Automotive Field Theory

byMatt Fanslow

BusinessManagementLeisureAutomotiveTechnology

Automotive Field Theory explores the forces that shape automotive repair, including the ones measured with a meter or oscilloscope and the ones that cannot be found on a wiring diagram. Hosted by automotive diagnostic specialist, shop manager, and instructor Matt Fanslow, the podcast begins in the automotive aftermarket but rarely stays inside its traditional boundaries. Diagnostics, electricity, technology, leadership, psychology, economics, game theory, history, music, movies, family, and human behavior may appear unrelated. Look closely enough, however, and connections begin to emerge. A vehicle may arrive with a technical fault, but the work surrounding it is rarely technical alone. Information...

Episodes(40 episodes)

Corvette Customer Communcation Confusion [E235]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z, Matt Fanslow tells the story of a modified 1994 Corvette that came in with a hesitation, backfire, and cut-out concern under light-load highway driving. The vehicle had already been looked at elsewhere, and the customer believed the problem was inside the PCM. What sounded at first like a computer problem eventually turned into a lesson in secondary ignition leakage, diagnostic assumptions, customer expectations, and the danger of two people using the...

Published: May 6, 2026Duration: 29m 42s

Mailbag Episode: From Quantum Physics to Flat Rate Pay Plans [E234]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this wide-ranging "mailbag" style episode, Matt Fanslow dives into a mix of technical, professional, and lifestyle questions from listeners. The conversation moves from the intimidating complexity of quantum physics and why it makes discussing "basic" electricity difficult, to practical advice on commercial versus consumer lawn equipment. Matt also tackles the controversial topic of flat-rate pay plans and the importance of ethical systems in the shop, before wrapping up with some lighter notes on AI, mental health resources, and a...

Published: Apr 29, 2026Duration: 35m 30s

From Smashing Pumpkins to Shop Floors: Lessons on Mentorship [E233]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt Fanslow starts in an unexpected place, music, vocal styles, and Smashing Pumpkins, before using a series of stories from the music and sports worlds to make a bigger point about mentorship. The central idea is simple but important: mentorship has to come from both directions. Experienced people need to step in and offer guidance, and younger people need to be willing to ask questions and listen.Using examples involving Billy Corgan, Ryan Leaf, and...

Published: Apr 22, 2026Duration: 37m 50s

Strength Isn’t What You Think: Lessons on Resilience, Recovery, and Asking for Help [E232]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt Fanslow reflects on what it really means to be strong. Prompted by the story of a young mother navigating grief, single parenthood, and overwhelming responsibility after the loss of her children’s father to overdose, the conversation explores relapse, recovery, endurance, and the often-misunderstood nature of strength. Matt argues that strength is not having everything under control. Sometimes strength looks like hanging on by your fingertips, asking for help, or simply making it through the day wi...

Published: Apr 15, 2026Duration: 32m 24s

Your Shop Might Need Marriage Counseling: Fixing Communication in Auto Repair [RR 1087] - Remarkable Results Radio Podcast

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS Watch Full Video Episode Recorded live at VISION 2026, host Carm Capriotto and Matt Fanslow explore how lessons from marriage counseling can improve communication in auto repair shops. The core discussion centers on Matt’s article for NAPA Auto Care's Insight Magazine, “Your Shop Might Need Marriage Counseling,” and the industry’s gap in soft skills. His central argument is simple: most automotive professionals were never taught effective communication or soft skills. In the past, shop culture often relied on public criticism or shame to correct mistakes. Today, that approach backfires, especial...

Published: Apr 14, 2026Duration: 47m 26s

The Mount Rushmore of Automotive Trainers: Legends, Pioneers, and Rising Stars [E231]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt Fanslow tackles a highly requested topic from listeners: the "Mount Rushmore" of automotive trainers and educators. Wrestling with the definition of a Mount Rushmore—whether it represents the "Best of the Best" or the "Foundational Forefathers"—Matt takes a deep dive into the lineage of automotive instruction. He pays tribute to the "Road Dogs" who laid the groundwork before revealing his personal top four (plus a few tag-teams) and the rising stars to watch in the indu...

