Automotive Field Theory

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...

Does Experience Give You Permission to Ignore Service Information? [E249]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeHow much freedom should an automotive professional have to deviate from published service information?In this episode of Automotive Field Theory, Matt Fanslow digs into that question after a recent discussion involving ADAS procedures and Ford brake caliper fasteners that service information specifically instructs technicians to remove and discard.The debate isn't really about one set of bolts.It's about the level of confidence we sometimes have in deciding that a procedure isn't necessary when we don't...

20 min

2026 August 12

Automotive Field Theory: Rebranding the Podcast [E248]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeDiagnosing the Aftermarket Becomes Automotive Field TheoryThings have changed.After years as Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z, the podcast has a new name: Automotive Field Theory.In this episode, Matt explains why the original title was chosen, why it eventually became a problem, and how the new name better represents both the podcast and the range of subjects explored on it.The original name was intended to leave the show wide open. Automotive...

18 min

2026 August 12

Why You Can't Motivate Someone Into Training [E247]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeWhy are some automotive repair specialists resistant to attending training, particularly when it takes place after work or on weekends?The easy explanation is that they are lazy, unmotivated, or unwilling to invest in themselves. Matt argues that this explanation may also be incomplete.In this episode, Matt examines training through the lens of incentives, career development, and systems thinking. A specialist who spends personal time and money developing new skills is often told that the investment will eventually...

25 min

2026 August 12

The Power of Inspiration: From the Mat to the Shop [E246]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeAre 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 hi...

20 min

2026 August 12

The Most Controversial Tool in Automotive Electrical Diagnostics [E245]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodePowered 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...

22 min

2026 August 12

Who Should Pay for Auto Repair Tools? Shop Owner or Employee? [E244]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeIn 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...

36 min

2026 August 12

The Danger of Tunnel Vision in Automotive Diagnostics: Anchoring, Confirmation Bias, and Premature Closure [E243]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeA 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 diag...

30 min

2026 August 12

7.3L Power Stroke ICP Sensor Failure and the AI Skill Atrophy Debate [E242]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeIn 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...

31 min

2026 August 12

The Hidden Game Running Your Auto Repair Shop: When Systems Undermine Values [E241]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeMatt 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...

28 min

2026 August 12

Why Customers Struggle to Trust Auto Repair [E240]

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and AutelWatch Full Video EpisodeIn 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...

22 min

2026 August 12