Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z

4.8 (17)
AUTOMOTIVE
UPDATED WEEKLY

Matt Fanslow's Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z Podcast is a wide-open perspective on all aspects of the automotive aftermarket from a working diagnosticians' point of view. All topics and issues will be on the table.

16H AGO

Common Cause and Special Cause [E219]

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Comebacks. 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 are repeatable—and if you don’t change the system, they’ll happen again.Special cause: A true one-off—rare, hard to predict, not systemic. Sometimes the correct response is support, not a giant policy overhaul. The goal: build trust, reduce fear, and improve the shop over time through “constancy of purpose”—not knee-jerk blame. Key Talking Points & Takeaways 1) Management’s role when things go wrong Be an investigator, not a prosecutor.Start with: What happened? Why did it happen? What made it easier to fail than succeed? 2) Deming’s lens: common cause vs. special cause Most problems are common-cause (system-driven), not “someone screwed up.”Mislabeling causes creates chaos:Treating common-cause problems like special-cause ones = scapegoating, fear, repeated failures.Treating special-cause problems like common-cause ones = overcorrecting, unnecessary rules, wasted effort. 3) Examples of common-cause “system” failures (shop edition) Torque wrench out of calibration.Scan tool software out of date / tooling gaps.No real shop management system (handwritten tickets, misreads, manual re-entry).Process interruptions / constant context switching.Cheap unknown parts sources creating avoidable risk.Lack of SOPs, training, or accessible info. 4) What a real special-cause looks like A normally reliable part fails unexpectedly (the one “bad water pump” out of hundreds).A rare freak mistake by a trusted specialist with no obvious systemic trigger.Response: support the person, document it, monitor trends—don’t build policy off a unicorn. 5) The trust factor li...

19 min
JAN 7

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

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode This 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 & Takeaways 1) 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 requirement—not a nice-to-have—for both the individual specialist and the shop. 2) Wrestling 101: “Protecting the Business” vs. “Understanding the Draw” Matt revisits early WrestleMania and the idea of kayfabe (protecting the illusion) to explain a bigger concept: The “outsider celebrity” (like Mr. T back then) wasn’t about pride—it was about bringing eyes and money.Selling offense (“selling” = making it look like it hurts) is part of making the other person look legitimate. 3) The Modern Version: The Part-Time Star Problem Matt runs through the familiar cycle: A star goes to Hollywood or appears occasionally (Rock, Cena, Undertaker, Lesnar, Goldberg).They return and get major wins/titles.The full-time grinders feel slighted—until they see the business reason:Those names are draws. Draws bring revenue. 4) The Auto Repair Translation: The Specialist Who Brings Work In Here’s the pivot: In shops, you sometimes have that person:the alignment specialistthe drivability/diagnostics specialistthe transmission/differential rebuilderthe ADAS/calibration personthe accessory/TPMS/trailer/camper personCustomers don’t just ask for the shop… they ask for that specialist by name.Matt’s point: Don’t let ego or envy sabotage something that helps everyone. 5) “Lean Into It” (Instead of Getting Weird About It) Matt argues you should: Promote that specialist more, not less.Treat their reputation as an asset to the entire shop.Recognize what it actually

22 min
12/31/2025

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

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Episode summary Matt 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 every person needs to be great at every kind of work. Whether it’s building around strong mechanical specialists, strong technical specialists, or choosing a narrower service lane, specializing on purpose can be the difference between surviving and thriving. What you’ll hear in this episode Why the “do everything” mindset can quietly punish shops (and people)A real example of pivoting back to core strengths (and winning bigger because of it)The difference between mechanical specialists and technical specialists—and why both are hard to findWhy “I can buy the tools” doesn’t automatically equal “we can do the work well”Checking ego at the door: success doesn’t require being everything to everyoneA nod to “reverse benchmarking”: build your identity around what others don’t do well Key takeaways (shop + career) Specialization isn’t weakness. It can be the most rational way to deliver consistent quality.Tools and information don’t replace capability. They support it—if the people and processes are there.Staffing reality matters. If you don’t have the right mechanical specialist or technical specialist, forcing the work in-house can be painful.You can evolve later. Being “not that shop” today doesn’t mean “never”—it can mean “not yet.”Identity beats imitation. Trying to match someone else’s “genre” can pull you away from what you’re actually great at. Bands / people / references mentioned Parkway Drive (story + recommendation)Killswitch Engage (Matt’s favorite band)Adam D (KSE) and his influence in the studio momentHoward Jones / Jesse Leach (KSE vocalist history)Slipknot (clean vs scream evolution reference)Tour mentions: Summer of Loud (as described), plus bands like The Devil Wears Prada, I Prevail, Beartooth (as mentioned)Sports analogy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers run-heavy approach (and leaning into...

