Happy to pay for boxes of modules for no reason, but not happy to pay labour for an actual skilled tech to find the problem... bizarre mentality.

This customer is the prime example why technicians aren’t interested in staying in this field, let alone the quality of parts lately. This is coming from a tech, of 15 years. Ivan great work and good attitude!!!!

Hi Ivan. There are two types of people on earth. Those who live and learn, and those who just live. This customer has no respect.

Someone should take this customer's parents to court for negligent reproduction. Some people should not be buying cars.

These butchered cars may be a pain, but the do make great television. Thanks, Ivan.

I hope the KZfaq revenue from this series covers your costs that the client failed to cover… with this level of diagnostics and honesty you deserve every $

that ash in a tank is from the last mechanic that was threatened to be sued :)

The guy can't afford to pay you, he can't afford a lawyer. I would call his bluff.

"I've towed this car from North Carolina". Good; then you shouldn't get lost when you tow it back! Go away.

Customer has no knowledge, no repair skills & no money. Funny how all three go together 😂

How can the owner be upset with Ivan? Be mad at yourself for buying a nightmare.

What a Pain this customer was. I hate these type of people. they expect something for nothing .

Ivan goes beyond the call of duty. He will not accept no for an answer.

Start getting a deposit up front before accepting a project. The treatment you got from the customer is unacceptable. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us. Thanks for sharing. 👍👍👏👏🇺🇲🇺🇲

You need to rename this job "customer from hell"

While watching this series and enjoying the content, when I heard you say "give him a freebie " I thought to myself wrong thing to do. A good deed never goes unpunished.

Oh, he's one of those customers...wow. He can't afford to fix his car, he can't afford a lawsuit.

Eric O from SMA, had a video saying he stopped taking on cars that had a lot of parts swapped before they bring it to him.. .

This shows exactly how great of a technician and a human you are, Ivan. The second this guy said something about suing me after all this, it would have been over. You must have the patience of a saint. This guy owes you an apology. With everything you did for him he should be kissing your boots!

Customers like that don't understand how much money you're actually saving them, in both money and time, with an accurate diagnosis! You're amazing. Thanks Ivan!

Yea after the threat somebody dumped something nasty in this guys tank.

You did something else right too mate! Besides the genius fault analysis, diagnosis, learning & repairs. You withheld the video for a year to stop the ratbag customer seeing your work & stealing your knowledge & experience.

Awesome video my friend. Just like the Saturn from hell. Seller sold the car to a person on a limited income. .Had a taped over check engine light. God only knows how many hands touched it before I got to it. Removed a lot of aftermarket crap. I got to a point where I said I need help. Take it to Ivan. You got it back to a drivable condition.(THANK YOU) Then the finale part was me finding a brand new oem exhaust cam phaser. Repaired that and car has been running great ever since. Like you I started to get vehicles that have been to several garages that can't repair the vehicle. I look at them as a challenge and a learning experience. Also the self satisfaction of fixing something nobody else can. Stay well my friend. Stay Well my friend.

Ivan, the first clue the guy had no money, is the car itself. No one with any money would buy that car. It was like going to the junkyard and buying a car, and then thinking you got a good deal.

Looks like his baby's momma poured something in the gas tank 😁

Someone sabotaged that fuel tank maybe the whole car.

Ivan, the explanation of the video being a year old, explains every thing. When you said he did not want to pay for the sunroof, I thought, well he just has to watch the video, to see how to fix it himself, but you out smarted him on that. There are some customers you just don't want back, that guy would be at the top of the list.

If that junk makes it back home it will be a miracle

If there's sand in the tank, someone put it there. I once bought a Mercedes from a guy who said it just quit running one day. I had all kinds of problems with that thing until I figured out the tank was full of sugar. The previous owner was feuding with a neighbor who sabotaged the car.

You went above and beyond for him and that’s how he thanks you for all the free labor..

Can’t help those not ready to receive your help. It’s quite unfortunate. Hope they reconsider. Thanks!

