Automotive Field Theory

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

Are We Paying Attention to Inspiration?

Ben Askren was already known for an accomplished wrestling career, MMA championships, and one of the most replayed knockouts in UFC history. After a life-threatening illness, severe physical decline, and a double-lung transplant, simply surviving would have been remarkable.

Instead, Askren worked his way back onto a wrestling mat.

In this episode, Matt reflects on Askren’s return to competition and the difficult position faced by the opponent standing across from him. Is the more respectful choice to hold back, allow Askren to look competitive, or treat him like any other athlete who willingly stepped onto the mat? The match demonstrated that respect does not necessarily mean pity. Sometimes it means taking another person’s effort seriously.

That story leads into the larger subject of inspiration and the places it can come from.

Matt connects Askren’s return with the film Always, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and Audrey Hepburn. The film centers on the idea that influence and inspiration can continue through the people, lessons, and experiences that remain with us.

Inspiration does not have to come from an extraordinary recovery or a dramatic movie. It can come from a struggling repair shop that finds its way back, an industry community helping a family in need, an instructor presenting an idea differently, or a conversation with another attendee during a training event.

Technical education is intended to build knowledge and ability, but its value is not limited to information. A class may inspire someone to use a forgotten tool, purchase a needed piece of equipment, approach a problem differently, make a small operational change, or believe they are capable of developing a new skill.

The larger question is not whether inspiration exists around us.

It is whether we are awake enough to recognize it.

Topics Discussed

• Ben Askren’s return to the wrestling mat after a life-threatening illness and double-lung transplant
• The difference between respecting a competitor and showing pity
• The film Always and its central theme of inspiration
• How ordinary people and events can create meaningful change
• The automotive repair industry supporting its own during difficult circumstances
• Training events as sources of energy, possibility, and renewed curiosity
• Intentionally placing ourselves in environments where inspiration is more likely
• The possibility of inspiring someone else without realizing it

Are we actively looking for inspiration, recognizing the people who provide it, and allowing it to affect what we do next?

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

Powered circuit testers tend to produce strong opinions. Some specialists consider them indispensable time-savers. Others see them as dangerous tools that make it far too easy to damage a circuit.

In this episode, Matt examines where tools such as the Power Probe, Autel powered circuit tester, and metered test lights fit into an automotive diagnostic process. The ability to apply power or ground can be dangerous without an understanding of the circuit, but the same can be said of jumper wires, scan tools, oscilloscopes, and nearly every other useful diagnostic tool.

Matt also opens the episode with thoughts on the unexpectedly short Conor McGregor and Max Holloway fight. Rather than focusing only on the disappointing result, he considers the discipline and preparation required to attempt something difficult, even when the attempt ultimately fails. That leads to a broader shop question: How should a leader respond when a capable employee puts in the work, takes on a difficult task, and still comes up short?

In This Episode

• The difference between a powered circuit tester and a metered test light
• Why Power Probe-style tools remain controversial
• The risks of applying power or ground to an unknown circuit
• Why Matt prefers the speed and simplicity of the Power Probe III
• Using powered testers on motors, relays, power windows, and power seats
• Testing fuel-pump power and ground circuits
• Using the tester’s circuit breaker to evaluate whether a circuit can carry current
• Why unloaded voltage readings can be misleading
• The value of placing a known load on a circuit
• Why corrosion can pass a voltage test but fail under load
• Matt’s experience with the Lisle and TOPDON metered test lights
• Why an incandescent test light is often more useful than an LED test light
• The difference between a dangerous tool and an improperly used tool

Key Takeaways

A voltage reading does not necessarily prove that a circuit can perform useful work. A connection may show battery voltage through a meter and still fail when current is required.

A metered test light can combine the speed of a traditional test light with an actual voltage reading and a known electrical load. Matt regularly uses this type of tester when checking fuses and evaluating circuit integrity.

