Episode 136

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Published on:

29th May 2024

Key Questions with Elijah McMillan [E136]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech napaautotech.com

Email Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.com

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel HERE

Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/

"In the world of automotive repair, specialization can be key to success." Elijah McMillan, shares his journey into key programming. Interestingly, he took over from mobile locksmiths, opting out of car-related services, a reminder that knowing your niche and capabilities is vital.

Elijah also works on Hybrid vehicles. He's specialized in hybrid repair, particularly with the Toyota Prius. Adding keys to these vehicles might seem daunting, but it’s an integral part of servicing hybrids.

Did you know that dealers often sell keys at a loss? Elijah McMillan shone a light on this surprising fact. Locksmiths can carve out a lucrative space in the market by strategically stocking fobs and utilizing the right tools, like the OTIS system for Volkswagens. Efficiency and preparedness can turn challenges into profitable opportunities.

  • Key programming and aftermarket tools
  • Obtaining a VSP (Vehicle Security Professional) license
  • Challenges and opportunities of offering key programming services
  • Hybrid vehicle repair, particularly with Toyota Prius models
  • High voltage battery repair in Prius Gen 2 models
  • Quality repairs and competitive warranties
  • Automotive industry in Michigan and industry events
  • Key fobs and inventory management
  • Impact of key programming tools on business
  • Importance of staying informed about the latest technology in the automotive industry
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About the Podcast

Automotive Field Theory
From Automotive Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health
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.