I copied my case notes from over 200 cases I have worked as a Field Service Engineer at General Motors, (removing personal information) and pasted it into a single document. I uploaded this document along with a transcript of my book, Hotwire Your Skills, to Claude AI. I then asked Claude to analyze my case summaries and compare to my published diagnostic process -- to determine if I am subconsciously/unknowingly doing any additional diagnostic steps outside of what I am aware of. I also asked it to give me an analyzed rating on how well I am following the process I preach. I also asked it for insights on the most common type of problems I handle. The results shocked me. First, it revealed 7 diagnostic steps I perform consistently across hundreds of cases that are not published in my book. Steps I didn't even realize I was doing until an AI read hundreds of my own case notes back to me. The biggest one? "Like-Unit Comparison" — pulling an identical vehicle off the lot to compare behavior side-by-side. It showed up in the majority of my cases and is arguably my single most powerful diagnostic tool. A few of the other unnamed steps it found: — Pre-Visit Phone Triage: arriving with a diagnosis already partially formed — Aftermarket Mod Screening: catching non-GM parts early — Multi-Stakeholder Briefing: aligning the service manager, advisor, and tech as a team before touching the vehicle — etc. Second, it graded my framework execution. The good news: my concern verification and repair verification are strong — I consistently exceed what my book prescribes. The honest feedback: I sometimes start testing before I've written a formal game plan, and a few cases show component replacement happening on strong suspicion rather than confirmed root cause. Fair point. Third — and this one genuinely surprised me — 29% of my entire caseload resolves as "vehicle operating as designed." No defect. No repair needed. Just a vehicle doing exactly what it was engineered to do, with a customer (or dealer) who didn't know that.

The concept of “law” has been on my mind a lot lately. Not those laws made by governments. I mean a “law” as something that is always true. Like how things fall down when you drop them. Or how an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. That’s a law. It tells us what will happen every time when something specific happens first. Here’s the truth about these laws: when we do something, we get a result. It shows up in life, in nature, and in our work every single day. I’ve spent about 8 years in the automotive service world. Over that time, clear patterns have stood out to me. Not guesses. Not opinions. Patterns. I’ve narrowed it down to 3 simple laws for working on cars: 1. The Law of Recency This law states that what has been done to the vehicle recently (prior to the current customer concern) has a very high likelihood of being related to the current concern. If something was touched or fixed recently, there’s a strong chance it’s tied to the problem now. 2. The Law of Proximity This law states that what is physically located close to the system and/or component of concern is very likely contributing to the current customer concern. If it’s close to the problem area, it’s not there by accident. It’s likely part of the problem. 3. The Law of Design Intent This law states that if the vehicle, system, or component in focus is not being operated, installed, or fastened in the manner in which it was designed to be, then problems or failure will result. If something isn’t installed or working the way it was designed to, it will cause you problems. Every time. Let me give you a couple of examples. I once was tasked with an intermittent no-crank concern on a prison bus. This stumped a shop for 3 months, particularly because the issue would come and go without any rhyme or reason. What I ultimately found was a very extensive aftermarket change to the dash wiring harness to accommodate a GPS tracker. This illustrates the importance of the 'Law of Recency' -- reviewing what had recently taken place to the vehicle can steer you in the right direction long before too much time is wasted.