A powered circuit tester can also shorten the process of separating a failed component from a power-feed or ground problem. Matt describes using one at a fuel pump to verify the power side, ground side, and pump operation without repeatedly changing tools or building several different jumper-wire arrangements.

The tool does make applying power or ground unusually easy. That convenience is precisely why the user needs to understand the circuit before pressing the switch.

The Larger Question

Should a tool be dismissed because it can cause damage in the wrong hands?

A powered circuit tester can damage a circuit. A jumper wire can do the same. A scan tool can lead to expensive parts replacement when its information is misunderstood. The potential for misuse does not necessarily make the tool inappropriate. It may mean the specialist needs more knowledge before using it.

Listener Question

Do powered circuit testers belong in a professional diagnostic arsenal?

Are they valuable time-savers, unnecessary risks, or a little of both? What version do you use, and where has it proven most useful?

Mentioned in This Episode

• Power Probe III
• Power Probe Hook
• Autel powered circuit tester
• Lisle metered test light
• TOPDON TC001/CT100-style circuit tester
• Incandescent and LED test lights
• Fuel-pump circuit testing
• Relay and electric-motor testing

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, Matt digs into a question that sits underneath a lot of shop economics, technician frustration, and industry culture: who should be responsible for buying the tools and equipment required to do the work a shop advertises?

The discussion starts with a real-world example involving a dealership service department that did not have a connector depinning tool available, leaving a mechanical or technical specialist considering buying the tool personally. From there, Matt explores where the line should be drawn between personal hand tools and shop-owned equipment.

Basic hand tools may be one thing. But scan tools, diagnostic equipment, specialty service tools, alignment systems, AC machines, tire equipment, connector service kits, and timing tools raise a different question entirely. If a shop sells those capabilities to customers, should the employee have to make the investment?

Matt also looks at the long-term consequences of pushing too much cost onto specialists. If a specialist builds up enough personal tooling and equipment to perform a broad range of services, the industry may be quietly encouraging them to leave employment and open their own shop. That may work for some, but it also shrinks the talent pool, increases turnover risk, and may contribute to people leaving the industry altogether.

The episode closes with a shift into diagnostic tool history, including a short “Mount Rushmore” of influential tools and equipment: the SCA, the Edge/Sun systems, the Fluke 87, and the Snap-on Vantage.

Watch Reel Video

Key Topics

• Where the line falls between personal tools and shop-owned equipment
• Why “the specialist can just buy it” may be an unstable business strategy
• The difference between basic hand tools and equipment required to sell a service
• How tool investment affects technician income, risk, and career decisions
• Why shops should think about replacement cost when evaluating pay and retention
• How industry culture can unintentionally make shop ownership look like the only real path upward
• The difference between a tool investment working out and it actually being a good decision
• Vintage diagnostic equipment that changed how specialists worked

Notable Ideas

A shop advertising a capability should be equipped to perform that capability. If a shop sells alignments, AC service, tire work, connector repair, diagnostics, or programming, it becomes hard to justify the employee carrying the primary equipment burden.

There may be some economic logic to a specialist buying a tool when they are guaranteed the work and the tool pays for itself. But that logic becomes unstable when the employee is taking the risk while the business is selling the service.

Tool ownership can become a shadow path to business ownership. When specialists personally acquire enough tools and equipment to operate independently, the industry may be unintentionally training them to leave.

Retention math has to include replacement cost. Production numbers matter, but so does the cost of losing a capable person, leaving a bay or role vacant, recruiting someone new, training them, and risking a revolving-door reputation.

A tool purchase can “work out” without having been the smartest move. Matt reflects on his own history of buying diagnostic equipment and scan tools, noting that it helped build capability and reputation, but that does not automatically mean it was the best financial decision.

Listener Question

What tools or equipment have you been expected to buy personally?

Where do you think the line should be between employee responsibility and shop responsibility?

Should mechanical and technical specialists be expected to own anything beyond basic hand tools, or should the shop provide everything needed to perform the services it sells?

