Mike and Daniel both keep getting more comfortable on camera. You're always fun and informative Wiz. Keep featuring your techs!

I’m 6’5” 340lbs and I LOVE driving the fortwo. It’s like being in a cartoon. The hilarious behavior of the transmission and the manual steering is just a comedy special on wheels. Love it.

My 2005 smart had the three bars of death when I bought it. One mechanic said a new cpu was needed, $3500. I loosened the three shift actuator bolts, moved it 1/4" closer to the transmission to compensaten for clutch and component wear, now I've put 20,000kms more on the odometer 👍

That engine bay was a dead giveaway that chewed wires were a possibility. Props to the wizard for doing the right thing as always. Great example for all, this is the way to do business. Honest work in a dishonest world

Finding an honest mechanic isn’t an easy task now days, especially in New York where I live. I have been lucky and found an honest old school mechanic. I brought him a mini van for a coolant leak. He told me most often it’s a tube that runs under the intake to the water pump, about $250 repair at that time. I went to pick up the car and was pleasantly surprised to be billed $50. It ended up being a factory formed hose that connects to that tube. He easily could have replaced that hose and charged me $250. I’ve used his shop every since that time and I recommend him often to friends and family. He’s very busy and at times you have to wait for him to get to your repair but I don’t mind waiting.

Hahahaha I love the Banana jeep sticker from Matt's Off Road Recovery! Mad props!

Matt's Off-road Recovery sticker on the back window!

If we’re honest, a Smart transmission NEVER shifts “well,” even when working properly.

Had a diesel Smart for two Pulse for seven years, other than replacing tyres brake pads and thr odd ball joint it has been a very reliable car. Ideal for running errands and hopping

Fantastic video as usual! Setting the bar for automotive workshops! Anyone else noticed the "Yellow Banana" from Matt's Offroad?

It's nice to watch a business ower who realises that repeart customers and word of mouth recomendations will pave the way for a long running business, Keep it up Wizard, (shame I'm in the UK and not Kansas so I have to find me someone round here

Well done for being an honest man, love from the UK

Trust is everything to me. Because of the sheer amount of crooks in my area, I've invested heavily in my own tools. There are a couple of people I trust but, not as many as there should be. I just bought myself a nice Autel scanner as well.

I must say, I love that the Wizard is polite and respectful. That he sees quirky cars and says positive things about them instead of telling people to get a "real" car.

Matt’s Off-road Recovery Banana Sticker! Haha

A shame to imagine how many shops would repair the wiring, clean up the trans, and charge for a trans they never replaced!

That car shifts hard from the factory I almost bought it back when it came out

You've done it again, Car Wizard. Another great video. I've watched your channel for over two years now and have seen your operation expand and prosper. You keep proving that fair and competent people are the winners in the long run. Your example encourages the rest of us, whatever our walk in life, to carry on.

As Smart car owner and Mechanic I appreciate your troubleshooting and honesty. It saddens me and like I say to my customers, "I'll work on your car like it's mine"

Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, these Smart Cars are so small & cute!!! They remind me of a fancy golf cart!!! Omega Auto Clinic is an honest shop with a ton of integrity!!! Thank you Wizard & Mrs Wizard for being a breath of fresh air in the auto repair industry!!! 👍👍🙂

Ran into about the same situation with my 1994 Explorer. Thought my transmission was shot, was prepared for a transmission change. Luckily the transmission shop was honest called me back and said it's a transfer case. So instead of $3,500, it cost me about $900. Luckily there are still honest shops still around.

always wanted one of those but for an off roader..go right here on youtube and find versions of them made into off roaders,they jack them up..put 4 wheeler wheels and tires on them and go nuts in the rough stuff....they make a great side by side off roader...got heat,got AC,got power windows ,windshield wippers....got a stereo........and they weigh nothing and do very well off road....find them on youtube right here,if I get one,that IS what Ill do with it.

