  Adding elements to matroids can be fraught with difficulty. In the V\'amos
matroid $V_8$, there are four independent sets $X_1,X_2, X_3,$ and $X_4$ such
that $(X_1 \cup X_2,X_3 \cup X_4)$ is a $3$-separation while exactly three of
the local connectivities $\sqcap(X_1,X_{3})$, $\sqcap(X_1,X_{4})$,
$\sqcap(X_2,X_{3})$, and $\sqcap(X_2,X_{4})$ are one, with the fourth being
zero. As is well known, there is no extension of $V_8$ by a non-loop element
$p$ such that $X_j \cup p$ is a circuit for all $j$. This paper proves that a
matroid can be extended by a fixed element in the guts of a $3$-separation
provided no V\'amos-like structure is present.