Mentioned Diagnostic Equipment

• SCA diagnostic equipment
• Sun/Edge PC-based engine analyzer systems
• Fluke 87 digital multimeter
• Snap-on Vantage
• Snap-on Vantage Pro
• OTC Perception
• Sun engine analyzers
• Four-gas and five-gas analyzers

Pull Quotes

“What's the logic of owning a business that advertises certain capabilities, but the shop itself is ill-equipped to be able to do that?”

“If part of my purpose is to take care of my people, then one feature of that is to try to maximize their take-home pay and minimize their financial responsibilities to do the jobs they were hired to do.”

“It may have worked out. I don't know if that means it was a good move.”

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

A Dodge Durango came into the shop for a second opinion after being suspected of needing a transmission. The symptoms sounded convincing at first: harsh shifts, apparent slipping, no diagnostic trouble codes, and a vehicle that felt completely wrong on the road. But the actual problem was much simpler. The Durango was stuck in four-low. Once shifted properly through neutral, the harsh shifting, driveline bind, and “slipping” behavior disappeared.

Matt uses the case as a springboard into a broader discussion about diagnostic tunnel vision. The point is not just that someone almost condemned a transmission unnecessarily. The deeper issue is how easily a first impression can become the diagnosis. Once the vehicle felt like it was slipping, everything after that could be interpreted through that lens. That is where anchoring, confirmation bias, and premature closure start to become dangerous.

The episode also compares the Durango case to a more common misfire scenario. A vehicle comes in with a misfire, the scan tool identifies a cylinder, the car line is known for coil failures, and the diagnosis becomes a coil and plug before much testing happens. That gamble may work most of the time, but the process failure is still there. Being right by probability is not the same as proving the fault.

Matt also shares a personal example involving a Mini Cooper that was nearly misdiagnosed as needing a turbo. The actual issue was cam/crank timing related. The mistake became a difficult but important lesson in responsibility, process, and making things right with the customer.

The episode closes with a nod to Mel Brooks on his 100th birthday, including Matt’s Mount Rushmore of Mel Brooks films: Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, The Producers, and History of the World, Part One.

Watch Durango Video

Key Topics

• Why the Durango seemed like it had a major transmission failure
• How four-low can mimic slipping, harsh shifting, and driveline problems
• The importance of reading the owner’s manual when unfamiliar indicators appear
• Anchoring, confirmation bias, and premature closure in diagnostics
• Why “incompetent” may be technically accurate but often incomplete as an explanation
• The ethical problem of charging for the wrong repair when the real fix is simple
• Why common failures can make weak testing feel justified
• How probabilistic diagnosis can work until it does not
• The value of owning a mistake and making it right
• Mel Brooks, comedy, and Matt’s Mount Rushmore of Mel Brooks films

Pull Quote Options

• “The first impression is often the most dangerous piece of data in the whole diagnostic process.”
• “Being right most of the time does not mean the process was right.”
• “Customers should not be paying for our anchoring, our confirmation bias, and our premature closure.”
• “The real danger is not being wrong. The real danger is being done too early.”

Episode Takeaways

• A symptom that feels obvious can still be misleading. The Durango felt like it was slipping, but the transmission was not the problem.
• A flashing indicator or odd message on the dash may be the clue. The owner’s manual may not feel like a diagnostic tool, but sometimes it is.
• Common failures can create lazy confidence. A known coil failure pattern or common turbo issue may point in the right direction, but it does not replace verification.
• Premature closure is expensive. It can cost the customer, the shop, or both.
• Ethics matter most when the mistake is discovered after the repair. The customer should not pay for a part that did not fix the vehicle just because the shop eventually stumbled into the real fix.
• A good diagnostic process should include forced questions: What am I anchored to? What evidence am I accepting too easily? What would prove my theory wrong?