I love your videos Wizard! The best part was closing the door “case closed!” Like with many things in life, it’s not what you (think you) know but who you know. Building trust and respect with your shop is so important!

Honesty matters. I’ve had customers demand we install their own parts, or what they think will fix it. I always demand they let me diagnose first. They always end up thanking me.

Magic Mike is just an awesome and genuinely personable mechanic ! He is like getting Mr. Goodwrench instead of Mr. bad pliers! Good on you and Mrs. Wizard for a straightforward and non hokey presentation with today’s vid. Just the right amount of levity and technical explanation that ,for me, was a terrific example of how to show your business model and customer service!

It's really cool to see that they have a Matt's off road recovery sticker on their vehicle 😂

Owned a 2016 Passion, Wife HAD TO HAVE IT. Biggest P.O.S on the road.. Nothing Smart about it. Blew a head gasket at 70K, Found a motor. Put it in and dumped it as fast as I could.

Mats offroad recovery appears everywhere even in Kansas

500 seems pretty reasonable considering the labor/time involved. I would pay a bit more to the people that are willing to dive in and ultimately save me some money and time over both the short and long term. I don't advertise for my shop anymore since I've been focusing more heavily on other ventures. When I did prior, and still if someone knows me and comes by/calls asking for help, I treated them exactly how I would want to be treated in terms of being fair and finding the real problem rather than taking the shotgun approach. My dad taught me when I was young with his businesses, if you take care of your customers, more likely than not they'll take care of you with return business and recommending you to family, friends, etc.

Magic mike doing a great job

Your a good man by helping people Your a “Hero” God Bless You

Rule #1 Never tell a mechanic what is wrong with your car. Tell the mechanic the symptoms and let them find the problem. By telling a mechanic what is wrong could lead the mechanic in the wrong direction, cause you to pay for unnecessary work, and replace parts unnecessarily.

We need more mechanics like you wizard. Took me years to find a mechanic I trust. I trust him for my Audi, not sure about my Subarus yet. Mechanics like you are few and VERY far between. Thank you for what you and your team do.

Another great mechanic, they are passionate about their work. I always look at them like doctors

I have been really lucky with my mechanics, and they actually let me work with them and they taught me everything I know in exchange for cleaning, helping and basically doing all the bitch work when I was young. A good mechanic is one that actually diagnoses a problem instead of throwing parts at it to fix it.

And this is why my family does not use dealerships or chain repair shops for our vehicles. We found a local guy who exists by word of mouth advertising only. He’s always busy and he even makes house calls.

Clutch actuator often needs some grease

Last time I had transmission trouble, no shop in the area would even discuss the idea of diagnosing the transmission, they'd only replace it. My recently purchased F150 shifted funny, and I was able to fix it by disconnecting the battery and waiting a while.

Its a shame all shops dont have your work ethic and honesty

FYI Anyone who has a Smart fourtwo if it won't shift into 1st or reverse, the problem might be the switch on the brake lights. The car has to have the brake pedal depressed to switch into drive or reverse and it uses that same switch to put the brake lights on! Gotta say I always thought that a Smart car would be a fabulous donor vehicle for a trike. Think about it rear wheel drive semi-auto gearbox and light weight.

Most educational video you've produced so far! Great job!

We expect the worst every time because most of us don't examine the small things first and almost always, its the small stuff that are biting us in the rear. 4 weeks ago I was wrenching on my car on the belt and timing and I had to remove the cam cover but to get it off I had to move over the wiring harness that rest on top of it. I finish up, go somewhere to eat and mid trip to where I was going, I turned on my A/C and it did not want to blow cold at all. I expected the worst thinking if it was already time for a compressor or did my system have a leak or should I go to the A/C mechanic, etc, I was losing my mind When I got home, I checked the car over to see what I could find and saw that the wire that goes to the compressor had disconnected from its connector when I moved the wiring harness earlier and I didnt notice. Just one small wire that came loose left me with no air conditioning.

