blazer02LS Dunno what's wrong with this stupid YT, but my comments get deleted. There seems to be a tsb about Encore cracked rear diffs. It might apply to this one too.

[@ChuckWhitney-bs3mt]

Always nice to see Mrs O pop into the office

[@gungadinn]

If it were mine, I'd clean the housing, solvent wash a couple of times, then coat the entire top with Marine-Tex, and pray for the best. Unless you can get a southern unit for a couple hundred bucks, and a couple hundred in labor, a new set of springs and a front brake job. The catalyst might be salvageable with a flush of powered injector cleaner. If not, send her out of state for a converter install. AC? Who needs AC? Still cheaper than a year of new car payments. Ford opened a can of worms with the F-150 aluminum body,

[@Blazer02LS]

"The catalyst might be salvageable with a flush of powered injector cleaner. If not, send her out of state for a converter install." Unless the car stays out of NY the other shop still has to follow NY law on the replacement. NY regs changed in January as well, ALL converter replacements have to be CARB or OEM regardless of the emissions sticker, all the way back to pre OBD vehicles. It gets VERY expensive if you violate that law as well - New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) Sections 71-2103 and 71-2105 provide for penalties of up to $18,000 in the case of a first violation and an additional penalty of up to $15,000 for each day during which such violation continues. The ECL provides for a penalty of up to $26,000 for a second and subsequent violations and an additional penalty of up to $22,500 for each day during which such violation continues. The criminal penalty provisions provide for a penalty of up to $18,000 and/or up to one year of imprisonment for each violation. It also provides for a penalty of up to $26,000 and and/or imprisonment for each violation when such conviction is for a second or subsequent offense.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

I don't often question the motivations of others, but I'm beginning to believe this vehicle is a key part of a college thesis on human psychology, and you are the subject of the study