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z, Matt Fanslow starts with a case study on a 2000 Ford Excursion with a 7.3L Power Stroke that came in with a severe lack of power. What began as a fuel delivery problem turned into a more interesting diagnostic puzzle involving a P1280 injection control pressure sensor code, an aftermarket ICP sensor, and a fault that appeared to happen not during cranking or running, but after key-off.

The case becomes a practical example of why testing under actual operating conditions matters. Static tests can pass, scan data can look normal, and a meter may never show the event. In this case, the scope captured something the rest of the tools could easily miss.

Matt then shifts into a listener question about artificial intelligence, especially large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and others. The concern is not simply whether AI is good or bad, but whether people, especially kids, may begin outsourcing too much thinking, writing, problem-solving, and confidence to these tools.

The episode lands on a recurring theme: tools are not the problem by themselves. The question is how they are used, what skills may atrophy when they are overused, and whether individuals, families, businesses, industries, and society are willing to think more carefully and evidence-first about the long-term effects.

Topics Covered

2000 Ford Excursion 7.3L Power Stroke Case Study

Matt discusses a 7.3L Power Stroke with a major lack-of-power concern. The initial issue was tied to the low-pressure fuel supply side. A basic fuel pressure test had passed, but it had not been tested under the actual conditions where the symptom occurred.

That led to a larger point: testing at idle, key-on, or during cranking is not the same as testing under load.

The vehicle ultimately had damaged pickup screens and debris in the fuel tank. Cleaning the tank and replacing the failed components solved the fuel supply issue, but another problem remained.

The P1280 ICP Sensor Problem

After the fuel supply repair, the truck began setting a P1280 code, related to the injection control pressure sensor circuit reading low.

The strange part was that the voltage looked normal:

Key-on engine-off voltage looked normal.

Cranking voltage did not drop.

Five-volt reference stayed stable.

Sensor ground stayed stable.

The signal looked fine while running.

The meter never really caught the failure.

The scope eventually revealed the important event: after key-off, the ICP signal voltage would sometimes dip nearly to zero. That appeared to be enough for the PCM to set the code on the next key cycle.

Scope vs. Meter vs. Scan Tool

This case is a useful reminder that each tool has limits.

A scan tool may not refresh fast enough or may stop collecting data after key-off. A meter may technically sample quickly, but the display may not show a short event clearly. The oscilloscope was the tool that made the failure visible.

The point is not that one tool is always better. The point is knowing which tool fits the question being asked.

Aftermarket Sensor Behavior

The aftermarket ICP sensor appeared to produce a rebound effect after shutdown. Matt compares the behavior to something like inertial rebound, a concept familiar from certain pressure pulse sensors and piezo-style tools.

The OE Motorcraft sensor did not reproduce the same behavior. Replacing the aftermarket sensor with the OE sensor corrected the issue.

Main Diagnostic Takeaways

Testing has to match the failure condition. A fuel pressure test that passes at idle does not prove the fuel system can keep up under load.

A sensor can create a failure outside the moment most people are watching. In this case, the important event seemed to occur after key-off.

A scope can reveal details that a scan tool or meter may miss, especially when the event is brief, intermittent, or happens outside normal observation windows.

Aftermarket parts can fail in ways that are not obvious or traditionally “failed.” The sensor was not simply dead. It behaved incorrectly under a specific condition.

Listener Question: AI, Kids, and Skill Atrophy

The second half of the episode deals with a listener question about artificial intelligence and whether it may negatively affect people, especially kids.

Matt narrows the discussion to what most people mean by AI in everyday conversation: large language models. These tools can write, summarize, explain, organize, and suggest. That makes them useful, but it also creates a risk.

The concern is skill atrophy. When people lean too heavily on AI to write, think, summarize, diagnose, or explain, they may lose confidence or sharpness in those same areas.

AI Takeaways

AI does not have to be viewed as the collapse of civilization, but it also should not be treated casually.