15 min
12/24/2025

What is the Most Misunderstood Concept in Auto Repair? And More: December 2025 Mailbag [E216]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt digs into listener-submitted questions—starting with a deceptively simple one that “freaks him out”: what’s the most misunderstood concept in auto repair? From there, the episode becomes a guided tour through the gray area between knowing what’s true and knowing what’s useful. He revisits a frequent offender in the misinformation world: catalytic converter diagnostics, particularly the old “switch rate” concept, and why it’s fundamentally flawed, even when it appears convincing on a scan tool. From there, Matt zooms out into bigger “how-the-universe-works” territory—magnetism, electric fields, and why some of the most fascinating truths about energy flow will probably never help you fix a car (but are still worth thinking about). The back half of the episode shifts into personal updates (family health), a few fun holiday questions (favorite Christmas movies), an unexpectedly intense movie rant (Thor’s Endgame arc), and a grounded-but-honest take on the future of EVs and hybrids. Topics Covered The hardest balance in teaching and learning: accuracy vs. applicabilityWhy most misinformation in training/resources is usually unintentionalCatalytic converter misconceptions:Why “post-cat O2 switch rate” is a bad diagnostic foundationWhy scan tool graphs can mislead you even when they “look right”What really matters before condemning a converter (fuel control, exhaust leaks, sensor accuracy, updates, airflow modeling inputs)Why OEM catalyst monitoring relies on oxygen storage capacity (OSC)—and why it’s not the same as true conversion efficiencyA brief detour into physics for the curious:Magnetism as an effect tied to moving charge (and why special relativity can explain part of it)The “energy comes from the field” idea—and why it’s fascinating even if it doesn’t help bay workEGR follow-up: throttling losses, flame speed, and thermal efficiencyPersonal Q&A: updates on Matt’s dad’s recovery and implanted defibrillator; Danielle’s long recovery arcHoliday lightning round: favorite Christmas moviesMovie plot that frustrates Matt most: Thor from Ragnarok → Endgame (and why “Fat Thor” was mishandled)EV future: energy density limits, why hybrids may remain the practical middle ground, and where hydrogen might fit Key Takeaways “What looks true” on a scan tool isn’t always what the monitor is actually judging.Catalyst diagnostics are more systems-based...

33 min
12/17/2025

Shop Local [E215]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode, Matt shares a post he wrote after seeing yet another wave of “Who’s the most affordable?” questions in a local community group. He breaks down the hidden cost of chasing the lowest price, explains the local multiplier effect, and uses behavioral economics and game theory to show why short-term savings can create long-term pain—especially in auto repair. Matt also makes the case for educating employees on how small businesses really work, why ethical profit matters, and how small choices can preserve local options for your future self. Key themes Why “most affordable” has become the default question in local recommendation threadsThe idea that every purchase has two prices: the invoice amount and the impact on the local systemLocal businesses as a “local multiplier”: wages, suppliers, sponsorships, taxes, and reinvestment staying nearbyThe trap of short-term savings: hyperbolic discounting, loss leaders, and loss aversionAuto repair reality check: low prices can shift costs into warranty travel, time loss, and future headachesGame theory framing: a repeated prisoner’s dilemma—individual “defections” (price-chasing) add up to fewer local optionsThe skilled-trade value problem: cars depreciate while homes/buildings appreciate, shaping perceived worth of the work“Profits aren’t evil”: ethical profit as doing what you said you’d do, for what you said you’d do it forThe case for educating employees on business economics so they understand pricing, margins, and sustainabilityPractical compassion: offering to cover card swipe fees and understanding why local goods can cost more Memorable lines “Every purchase has two prices: the number on the invoice, and the impact on the system you live inside.”“The long-term consequences are invisible… until they’re painful and hard to reverse.”“Time—by far our most valuable asset.”“Residents and local businesses behave a lot like a repeated prisoner’s dilemma.”“Profits aren’t evil. I believe in ethical profit.” Audience takeaway If you always optimize for the cheapest option, you may “win” today but collectively lose tomorrow: fewer trusted local providers, fewer skilled jobs, and less community resilience—especially in specialized services like auto repair. Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training NAPA Autotech’s team of ASE Master Certified Instructors are conducting over 1,200 classes