If I compare your "work ethic/honesty/devotion" to the repair with others in the industry, YOU are top tier and it's a blessing and an honor to learn from you and other like minded diag/mechanics who, in the long run of car cost maintenance and repair, save us thousands over time and these days not much time needs to accumulate for the customers........ let me thank you personally, Ivan, for sharing these case studies in the professional caring way that you do.

He should of had at least 5 grand in his pocket to invest before having it towed. Great work Ivan 👏

I have to say I thoroughly enjoy watching your channel and the myriad of challenges you face in fixing customer cars. Your diagnostic skills are top notch. I admire your tenacity in tackling the very wide range of problems and your logical approach to each and every one of them. I owned an auto repair business back in the 70s and early 80s. Cars have unquestionably gotten more complex with time but one thing that never changes is the customer interactions, good and bad. The vast majority of our customers were awesome but there was always those who didn't paint the whole picture of what was going on with their cars including the history, which would often prove helpful and relevant if their car problem was now yours. And of course those who didn't want to pay or to pay less than what you charged or grouping repairs for a price that didn't include the "oh by the ways". I could go on but I won't. Kudos to you. I watch Eric O at South Main Auto too and you guys both are not your average mechanics. You should be fairly compensated, without question, for the skillsets your bring to these jobs. Keep up the good work and keep the content coming for your loyal followers.

That the thanks you get for working on that piece of junk

If he changed fuel pumps 4 times and didnt address the junk in the tank. Some people cant be reasoned with.

I've had customers like this. Most customers are happy that I fixed their cars. Some customers become hostile and belligerent after I successfully fix their cars, even if they had taken it to other shops first. They want discounts, they try to negotiate, etc. To size up a customer and if they ask how much the fix costs first, I tell them all that it could possibly be, and give them a highest price scenario. I'm just getting a feel for the customer first. And if they are hostile at first or try to negotiate I tell them to take the car and go somewhere else. I diagnose the customer FIRST, then the car. It's not worth it to try to deal with cheap, or combative customers.

Back in the mid 1990s I got one tank of gas from one gas station between Houston and Austin Texas and that one tank caused me endless endless problems,, multiple fuel filters, multiple break downs,, until finally the gas tank had to be removed and flushed and reinstalled etc.... What was in my tank looked something like sand but it was super super super fine...

From the beginning, when he asked for a discount, it was a HUGE red flag plus all the hack work he did. Unfortunately I've had customers like this. As soon as I start smelling someone cheap that doesn't want to pay. I tell them to go somewhere else

Charcoal from canister is my best guess. Constant overfilling. Remove the purge valve and see if any of that grit can be tapped out.

Ivan, this guy should apologizefor all your hard work. P,S. You do not deserve to this ungrateful person. I hope he paid in full for all your hard work. Another epic video. Dave in Guernsey, Channel Islands.

I don't understand people You just trying to help and u invest so much time at this piece of junk an u are one of the Best mechanics out there don't be sad we are more people that preciate u work i'm from México i bearly understand but i'm a mechanic and a KZfaqr as well and i know that feeling

Ouch, that was one tough car. I think this one made you madder than the dealer costing you $600. You're a great automotive professional Ivan and you've sparked an interest in working on my car again.

Difficult spot, no doubt. I think the question you need to ask yourself with Dead Beat Customers is. Is the learning experience / money worth having to deal with these kinds of people. Letting him town it back home (without diagnosis or cost) could have cost you much less (both financially, aggravation and with most dedicated techs,... sleep). I suspect as you get older you will find a good balance. Thanks for the great video's!!

I love the body lines on that red Audi

The whole problem was caused by a failed CHARCOAL CANISTER. I bought a car 15 years ago here in Australia that would completely clog the petrol filter every 200 km due to the previous owner over filling the petrol tank. This caused petrol to enter the canister, destroying the carbon pellets to dust causing particles to enter the tank. I simply replaced the charcoal canister with used unit to solve problem. Car runs perfect till this very day. Moral of story is when you fill up and the petrol nozzle clicks, stop pumping more gas in or you will destroy your canister which will then destroy your fuel pump.