The better question is not “Is AI good or bad?” It is: What happens when people outsource too much of their thinking to it?

Matt argues for an evidence-based approach. Families, schools, businesses, industries, and society should be asking harder questions about long-term effects instead of simply letting the tools spread and hoping it all works out.

Neuroplasticity matters here. Even if people become overdependent on AI, the brain can adapt again. Skills can be rebuilt. Confidence can be recovered. But that depends on whether people recognize the problem and choose to do something about it.

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

Matt Fanslow continues his exploration of game theory by examining the difference between a shop’s official game and its shadow game.

The official game is what ownership and management say the shop values: quality work, safety, fairness, employee support, customer care, and doing things the right way.

The shadow game is what the shop’s systems, incentives, habits, exceptions, and unwritten rules actually reward.

Those two games are not always completely opposed, and the gap between them is not necessarily created intentionally. Management may sincerely believe in the official game while remaining unaware of the behaviors being produced by compensation plans, workflow problems, favoritism, poor communication, broken equipment, or inadequate support.

Matt looks at how employees can respond rationally to the system in front of them, even when those responses undermine the shop’s stated purpose. That may help explain dishonest, deviant, or destructive behavior, but it does not necessarily excuse it.

The goal is not to pretend the shadow game does not exist. It is to identify it, understand what is creating it, and bring it into the light so the shop’s actual systems move closer to its stated values.

The episode then takes a much less serious turn as Matt attempts to choose his Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedians. Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, and Dave Chappelle make the final cut, but not without considerable hesitation and several deserving names being left behind.

Topics Discussed

• The difference between the official game and the shadow game
• Why stated values and actual incentives often conflict
• Production-based compensation versus quality expectations
• Unpaid inspections and the behavior they may encourage
• Favoritism, gravy work, and inconsistent enforcement
• Safety claims versus unsafe or neglected equipment
• Front-of-house and back-of-house information gaps
• How imperfect information allows assumptions to spread
• Locally rational behavior inside a dysfunctional system
• Explaining behavior without excusing it
• Management’s responsibility to understand the real system
• Employees’ responsibility to communicate problems honestly
• When trying to improve a workplace becomes less reasonable than leaving it
• Golden handcuffs and the personal cost of remaining in a misaligned organization
• Whether mission statements represent actual beliefs or marketing language
• Matt’s Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedians

Questions Raised in the Episode

• What does a shop say it rewards?
• What does it actually reward?
• Do compensation and workflow systems support the quality standards discussed in meetings?
• Are safety problems addressed when employees report them?
• Are rules and opportunities applied consistently?
• What behaviors are employees learning from the system, regardless of what management says?
• How closely does the shadow game align with the official game?
• Who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy?

Matt’s Comedy Mount Rushmore

• Richard Pryor
• Lenny Bruce
• Joan Rivers
• Dave Chappelle

Other comedians considered include George Carlin, Robin Williams, Bill Burr, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Steven Wright, Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, Norm Macdonald, and Bob Uecker.

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, Matt Fanslow continues the conversation around game theory and economics in the automotive repair industry, focusing on one of the biggest invisible forces affecting customer trust: information asymmetry.

Auto repair is a credence good service, meaning most customers cannot fully judge the quality of the work before, during, or even after the repair. A grinding brake noise may disappear after a $200 backyard brake job or a $500 professional repair, but the customer may not be able to tell whether the work was safe, complete, or performed to a professional standard. That gap between what the shop knows and what the customer can reasonably know creates distrust by default.

Matt connects this to economist George Akerlof’s “Market for Lemons,” originally applied to the used-car market, and explains how the same logic applies directly to auto repair. When customers cannot reliably distinguish quality from poor work, lower-quality providers can drag down trust in the entire market.

The episode then turns toward solutions: better documentation, digital vehicle inspections, before-and-after photos or videos, service information references, and clearer explanations that help narrow the information gap without trying to turn every customer into a technician. The goal is not to overwhelm customers with technical data. The goal is to give them enough context to understand what was found, why it matters, and why the repair has value.