I had a big dream... And I let it die. I walked away from it because I lost my vision. And if I’m being honest, I felt like I looked stupid trying to figure it out in public. So I went quiet. But over the past year, I couldn't shake this thought: There are a lot of technicians out there doing everything 'right'—showing up early, staying late, working hard—and still hitting a ceiling they can’t explain. They're working 50+ hours a week…turning wrenches nonstop…and still feeling stuck. Not because they’re lazy. Not because they don’t care. But because most technicians never get the kind of exposure that sharpens real diagnostic thinking. I know, because I've been there. The guys who can actually think through a problem—who don’t guess, don’t throw parts, don’t rely on luck—They don’t chase pay. They name their price. Something about this never made sense to me. How is it that I can walk into a dealership, look at a system I’ve never seen before, and find and fix a fault in only a couple hours… When someone who’s been there 20+ years has been stuck on it for months? It’s not experience. It’s not talent. And it’s definitely not luck. What I’ve realized is—it comes down to a few things most people never get taught. Number 1: I don’t guess. I follow a process. If you're process oriented like me, check out my book Hotwire Your Skills! Number 2: I don’t go in hoping I’ll find something—I go in KNOWING there’s an answer, and it’s just a matter of working toward it. Number 3: I don’t rush to replace parts. I slow down long enough to understand how the system is actually supposed to work. And Number 4, over time, something develops—You begin to recognize patterns. Things that used to feel random… start to stand out. Call it instinct, call it experience, call it whatever you want. But it’s built. Not given. That’s what I’ve seen. And this is exactly what I want to start putting into words, because more techs are capable of this than they realize. Seriously! What I find in my everyday work is this: Technicians are more capable than they realize!

I hope y’all had a pleasant end of 2025 and a refreshing start to 2026. My family and I got sick with the flu just after Christmas, so our start to 2026 wasn’t very refreshing! But, I’m grateful we’re all just about over with this sickness. The new year always gets me excited. I love the feeling of a fresh start, new goals, and the feeling that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to. I recently heard something very inspiring from Chris Koerner, which reminded me of those new year feelings. If you don’t know who he is, seriously, go check him out! In a recent video he posted on YouTube, he shared his GRIT framework. And man, it hit me SO hard. I watched the video multiple times while using my phone as a flashlight in the early morning hours when I stumbled across it, so I could quickly write down his genius insights. Chris describes himself as a Serial Entrepreneur (he’s started like 80+ businesses over the years), so this video was aimed at entrepreneurs and business owners. However, I see the principles applying just as appropriately in the world of Automotive Service. His GRIT framework describes what it is really like to start and run a business: - G — Grind. Every day is a grind. It’s hard to be an entrepreneur! - R — Risk. Everything is risky. You risk your time, money, and there’s an opportunity cost to starting and running any kind of business. - I — Isolation. It’s lonely! Entrepreneurship can isolate you from people, safety/security, free time, etc. - T — Turbulence. There are a lot of ups and downs, and wide wide swings. Emotional, Financial, you name it, it’s turbulent being an entrepreneur. I feel that the same is true being an automotive service technician. Whether you’re a mobile tech, a one-man-band or if you’re isolated in a toxic shop where everyone is out for their own interests and pays you no attention, it’s a grind, man. It’s a grind, every day is risky, you feel isolated, and the turbulence is real. But Chris gives a matching solution or antidote to each of these problems. He explains:

Hey guys! I've been working on something that I'm excited to share with you after the new year, but I really wanted to get your input on a couple things. Please be brutally honest, I'd love to get a clear, raw view of what goes through your mind when you hear this, and what you would say to fill in the blank: “If an automotive technician truly understood __________, they would immediately realize flat-rate is optional — not inevitable.” Also, wanted to get your insights on these questions: 1) What do techs currently believe will save them?For example: “If I just get faster, I’ll make more” “If I just move shops, it’ll be better” “If I get one more certification, I’ll be valued” And which of these do you think is the most dangerous belief? 2) What do you think stuck techs incorrectly believe about themselves? Is it: “I’m not smart enough” “I’m just a wrench-turner” “I didn’t grow up around cars” “I’m not leadership material” Which one did you hear most on your darkest days? 3) What do techs who feel frustrated and stuck think prevents their success? Examples: “My shop won’t let me” “Management doesn’t care” “The industry is broken” “AI / EVs are killing this career” Which one do you think is dominant? I would seriously love to hear what you guys think! Please let me know what's top of mind. Hope y'all are having a great week!