If the customer wants a cheap bodge job, he should send his car to one of the millions blacksmith bodge shops out there. You are one of the most reliable and honest mechanics on the continent and that's what your customers pay for. Why should dignostics time be for free ? These days diagnosing a faulty car is likeliy to be 90% of the time spent. Unfortunately there still are too many car owners (and bodge mechanics) that believe it's just a matter of hooking up a tester and then replace all parts called out on the screen.

it is all about the content... I like this series very much - the crushed wires in the headliner, disabling the rain sensor, thus the wipers, the sun roof... drove this guy insane I bet

Unfortunately there are A wholes that want something for nothing. But on the other hand these basket cases make for great video and troubleshooting .

This 'taking you to court' culture baffles me as a European. People using this threat as a leverage to bully businesses and get their way.

Learning and "generously" providing solutions to your audience is the ultimate payoff. Thanks Ivan!

These people do not deserve you , Ivan!

I really appreciate you taking on basket cases like this (both the car and the owner). It wasn’t pretty, but we all learned a lot.

This is the kind of customer that deserves a butcher shop! Your talent is wasted on ungrateful people like this, the only good thing being, as you said, the learning experience. I think someone may have dropped a bag of mortar into the tank (some sick sort of revenge?). That explains the sand and fine grey particles (cement). No matter what customer says or thinks, we know you handled this very professionally, and did what most other wouldn't do. Well done, Ivan!

Ivan I have read a number of comments living here in NC for the past 30 years I can say getting any thing diagnosed is impossible most shops will Nickle and dime you to death with no solution until you give up , I say can say this from experience extremely frustrating. (most likely driving some poor behavior )any shop I have ever called for a diagnoses' either did not call me back or just told me not interested . you are one of a very few and a huge resource to so many like me . like you I am always up for a challenge and their is no feeling like looking at a piece of equipment at the end of the day and thinking to your self I win !! . every new day brings a challenge and I always say I a man can create this mess this man will fix it some take longer then others.

Next time when a customer asks for discount in advance.....you know how it will end, with threats and misery. But interesting video's for us, a lot of frustration for you Ivan. So a big thanks for doing this for us viewers!!

What a messy interaction, customer wise. I was a m/c mechanic at multi brand dealer. Motorcycles in PA tend to get dirty carburetors and fuel tank corrosion from sitting due to weather, lack of interest, whatever..and don't always come with good fuel filters. Cleaning the tank can be VERY time consuming, customers tend to want the carb cleaning, and skip the tank. Never, never do that, guaranteed come back... Removing that in tank filter that clogged in 10 miles? Now the same dirt is in the fuel system in 10 miles. When there is room, I added, after cleaning the tank, a heating oil filter before a normal fine fuel filter. They have a high dirt capacity, elements are cheap, and easy to change. This was on construction equipment, of course wouldn't work on that volvo. I doubt that guy got the tank very clean, just "clean-er". Nobody knows how much time this crap takes. If you can't do it yourself, you'd better have a lot of money to pay someone. And if that is you, why do you have this beater car? The work can easily cost more than the car or bike. Customers have made that point to me...what do you say? They make new vehicles for people unable to fix old ones. I work on aircraft, also, same story, people buy old ones, then are shocked when corrosion or engine trouble isn't cheap to fix. A friend's shop recently did an annual inspection on a small turbocharged, pressurized light aircraft that was around $115,000. Labor costs were even discounted, nobody was happy at all. I started an inspection on another little twin, found corrosion, and refused to proceed...pay me for 2 oil changes and get it out of here. Some other dumb A&P/IA passed it. Made money, made customer happy. Stupid, risky move. Mechanical prostitution, or something like that.

Well, thanks for going to the trenches for all of us Ivan, you are a true trooper. Keep 'em vids coming, I can never get enough.

We love to learn from you! Thank you Ivan for being a kindhearted person and willing to share your knowledge. And when you’re frustrated you didn’t give in by throwing vulgarities; you have a great personality. May God blessed you and family abundantly!