20 min
12/10/2025

When Seconds Matter: CPR at the Thanksgiving Table [E214]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode, Matt shares a personal Thanksgiving story that turned into a real medical emergency. A long-time family friend suddenly becomes unresponsive at the dinner table, and Matt walks through the moment he had to decide whether to act, despite not being “formally” current on CPR. He talks candidly about what it felt like to drag her to the floor, check for breathing, make the call to start chest compressions, hear ribs crack—and then watch her come back. From there, he connects the experience to life in an automotive shop: CPR and first-aid readiness, AEDs, fire extinguishers, panic, freezing, and why “somebody will know what to do” is not a plan. It’s a conversation about preparedness, stress, and how our greatest weapon really is the thought we choose when everything suddenly goes sideways. Episode Highlights Opening with the quote: “Our greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” Matt fighting a cold and joking about his “Nat King Cole” voice. Thanksgiving at his parents’ house: Family and close friends gathered, including a 75-year-old family friend (“Jane”) who’s been part of the family’s holidays for years. Jane says she’s really dizzy; Matt gets up to escort her to the living room.Her chin suddenly drops to her chest, she becomes unresponsive, cold, and clammy.The decision point:Matt checks for airway, tries to feel for a pulse, listens for breathing—only hears gurgling.Admits he doesn’t fully trust his own ability to feel a pulse with his heart pounding.The mental calculus: If you can’t be sure, what else is there to do but chest compressions? Starting chest compressions: Dragging her to the floor and focusing completely on her while the rest of the room “disappears.”Locking his elbows, using the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” as a guide.First compression: feeling and hearing the sternum/ribs crack—and taking that as feedback that he’s at the right depth.Before the second compression, her eyes fly open and she lets out a sound. The immediate emotional whiplash: First feeling isn’t relief, but anger and self-doubt: “Did I just overreact?” “Did I crack her ribs for nothing?” “Was this some dramatic hero move I didn’t need to make?”Reorienting to the reality that she was unresponsive and now is awake, talking, and oriented. EMS arrives: Very low blood pressure at the house (around 70/40).Hooked up to a 4-lead, showing atrial fibrillation with PVCs.Matt nerds out on...