Wow!! How honest you are! There must be more people like you in this world!!!

car wizard is awesome. i watch all his videos and he's gotten me really interested in troubleshooting car troubles and the way to think through the problems. he's so knowledgeable and dedication to clients and longterm relationships is so nice to see.

A blow up version of one of those may come in handy in the trunk of my car as a spare

Everybody should be aware that you can't put a baby or a dog in the hatch area of these cars. The engine cover gets hot, and the heat penetrates right through the carpeting. I had a Smart car. Mice have a way of getting in through gaps in the underbody cover. The car in the video here has some big cracks in the underbody cover so that should be replaced to minimize mice getting in.

Thanks to the Wizard group for being an honest provider of work. Wish I had a local mechanic like yourselves.

You are an honest man... You have my total support and admiration for how you run your business. Your ethics are tops! I love your videos! I share you videos because your videos are so valuable... Thank you wizard!

The fact that they had a Matt's offroad recovery sticker means they have great taste

3 Lines on the cluster rarely means the transmission is gone, but the clutch and/or clutch actuator. It seems like a hard job to do, when you look how the engine is packed tight. But it only takes like 1 houre to pull the whole backend out, with the rear axel/engine/trans. Its a fun car, i loved mine when i had it, even tho i had to give it, it´s first clutch :) Very good work with finding the broken wires, thats allways a pain to find :-)

I really like your knowledge and most of all your honesty. There are so many dishonest shops and dealerships now days and you need to be commended for being a good human being. THANK YOU

Love the honesty and integrity. I wish more mechanical shops were like yours. Thanks for the information on this little car.

Mike's hair looks like he found the cigarette lighter.

I’m impressed that your wrenches have come from both sides of the country to work in your shop. Says a lot about them and their boss.

You are getting so good in making these videos. Very informative

Honest technicians are few and far in between. Thank you for your honesty sir.

car wizard do you think its worth joining the military or air force for stability or having a good career. im a auto tech with about 3 years of experience and im unemployed, most shops are anot paying alot here where i am.. idont know what else to do. i want to make more money. iknow military is not where you make money but i need stability.. idont know.. just venting..

Surprised it even needs power steering. And, as a two seater I bet insurance would love to classify it as a sports car 🤣

Respect your knowledge & honesty, mate!

Love this diagnosis format.

The Smart Fortwo never really "shifted right", had one of the worst shift actions from new.

Smart cars never shift right from new

I don’t know if it was mentioned at all, but it makes plenty of sense why “Magic Mike” was the tech to choose for this job. The reason is that Smart, the company that makes this car is owned by Mercedes Benz. Maybe this sounds like a dumb thing to post but I was doing it for those that don’t know the tangled web of brand ownership in the auto industry very well.

@ 2:00 Your wife is hilarious !😂 You also! You all's interaction(s)

I like the OG "MORR" Banana sticker.

Living where you are you need an F150

Gotta love the Matt's Offroad Recovery sticker at the back 🙂

thank you for being VERY honest, Mr. Wizard. good insights from your vid(s). may your business grows to a greater height!! all the very best.

I don't understand why anyone would buy one of these when a Civic is more refined, more reliable, have more cargo and passenger space, and gets just as good or better MPG and will depreciate less than this M-B turd.

The baby Mercedes.

Wizard I wish I had a journeymen like you for my training. I got stuck with alot of C grade "Tech's" who don't give a shit and throw parts at issues. Alot of my skills I had to learn by trial and error but my attention to detail and meticulous nature helped me alot when diagnosing electrical issues.

Thank you for showing there are good and honest shops, Wizard. There are even good and honest dealership service departments, but they are getting harder and harder to find. I’ve done a lot of my own wrenching over the years, but I learn something every time I watch one of your videos. Thanks for being so real and honest - it is greatly admired and appreciated!

When these first came out I did a last minute tire rotation at the end of the day and failed to notice the staggered wheel size. That little car was pissed when I moved it out of my bay. 🤣

There's a reason why you take your car troubles to a real "Wizard"!