Matt also discusses how YouTube, forums, and large language models can complicate trust by giving customers information that may be incomplete, misunderstood, or flat-out wrong. Shops now have to compete not just with other shops, but with customer fear, confirmation bias, and online explanations that may reinforce distrust.

Key Topics

• Information asymmetry in automotive repair
• Auto repair as a credence good service
• Why customers often distrust repair recommendations
• George Akerlof and “The Market for Lemons”
• How poor-quality providers affect trust in good shops
• The role of digital vehicle inspections
• Before-and-after documentation as trust-building
• Using service information to demonstrate value
• The impact of YouTube, forums, and AI tools on customer expectations
• Why economic and game theory language matters in shop management

Episode Highlights

Matt explains that customers often cannot tell the difference between a good repair and a poor repair if the obvious symptom goes away. That makes trust harder to earn and easier to lose.

He uses the brake job example to show how two repairs can appear identical to a customer even when one is much safer, more complete, and more professional than the other.

The “Market for Lemons” idea is used to explain how low-quality or deceptive providers can create distrust that affects the entire profession.

The episode stresses that documentation is not just paperwork. Photos, videos, voltage readings, service information, and before-and-after evidence are part of how shops demonstrate value.

Matt argues that shops need to use economic and game theory terms because many of the answers to shop problems already exist in those fields. Without the right language, it becomes harder to find or explain the solution.

Notable Quote

“We’re insulating ourselves from a market for lemons.”

Practical Takeaways for Shops

• Use digital vehicle inspections to show customers what is good, what is bad, and why it matters.
• Do not assume the customer understands the significance of a test result. Explain the before and after in plain terms.
• Show comparisons when possible: good versus bad, before versus after, failed versus repaired.
• Reference manufacturer service information when it helps explain why the job requires certain steps.
• Recognize that customers may arrive with fear, skepticism, or bad information before you ever speak to them.
• Trust is not built only by being honest. It is built by making honest work visible and understandable.

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, Matt starts on the golf course and ends up right back in the service bay, because apparently, even a decent round of golf can turn into a cognitive psychology lesson.

After shooting a personally strong nine-hole score, Matt catches himself doing what many technical and mechanical specialists do every day: ignoring the accomplishment and obsessing over the shots, tests, tools, or decisions that could have been better. That leads into a discussion of discounting the positive, upward counterfactual thinking, hindsight bias, expert bias, and the curse of knowledge.

The point is not to stop improving. The point is to stop rewriting reality after the fact. A two-hour intermittent short diagnosis may feel “obvious” once the problem is found, but it was not obvious when the vehicle came in. The same applies to repairs, removals, procedures, and every job where experience only becomes obvious after you earn it.

Matt also closes with some listener-driven Mount Rushmore talk, including an all-time basketball starting five featuring Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Key Topics

• Why a good result can still feel disappointing when you focus only on what could have gone better
• The difference between honest reflection and beating yourself into the ground
• Discounting the positive and how it shows up in diagnostics
• Upward counterfactual thinking: “If only I had done this sooner…”
• Hindsight bias in the shop after the failure is already found
• Why “that was obvious” is usually only true after the fact
• How technical specialists can learn from a job without erasing the accomplishment
• The danger of judging another specialist’s time after you already know the answer
• Expert bias, the curse of knowledge, and why experience can distort how we evaluate others
• Giving yourself enough credit while still getting better
• Listener messages and future Mount Rushmore-style segments
• Matt’s all-time basketball starting five discussion

Pull Quote Options

“Once you know where the problem was, it starts feeling obvious. But it wasn’t obvious when you started.”

“Why can’t both things be true? That was a good find, and next time I might do it faster.”

“Learning from it does not require running yourself into the ground.”

“Knowing what I knew at the time, that wasn’t bad.”