Published: Apr 8, 2026Duration: 32m 0s

Wrenching and Recitals: Making Time for Family in the Auto Repair Industry [E230]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt Fanslow reflects on overhearing a conversation between shop owners about spending more time with family, and it sparks a bigger question: if family time is so important for ownership, what does that mean for employees? This episode looks at the tension between the real financial demands of running a repair shop and the equally real need for technical specialists, advisors, and staff to be present for their families. Along the way, Matt explores PTO, unpaid time off, flex-time realities...

Published: Apr 1, 2026Duration: 28m 36s

Deadpool and Chuck Norris [E229]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt opens with a run of classic Chuck Norris jokes, partly as a tribute and partly to explain the inspiration behind the now-familiar Scot Manna Facts. What starts as a funny origin story turns into something more meaningful: a reflection on Scot Manna’s influence, the odd mix of ego and generosity that often sits behind teaching, and the growing need to develop the next wave of instructors in the automotive repair industry.Using a moment from Deadpool an...

Published: Mar 25, 2026Duration: 31m 17s

Misuse of the Word Diagnostics [E228]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeShow NotesIn this episode, Matt builds on a thought that has been bothering him for a while: the automotive repair industry has done a pretty terrible job defining what we mean by diagnosis, diagnostic, analysis, and even something as simple as a code scan.The spark for the conversation comes from seeing a vehicle owner buy their own scan tool after being told a dealership wanted $190 “to scan codes.” That raises the real question: was the...

Published: Mar 18, 2026Duration: 24m 8s

Vision 2026 Recap [E227]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt recaps his trip to VISION 2026 in Kansas City. What starts as a simple event recap turns into a reflection on why conferences like VISION matter so much: the training, the conversations, the hallway discussions, the tools, the friendships, and the people pushing the industry forward.Matt talks about recording with Carm Capriotto, bouncing between classes with friends, teaching hands-on PicoScope and key programming classes, and sitting in on standout sessions covering EEPROM work, AI...

Published: Mar 11, 2026Duration: 19m 18s

Carving Out the Best: Matt Fanslow’s Mount Rushmores [E226]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt takes on a question that listeners have apparently been enjoying asking: what’s on his “Mount Rushmore” of various categories? Before getting there, though, he gives a quick follow-up to the No Good Deed Goes Unpunished home-plumbing saga, where a simple bathroom fix turned into tracking down a hidden bathtub drain leak caused by questionable original construction choices.From there, Matt dives into his personal Mount Rushmore lists, starting where it matters most for this a...

Published: Mar 4, 2026Duration: 41m 44s

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished [E225]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt opens with a home-repair “birthday gift” project that spirals from a simple bathroom refresh into a full-blown floor/toilet/subfloor/plumbing/trim/electrical ordeal. What starts as a kind gesture turns into a week-long marathon of improvisation, problem-solving, and unexpected complications.From there, he ties the experience directly into life in the repair shop: helping someone out, taking on a difficult job, making an exception, or trying to do the right thing can sometimes backfire in spectacular fash...

Published: Feb 25, 2026Duration: 26m 27s

Beyond Cognitive Distortions: Finding Common Ground in Conflict with Margaret Light [E224]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, Autel, and Independent Wrench JobsWatch Full Video EpisodeMinnesota’s been a pressure cooker lately—and watching people process the same event in completely opposite ways has been… a lot. Matt sits down again with Margaret Light (LMFT, Equilibrium Therapy Services) to talk about why we’re so reactive, how cognitive distortions hijack conversations, and why “how we fight” matters more than the topic. Then we drag all of it into the repair shop—because if you’ve ever tried to explain “it’s not the same problem” to a stressed-out cust...

