Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z

Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt 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...

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 De...

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 & T...

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....

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 off...

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-te...

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...

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...

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...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z , Matt Fanslow uses a famous Michael Jordan quote, a heartbreaking Minnesota Vikings loss, and a rant from Jeff Compton of The Jaded Mechanic Podcast to dig into a big question: When did we get so impatient with young people—and what is it costing our indu...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode We unpack what “boundaries” actually are—and aren’t—in shops and life. Margaret draws clear lines between rules vs. boundaries , protective vs. containing boundaries, and gives scripts you can use with customers, colleagues, and leadership. Matt adds his trademark honesty (and jokes) about self-regulation, “...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt Fanslow opens with “Resistance is futile” and tackles a common belief: “Resistance always makes current go down.” He walks through why that’s mostly—but not always—true, and shows how electric motors (especially starters) can draw more current when unwanted resistance slows them down by reducing counter...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt riffs on a surprisingly quiet moment from Rocky —the late-night scene where Rocky admits he can’t beat Apollo and Adrian simply asks, “What do we do?” From that question, Matt draws a blueprint for technicians and shop owners: set realistic, self-assigned wins and stack them. Instead of living and dying...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt wrestles with a lifelong pattern of shame, defensiveness, and downplaying wins—and how naming it (out loud) is helping him show up better at work and at home. This one’s part confessional, part field guide: practical, unglamorous steps for accepting compliments, advocating for your value, and being safe...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Live from “pre-ASTA,” Matt sits down with two “industry nobodies” (his words) who… are anything but. The trio gets honest about what makes training worth the time and money—and what ruins it. They dig into presenter prep (yes, 40 hours for a 4-hour class), class vetting, sponsor pressure, why a sexy scope tr...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Live(ish) from ASTA 2025 in Raleigh, I “borrow” a guest from a Keith Perkins immobilizer class: Mike Maleski of PSK Automotive and Rosedale Technical College. We dig into the business of keys/immobilizers—what drew him in, locksmith gatekeeping, where OE tools beat aftermarket for workflow, flat-rate incenti...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt Fanslow explores the complex relationship between passion, purpose, and the realities of working in the automotive repair industry. Inspired by a story of a successful businessman who rediscovers his childhood joy fixing bicycles, Matt reflects on how easily passion can fade — and what shop owners and m...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode, Matt Fanslow takes on a common source of confusion in automotive diagnostics: pressure, vacuum, and the difference between gauge and absolute readings. What starts as a discussion on PSI and inches of mercury quickly expands into how technicians interpret scan tool PIDs, why definitions matt...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt takes a break from technical talk to discuss a critical issue affecting both society and the automotive aftermarket: the growing inability to engage with differing perspectives. Triggered by recent events, including the tragic death of commentator Charlie Kirk, Matt explores the importance of challengin...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this thought-provoking solo episode, Matt Fanslow tackles the complex and personal question: "What is success?" Drawing a fascinating parallel to Einstein's theory of relativity, Matt argues that there is no universal definition of success, just as there is no universal clock. Success, like time, is perso...

Thank You To Our Partners The Institute, AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, In-Bound, Express Watch Full Video Episode In Our Episode Today: Many of our loyal listeners have heard me mention my older, little, brother Shaun, or you have heard me jesting with host of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A-Z, Matt Fanslow… Today you get to see us sit in the room and have a genuine conversation! I notice in my day-t...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Welcome to the 200th episode of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z ! In this milestone episode, Matt reflects on the journey of recording weekly shows for nearly four years straight. He shares listener questions, personal insights, and some of the most surprising lessons learned along the way. From the variet...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode Matt Fanslow and guest Margaret Light, a licensed marriage and family therapist, unpack common misconceptions around psychosis and psychopathy. The conversation also tackles the stigma surrounding mental health and stresses the importance of validation and empathy when supporting someone experiencing psychot...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode In this episode of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z , Matt Fanslow takes a detour from his usual pop culture quotes and instead pulls wisdom from an unlikely source: Tom Brady. Brady’s recent interview stirred up some debate, but Matt digs into why technicians, shop owners, and service advisors should pay a...

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico Technology Watch Full Video Episode The Role of Content in the Automotive Industry Matt reflects on his own content creation (radio ads, podcasts) aimed at demystifying auto repair for customers. The importance of transparency: explaining shop practices (e.g., credit card fees, brake fluid exchanges) without vilifying other shops. "Chest-Thump...