Thank you Ivan for sharing the details about difficult customers. The true leaning experience was on how to handle a guy like that. Firing the customer is the right move. “The customer is always right, if you have the right customer.”

My first red flag would be that the car comes with a box of extra parts especially electrical parts or other shops have tried to fix it, some of these DIY mechanics have just enough knowledge to be dangerous

Ivan I had a very similar problem with an older XC90 the charcoal canister had started to brake up and that was what was found to be blocking the screen.

Thank you very much for hanging thru this cluster. We have googled prospective renters to find out about court filings. Some people are in the business of non payment. Decent people have to protect themselves against the unscrupulous. Stay well. I hope Ivan can comment on the possibility of the charcoal filter.

"..this car is a basket case.."" not only the car is a basket case Ivan.......the one who turned it into a basket case is the one who truly is, especially consideren you went above and beyond the help out and got stick for it!

Owner, I hope you read all the comments. Not that you'll change, only to see pretty much everybody sees you for what you are. Enjoy trolling through life.

The mysteries of these cars however make good videos.

Customer and car from hell but definitely one of your most impressive diagnostics.

Thanks for posting this video, if this customer ever watches it,I hope that it opens his/her eyes that she/he may realize that there are good people in this world. You are truly blessed!

Speaking as an attorney; nobody should ever be worried when someone else says they will take you to court. It's nonsense. It's expensive. And he's out of state. And people who actually put matters into suits usually don't threaten first

Reminds me of Goldwings, here in Michigan, where they are stored 7 months a year. Nobody EVER paid to pull the tank for cleaning, & filters don't help much. $500 to clean carbs & install kits - I ship them with carbs NOT connected to fuel line.

I've always said nothing is free in this world. You must be paid for your time Ivan. One cannot predict what bumps in the road you will face when diagnosing autos. You are a great Guy, keep up the good work.

One question I didn't hear been asked, was: where was the customer getting their gas. With his attitude I would not be surprised that after he managed to clean the tank, he realized he couldn't keep using gas from a dodgy source and would have to get it from a high use gas station. Hence no more problems. Good on you Ivan for your attitude and approach towards these challenges.

I've met these types of customers, and watched my engineer try to appease them. They are horrible human beings. I do hope he's watching, and realises how poor his behaviour is.

The dealership would have insisted on a new fuel tank. Cleaning it out would be labor intensive and futile.

Ivan, you are a good man. I worked as an electronic technician from 1980 to 1986 and we would get customers like the one you got on this Volvo. Radios or amplifiers would come in and other shops had tried to repair the units but of course the customer would tell us that no one had tried to repair the unit. I would do my best to repair the unit to factory specs. Most of the time customers would be happy that I repaired the unit but once in a while the customer would be mad.

Ivan, love your work. I had a mechanic that worked on diagnosing a problem on my old van for two days and said since he didnt fix it he didnt want to charge me. I told him he worked on the car and his time was not free, so I paid him anyway. I knew he would fix the problem once we got it figured out. He was a great mechanic but you have to be a business man too, Your customer should have paid what you were asking. I cant stand people who are trying to get a free ride. Keep up your good work. Wish you were closer to Mobile, AL, I would love to send my cars to you and send you some work as well.

Well Ivan the only conclusion someone try to get back the previous car owner and put sand in his tank.

So he has a cheap junk car towed to you, desputes that you need to charge diag for each issue, then threatens to call a lawyer on you. If you ask for Ivan, then you obviously need his help. He is obviously an idiot who had upset someone, and they added something to his tank as he is that sort of person. It's like replacing an exhaust and expecting a guarantee on the engine. Definitely not a person to have back at the shop. I'd put him on the banned list.

Ivan you are a saint! Thank you for doing these basket case projects and sharing them with us. I always appreciate the learning experiences. That customer should be thanking you profusely. If it wasn’t for you he wouldn’t have a car. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

If you didnt take this customer on, we would not have seen another logical troubleshooting sequence. As you well know, there are customers who are appreciative and excellent to work for and there are those who put a smile on your face when they leave and never come back. Keep smiling, because, hopefully, the good ones out number the others! Thanks for teaching me each time you video!