I'm impressed. Wish I was closer to you guys for my Smart car. Difficult to find anyone to work on it. Thanks for sharing.

Wow a HONEST car repair shop , that’s a rare breed . Thank you for sharing , and educating us ….. We love your honesty and content 😱😱👍👍😱😱

I would be afraid of gettin smashed in that it would make a great yard kart though lol

It’s too bad there no support for these left…

Love the Matt's OffRoad Recovery sticker on the hatch. Great video, wizard !

Out of mostly all of the videos ive watched u produce this is one of the best :)

Magic Mike earned his nickname

Look like a cross between a Mercedes-Benz SLK and a riding lawn mower. It may be efficient and 'cute', but I would wear a paper bag over my head if I had to drive one.

I'm loving mine, lol. Just mine does not have cruise control, that really is hard. 39 miles to gallon generally, but it is a little sketchy at 75-80mph on the interstate!

Yes it’s sad how many unscrupulous shops are out there! But it’s always nice to find an honest one, thank you car wizard for being one of them!

I wish most mechanics are like you. The guy will come back again and will also promote your good honest service.

You are correct, its very hard to find honest mechanic plus one that takes the time to do correct diagnosis. Here in Pa. Lots of hurry up mechanic s, it's frustrating and costly! Have a good one.

Really good video, thanks! Great lesson here.

Great attention to detail and investigative diagnostics... well done

Excellent work Magic Mike!!

After moving 800 miles 2 years ago I asked my co workers who to go see and I have been fortunate that the shop I take my vehicles to is honest and fair in their pricing. Yes I do pay more but the shop takes the time to explain what they found and what it took to fix the issue. Fair and Honest Mechanics are VERY hard to find anymore.

What I love is Wizard's creed is basically "Find the actual problem, offer a realistic solution, backed by knowledge and ethics". I've never seen a mechanic try to teach you or even give solid advice without being paid. I know Wizard does not work for free, and will refuse to work with some people or cars based on his inspection of both. However, he's not just giving dumb advice to line his pockets more. I respect the intent to make common people see the underbelly of the business more clearly. I wish more mechanics were as straightforward and honest, even if a bit too honest sometimes 😅. Always great to see Magic Mike again, thanks to Mrs. Wizard for continuing to be part of the channel.

Outstanding work!

Great job guys, good honest repair

I actually had to find a radiator for a 2011 Fortwo this week. It took a while but I came up with it. I had never seen how these were constructed thanks for posting this. The guys changed it while I wasn't there.

451 model a big improvement over 450 with a 3 cylinder Mitsubishi engine. They are quite a fun and surprisingly practical little car. The underside of this example looks a little worse for wear. The side vent is air intake and vents under the tailgate for aiding heat dispersal as the exhaust sits directly under this panel. Gearbox can be remapped to give 25% quicker shifts. A big improvement over the sedate factory shift times.

Mr wizard,your integrity is a blessing!

Hey Wiz thanks for the tip about disconnecting the MAF in another video, jag would crank but not start when battery was dieing and replaced, but your tip worked!

Good job, Magic Mike and Wizard! I got a car with 187K miles back from the Ford dealer after some recall and routine maintenance work (belts, tensioner, thermostat, etc). It went in with a thermostat open code, and came back with what I assumed was the same code, but I also noticed that it was shifting hard. I thought "Crap, the transmission has an issue now". I read the code in preparation for clearing it, found it to be a new code. After researching the code, I looked for a vacuum leak and found that 2 old crusty vacuum hoses connecting the intake manifold to the head had cracked through. They were old, and most likely finally cracked open while their tech. worked on the car. I spent $1.98 on a foot of hose and fixed it in 2 minutes. A year later the car still runs like a champ.

I appreciate your INTEGRITY!!! That is LOST in today's world! Very few of us still have it! I want to get this car in my area (IL)! BTW, I know you from "Hoovie's Garage!" - The Cool Courier

Very Smart analysis there cw.