Published: Feb 18, 2026Duration: 57m 29s

Aliasing: Why Your Oscilloscope May Be Lying To You [E223]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt answers listener emails about oscilloscope aliasing—what it is, whether all scopes can do it, and how it can trick you into diagnosing failures that aren’t real. Using a “pegboard and golf tees” mental model, he explains how a digital storage oscilloscope samples voltage, stores it in memory, and then reconstructs what you see on-screen. The key takeaway: aliasing isn’t magic, it’s math—specifically the relationship between sample rate, timebase, and memory buffer. He also explains why some scopes (especially Sna...

Published: Feb 11, 2026Duration: 33m 32s

What Rob McElhenney Taught Me About Shop Management [E222]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeA random YouTube Shorts interview turns into a surprisingly sharp lesson in leadership. Matt shares a story from Rob McElhenney about working with Danny DeVito—and how DeVito’s humility and audience-awareness reveal something shop owners and managers can use immediately: collaboration beats ego, and if you want to reach a demographic (customers or employees), you’d better listen to them. Process matters. Culture matters. And the best people in any field tend to be the most open to input.Matt talks...

Published: Feb 4, 2026Duration: 14m 2s

Mr. Baseball [E221]

Thanks to our Partner, Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt uses the movie Mr. Baseball (Tom Selleck as Jack, an aging Yankees player traded to Japan) as an analogy for life in the automotive repair world—especially for veteran mechanical/technical specialists whose bodies start breaking down and whose production (and pay) can drop as a result. The core theme: your role can evolve from “hour-cranker” to leader/mentor, but that requires radical honesty, ego-checking, and intentional changes—from physical maintenance to skill expansion to management systems that properly reward wisdom.Key points...

Published: Jan 28, 2026Duration: 21m 14s

Bubbles Everywhere: Cavitation and the Cooling System [E220]

Thanks to our Partner, Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt goes down a rabbit hole on the science of bubbles and comes back with something surprisingly practical: cavitation is a major source of cooling-system component damage, especially in and around water pumps. The “bad guy” isn’t the bubble forming—it’s the bubble collapsing, releasing intense localized energy, micro-jetting, and shock waves that pit and erode metal surfaces over time. The takeaway: approach cooling-system maintenance as anti-cavitation prevention, not just “keep it from overheating.”Key topics coveredWhy cavitation damage is ofte...

Published: Jan 21, 2026Duration: 19m 58s

Common Cause and Special Cause [E219]

Thanks to our Partner, Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeComebacks. Rechecks. Catastrophic parts failures. The stuff that makes everyone’s stomach drop. Matt makes the case that a big part of management’s day-to-day job is not “policing people,” but acting like an investigator—leading with genuine curiosity to figure out what actually happened and what should change.Using Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s framework, Matt breaks problems into two buckets:Common cause: Variation that’s built into the system (processes, tools, training, information flow, software, vendors, documentation, workflow chaos, etc.). These problems...

Published: Jan 14, 2026Duration: 18m 31s

The Part-Time Performer (And The Full-Time Lesson) [218]

Thanks to our Partner, Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeThis episode uses professional wrestling’s “part-time performer” phenomenon—stars who leave, come back, and instantly get the spotlight—to explore something that happens in auto repair, too:When a specialist has a reputation that brings cars through the door, the right move is to lean into it—not resent it.Key Talking Points & Takeaways1) The Seth Rollins Quote Sets the Tone“If you’re not learning, then you’re stagnant… and the business isn’t progressing.”Matt frames growth as a requi...

Published: Jan 7, 2026Duration: 22m 27s

A Lesson from Parkway Drive: Diamonds That Choose to Stay Coal [217]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeEpisode summaryMatt Fanslow pulls a lesson from an unexpected place: a Parkway Drive studio story involving Killswitch Engage’s Adam D. The band tried to force a new sound—clean vocals mixed with screams—and it just wasn’t working. The fix? Stop trying to be a different band and lean into what already fits.Matt ties that directly into shop life: not every shop needs to work on every vehicle type or take every job, and not...

Published: Dec 31, 2025Duration: 14m 49s