He threatened you? What a prick. He probably wasn't happy that he paid for a new fuel pump only to find he needs to remove the tank. That's just the way it goes, you want it done all the way then pay for the final step.

A bad customer! ☹

3:10 the No good deed goes unpunished, hits hard on this one.

Easy answer to the question: You are the son of a physicist. Challenges are seen as opportunities to learn and teach. By the way, Boeing's Starliner is having communication issues with its thrusters. Could you fit it in your schedule middle of next week?

If you are low on cash, don't buy a European premium make car. Just buy a Japanese econobox.

I was so surprised when changing the pump solved the problem because I thought you had proved there was no fuel at the pump. (Pump rpm went up when fuel pressure dropped.) Now after seeing this follow up, it all makes sense. Thanks for posting this -- I can believe the laws of physics again!

We know why you take on those car’s…….You love the challenge 🤘🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Hi Ivan, your sentiments are spot on. We learn from hard issues. Thanks to your videos, i,ve managed to get my 2006 Ford Transit running again. Just mot welding to do. I purchased a good clamp meter and scanner for around £270 Ford wanted over £500 to sort problem. So money well spent, plus do some code reading for people, just £10 a pop. So as a learning tool your videos are A1+ A couple of hell cars a year are great entertainment.

"These basket case butchered cars are some of the best learning experiences." Best pov imo. Cheers

Wow! Customer's aren't always smart enough to know how much you are doing for them. When I had a repair shop in Nevada, I always gave an estimate that was higher than what I expected the work to cost. Then I was covered if problems arose or could give them a lower price if everything went easily. You deserver to get paid! It was a great learning experience but still you have a household to support!

ps :Ivan , I had a 2000 ford 7.3 diesel service truck f550. The steel fuel tank was galvanized inside and grey sand particles came off(zinc ) clogged electric fuel pump several times. I thought it was sabotaged. A handful of black grey sand in tank. It was a defect in Ford tanks . In case you come across one. Also a recent crisis on heavt equipment farm machines where the wiring plastic insulation has soy based oil in it . Rodents Mice squirrels rats chew wiring harness insulation alot on new age equipment. Some cars also use Soy oil. 1980s Volvo had wiring issues from organic plastic insulation coming off back then.

I once had a brand new civic with less than 4000 miles. Pulled off interstate, filled up with gas. Didn’t even make it back to the on ramp. Towed to dealership. They were good enough to give a gallon jug of what came out. Flying J ended up paying for all of it. Rust and contamination was half the jug of “gas”. Turns out the stations lid to the tanks was left open and somebody emptied their RV’s sewage into it was their response.

There is always value in a case study, as the knowledge it imparts to the diagnostician, is, IMO as valuable and desirable, and means you never end said case study, without learning something! Well Done, Ivan!! 👍👍👍

I'm a retired contractor and one reason I retired and sold the company was people like this Volvo owner. Ivan was in Pennsylvania minding his own business and this guy shipped this junker to him to fix and then accuses him of being a rip off artist. Then threaten to take Ivan to court. There are more of these people out there believe me. Some kid probably dumped sand into the tank while it was sitting up broken down.

Hey Ivan, I sometimes come up against customers that you will never please, keep a cool head and push to the finish. I think you handled this very professionally.

I'm shocked yo hear him threaten you. If it was not for you this car would be headed for the crusher. Just because whomever sold this to him took advantage of him he should not be blaming you. You are a gift to auto diagnostics and repair, he should be ashamed of his actions.

Part 5! That has to be a record!

Awesome series, thanks for posting this it was not an easy one. So I caught a glimpse of the motorcycle, so when is the next motorcycle adventure? Wondering when you're going to jump in a 45° pond at 6:00 in the morning 😃 . Enjoy your summer ⛱️ , looking forward to your next automotive adventure!!!!

I was confused right until the end with the Audi in the background. Love that car! Way to persevere on the Volvo and you know what they say "There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves"

Nice summary, Ivan. 1. Run a profitable business. 2. Help people. 3. Keep learning.