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, Matt begins laying the groundwork for a larger discussion on game theory and how it applies far beyond poker tables, chessboards, casinos, or movie references. What starts with John von Neumann, poker strategy, bluffing, and imperfect information quickly becomes a broader conversation about how people, businesses, customers, competitors, and coworkers interact.

Matt explains that “games,” in the game theory sense, are not just games. They are interactions where people make choices, respond to incentives, interpret incomplete information, and try to get outcomes. That means shop pricing, marketing, hiring, customer behavior, technician cooperation, and even where a business chooses to locate can all be understood through this lens.

The episode touches on the difference between games of perfect information, like chess, and games of imperfect information, like poker. Matt uses poker as an entry point into bluffing, strategy, table image, and why mathematically sound behavior may involve moves that seem strange in isolation. He then connects that to real-world business decisions, where the “obvious” move, such as lowering prices because a competitor did, may not actually be the strongest response.

Matt also walks through classic game theory examples like the Monty Hall problem and the Prisoner’s Dilemma. The Prisoner’s Dilemma becomes especially relevant to shop culture and business strategy because it shows how cooperation can often outperform pure self-interest, even though individual incentives may push people toward betrayal or defensive behavior. That idea becomes a bridge into behavioral game theory, which accounts for the fact that humans do not always make clean, rational, mathematically optimal decisions.

From there, the conversation moves into automotive repair shop strategy. Matt discusses why competitors often cluster together, using examples like hotels, gas stations, Target and Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot, and auto repair shops. The point is not that a shop should always build next to competitors, but that proximity, customer behavior, friction, convenience, and visibility may matter more than the simplistic idea of “go where there is no competition.”

The episode closes by encouraging listeners to start seeing shop life as a series of interactions, incentives, exchanges, and strategies. Not “playing games” in a manipulative sense, but understanding that every interaction involves expectations, investments, risks, and perceived rewards.

Key Topics Covered

• Game theory as a way to understand real-world interactions, not just board games or gambling.
• John von Neumann, poker, bluffing, and imperfect information.
• Why poker strategy involves more than simply playing the cards.
• The role of Oscar Morgenstern and economic theory in the development of game theory.
• Why older economic models struggled with human irrationality.
• The difference between perfect information games and imperfect information games.
• Chess as a perfect-information game and poker as an imperfect-information game.
• The Monty Hall problem and why switching doors improves the odds.
• The Prisoner’s Dilemma and why cooperation often beats betrayal over time.
• Tit-for-tat style strategies: cooperate first, respond to betrayal, then return to cooperation.
• Nash equilibrium and the basic idea of making the best available decision based on known information.
• Behavioral game theory and why people do not always act rationally.
• How game theory applies to shop pricing, competition, and marketing.
• Why lowering price in response to a competitor may not be the right move.
• Why businesses often cluster near direct competitors.
• Shop location strategy and customer convenience.
• Seeing everyday shop interactions as “games” in the game theory sense.

Memorable Ideas

• “The game” is not necessarily manipulation. It is the interaction itself.
• Poker is not just cards. It is incomplete information, behavior, bluffing, risk, and response.
• Cooperation can be a stronger long-term strategy than constant defection.
• A competitor lowering their price does not automatically mean you should lower yours.
• Sometimes the stronger move is counterintuitive.
• Customers may choose convenience and proximity over reputation, price, or even prior loyalty.
• A shop’s strategy is not just what it charges or how good it is. It is also where it sits, what friction customers face, and what alternatives are nearby.

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and Autel

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, Matt Fanslow uses Game of Thrones, specifically the arc of Daenerys Targaryen, as a metaphor for what can happen when a mechanical or technical specialist moves from employee to shop owner. The comparison is not that former technicians suddenly “burn everything to the ground,” but that people can start with strong ideals, endure pressure, accumulate responsibility, and slowly rationalize decisions they once hated from the other side of the counter.

