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Automotive Field TheoryFrom Automotive Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health Author: Matt Fanslow
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 is incomplete. People make decisions under pressure and uncertainty. Incentives shape behavior. Standards gradually drift. Good intentions produce unexpected results. The official process may say one thing while the system quietly rewards another. Automotive Field Theory is an attempt to understand those interactions. Drawing from real diagnostic work, shop management, industry conversations, personal experience, and an occasionally inconvenient level of curiosity, Matt examines not only how things work, but why they work that way, how they became what they are, and what apparently unrelated subjects might teach us about repairing vehicles, leading people, running businesses, and improving the automotive industry. Some episodes begin with a failed component. Others begin with Metallica, quantum physics, professional wrestling, a historical disaster, a round of golf, or a question that refuses to leave Matt alone. Eventually, they all enter the same field. Language: en Genres: Automotive, Business, Leisure, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Reflecting on STX 2026 [E251]
Episode 251
Tuesday, 25 August, 2026
Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt Fanslow returns from WORLDPAC’s STX 2026 with a greater appreciation for everything required to make a major training event happen, especially the hands-on classes. Vehicles, tools, simulators, soldering stations, ventilation systems, safety requirements, instructors, support personnel, and countless late nights all have to come together before an attendee ever walks into the room.He also challenges a persistent myth about oscilloscopes: that you must become an expert at interpreting tiny waveform anomalies before a scope becomes useful. Most failures are not nearly that subtle. Comparison testing, known-good examples, manufacturer support, training resources, and a little experience can make the scope useful much sooner than many specialists believe.But the greatest value of an event like STX may extend beyond the classroom. Matt reflects on time spent with Jorge Menchu, Brin Kline, and other longtime friends and colleagues, and on how conferences create professional networks that can become genuine lifelong friendships.For shop owners and managers, sending team members to training events is more than an educational expense. It is an investment in their skills, perspective, professional network, and connection to the industry. Matt encourages everyone to find a conference they can attend…and challenges shop leaders to help their people get there.Topics include:The enormous amount of work behind hands-on automotive trainingRecognizing the people working behind the curtainTeaching introductory PicoScope classes with Scott ShottonAndrew Sexton’s introduction to key cutting and programmingKevin Suttorp’s hands-on soldering and EEPROM trainingWhy oscilloscopes are more approachable than many specialists assumeUsing comparison waveforms and known-good examplesFinding technical support and training resourcesThe professional and personal value of industry conferencesBuilding relationships outside your own shopWhy owners and managers should help their teams attend training eventsLearning that other shops often face many of the same problemsMatt also recognizes Keith DeFazio, Isaac and Christina Rudell, Lonnie Horn, Justin Morgan, George Menchu, Bryn Klein, Richard Velko, Andrew Sexton, Kevin Sudor and his wife, and the many WORLDPAC employees, instructors, spouses, vendors, and support personnel whose work made STX 2026 possible.Thanks to our Partner, Pico TechnologyAre you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. PicoAuto.comThanks to our Partner, AutelFrom drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Autel.comContact InformationEmail Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.comSubscribe on YouTube: @automotivefieldtheoryThe Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/