31 min
12/03/2025

No Spoon: Breaking the Matrix [E213]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode, Matt uses The Matrix—especially the line “there is no spoon”—as a metaphor for the invisible cages we build in our own minds. He connects the film to social constructs, substance use disorder, self-limiting beliefs, and the hard, messy reality of change. Matt unpacks what it really means to “take the red pill”: leaving the comfort of your personal matrix, enduring an initial season of discomfort or even suffering, and slowly rebuilding your ability to cope, grow, and demand better—from yourself, your relationships, and your career. Key Topics Covered “There is no spoon” and social constructs The Matrix as a metaphor for our personal belief systems, not just a sci-fi simulation.How ideas like “I can’t,” “they won’t let me,” and “this is just how it is” form our own private matrix.Money as a clear example of a social construct: it only works because we all agree it has value. Substance use disorder & the red/blue pill choice Reframing the Matrix pods and simulation as a stand-in for addiction and coping mechanisms.Drugs (or other coping tools) as a “cure” that works incredibly well… until the bill comes due.The “red pill” as the decision to leave a destructive coping mechanism and face reality.Why life often gets worse at first when someone chooses recovery—gray, flat, painful—before it gets better. Atrophy, discomfort, and rebuilding capacity Neo’s physical atrophy as a metaphor for emotional and coping atrophy after long-term use.Many people aren’t using to “get high” anymore—they’re using just to feel normal.Relearning how to feel feelings at full intensity without a chemical buffer. Self-imposed limits and hidden capacity The Matrix training scenes: bending the rules as a metaphor for challenging self-imposed limits.The “70% wall” idea from Navy SEAL training—quitting when there’s still gas left in the tank.How often we defeat ourselves before we even truly try. The Kung Fu (David Carradine) lesson Flashback scene with the “acid pool” that turns out to be water.Believing in the danger so completely that you fail before you start.How often we do the same thing with exams, careers, and life decisions. Technicians, tests, and career ceilings “I’ll never pass A6” / “I’ll never get that cert” as a self-fulfilling prophecy.Questioning whether your limits are real, or chosen.Practical self-inquiry: What can I do to change this belief? What actions can I take? Relationships, work, and what we tolerate Staying in unhealthy relationships (romantic, friends, employers, clients) because “this is the best I can do.”Starting with your own role: being a better spouse, friend, or employee and expecting better treatment in return.The trap where employers say, “If they acted like good employees, I’d treat them well,” and employees say, “If they treated me well, I’d act like a good employee”—and nothing changes. Dutch Silverstein’s perspective It’s important to treat people the way you want to be treated.But for sure: never treat someone the way you don’t want to be treated. Taking the red pill in real life The “red pill” as a choice, not a daily supplement.Expecting the initial result of that choice to feel worse before it feels...

29 min
11/26/2025

Stop Searching, Start Becoming: The Right Shop Philosophy [E112]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode, Matt takes a relationship quote and flips it into a perspective shift for shop owners, managers, and specialists: instead of obsessing over “finding the right” customers, employees, or employers, focus on becoming the right shop and the right person—over and over again. He explores how this mindset applies to attracting younger clients, building a place top technical and mechanical specialists want to work, and evolving with changes like EVs, culture, and work–life balance. Key Talking Points The quote that kicked it off: “Love isn’t about fate and magic bracelets and destiny. It’s about finding someone you can stand to be around for 10 minutes at a time,” and the idea that it’s less about finding the one and more about becoming the right one again and again. Translating relationship advice into shop life: Stop fixating on “finding the right clients,” “the right shop,” “the right boss,” or “the right employee.”Shift the focus to becoming the right shop, manager, owner, or employee. Becoming the right shop for your current and future clients: Many shops are currently tailored to an older clientele (boomers) and have great rapport with them.Younger clients often care deeply about your why—your purpose, values, and what you stand for.Start projecting an image and message that resonates with the clients you’ll need in the future, not just the ones you serve today. Becoming the right employer: Think about the types of technical specialists and mechanical specialists you’d love to attract.What are they after now, and what will they value most in the near future (purpose, time off, culture, tools, training, environment)?Make tangible changes in the shop that align with those values and make sure those changes are visible. Creative ways to “show, not tell” as an employer: Hosting training classes in your shop so other shops’ staff and owners can see your facility.Letting others experience climate control, lighting, equipment, computers at every bay, etc.Letting your current team’s honest feedback become a powerful, organic recruiting message. Culture vs. pure production: As shops hit their production targets more consistently, culture starts to matter more.High-output but toxic people can drag down the overall environment.Sometimes the right fit is someone who might produce a little less but makes the team function better and reduces animosity. What it means to be the right employee: Contributing to ethical profit and strong production.Being a good teammate who doesn’t undermine the system.Helping with what the shop needs: clients, employees, reputation, and growth.Being able to demonstrate your value beyond hours billed—teamwork, leadership, culture. Evolving with technology and the market (EV example): Understanding your shop’s stance on EVs and being able to discuss it intelligently.Looking at the local EV car park, investment needs, safety, and training.Positioning the shop to succeed ethically and profitably as the car parc changes. Seeing the shop as an ecosystem: Front of house, back of house, management, and employees as symbiotic systems.Shared goals: profit, stability, and long-term perpetuation of

18 min

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4.8

out of 5

17 Ratings

Love it!

12/08/2022

Mizzoulifer

Love the podcast! Keep it up!
Great Show!

01/01/2022

stahuskies

This is a great show and refreshing because it addresses a lot of topics that are often overlooked especially for the automotive field!