Matt draws a parallel between Daenerys’ journey, from abused and powerless exile to powerful ruler, and the path of a technician who opens a shop after years of saying, “If I were in charge, I’d do things differently.” At first, that new owner may try to build the kind of workplace they always wanted: better pay, better equipment, better treatment, and fewer manipulative incentive structures. But then reality intrudes. Bills come due. Tooling, software, subscriptions, payroll, benefits, facility costs, and client pressure pile up. What once looked like greed from the employee side may start to look like survival from the owner side.

A major thread in the episode is the difference between explaining behavior and excusing it. Matt is careful not to justify poor management, bad pay plans, or unfair treatment. Instead, he looks at how stress, fear, frustration, and financial pressure can slowly change a person’s beliefs. The former employee who despised production-based pay may eventually install a production-based pay plan. The shop owner who wanted to buy the best equipment may eventually stop doing that when employees fail to care for it. The person who promised to never become “that owner” may wake up, or perhaps never wake up, having become very close to the thing they once opposed.

The episode also touches on incentive design. Matt discusses how incentive-based pay plans can increase production, but only if the surrounding system is fair. When a mechanical or technical specialist is paid based on production, but too many external forces affect their ability to produce, the pay plan can feel like punishment. Dispatch, workflow, parts delays, bad information, poor estimating, broken processes, and uneven support can all take money out of the worker’s hands. In that environment, the game feels unfair, even if the pay plan itself is not inherently unethical.

Matt argues that pay plans should not be used as a substitute for management. A compensation structure cannot do the work of leadership, communication, process improvement, fairness, and accountability. Straight hourly can work. Flat rate can work. Hybrid incentive plans can work. But none of them work automatically, and none of them remove the need for honest management and honest self-assessment.

The larger point is that people rarely change all at once. They shift slowly. The language changes first. Then the justifications. Then the policies. Then the culture. Like Daenerys, the fall is not simply about one bad decision at the end. It is the accumulated effect of pressure, loss, betrayal, fear, and power.

Matt closes by reflecting on Game of Thrones itself, noting that the show was among the best when it was at its peak, even if the ending remains debated. He suggests that Daenerys’ storyline may be worth revisiting not just as fantasy, but as a study in how ideals can erode when pressure, power, and isolation build over time.

Key Topics

• The former technician turned shop owner: The episode examines what happens when someone who once criticized shop ownership suddenly has to carry the risk, payroll, bills, tooling costs, subscriptions, client demands, and employee issues themselves.
• Daenerys Targaryen as a shop-owner metaphor: Daenerys begins with a desire to break abusive systems, but eventually becomes capable of the very behavior she once opposed. Matt uses that arc to frame how former employees can become the kind of owners they used to resent.
• Explaining versus excusing: A central distinction in the episode is that understanding why owners behave a certain way does not automatically make those behaviors right.
• Incentive pay and production pressure: Production-based pay plans can produce measurable gains, but they also create resentment when employees are held accountable for factors outside their control.
• The danger of using pay plans as management: Matt argues that compensation systems cannot replace leadership, process design, accountability, and honest communication.
• Stress, fear, and rationalization: The episode explores how frustration, anxiety, financial pressure, and disappointment can slowly alter a person’s beliefs and management style.
• The slow drift into becoming what you opposed: The episode’s core warning is that becoming “that owner” usually does not happen in one dramatic moment. It happens one rationalization at a time.

Quotes

“When enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies.”

“We have to be able to explain things without excusing them.”

“The pay plan cannot be the manager.”

“You can have a straight hourly shop where production is good. You can have a flat-rate shop where people are happy. But neither one happens by accident.”

“A production incentive becomes punishment when too many things outside the employee’s control take money out of their hands.”

“A lot of people do not become bad owners all at once. It is slow, and then all at once.”

“The danger is not just power. It is pressure, fear, frustration, and then the story we tell ourselves afterward.”

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com

Thanks to our Partner, Autel

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/