SureTrack Expert Spotlight – Matt Janisin

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SureTrack Expert Spotlight –
Meet Technician and Educator Matt Janisin

Matt Janisin

SureTrack’s Ask the Experts feature gives you access to a community of experts available to help with challenging vehicles that come into your bay.  This month we are highlighting one of our community experts, Matt Janisin.

Matt is a highly educated technical instructor who is also a SureTrack community expert. Matt answers questions sent in by other community members who use SureTrack’s Ask the Experts feature, and he also contributes to SureTrack by writing expert tips. These tips help community members find answers quickly, so they can stop spending tons of time researching and start fixing the vehicle faster. Community members like Matt Janisin are a big part of what makes SureTrack such a powerful resource. I recently had an opportunity to chat with Matt about his background and experience as a SureTrack expert.

Tina: So Matt, can you tell us a little about your background?

Matt: I have always enjoyed building, fixing, or just tinkering with mechanical things and was fortunate to have some great mentors and teachers along the way to encourage me to pursue a career in this area.  In high school, I enjoyed the traditional shop classes like woodworking, construction, welding, machining, and of course automotive.

I went to college to become a Technology Education teacher, so I could share these passions with other students.  I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Technology & Industrial Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. I found myself teaching high school automotive classes, which was a good fit, as this was a large part of my background growing up and a source of income during college.

I earned my ASE Master Technician and L1 certifications and taught high school for nine years before moving to Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  At Gateway, I specialize in certifying students and area technicians on Snap-on diagnostic equipment with a focus on labscope operation. The diagnostic certifications were developed through a partnership between Snap-on and about 125 other schools across the nation and organized by the National Coalition of Certifications Centers (NC3).  I’m also a national trainer for NC3 and do travel around the country, and sometimes the world, to train other college instructors in advanced diagnostic techniques and tool operation.

Tina: Why do you do what you do?

Matt: It’s a challenge all around. I like a good challenge. It can be challenging to troubleshoot and problem-solve today’s complex vehicles. It is challenging to get students to work hard and to engage them to critically think through a problem on their own. It is challenging to break down complicated technical information and deliver it in a meaningful way to teach someone and not just overwhelm and confuse them with technical terms and knowledge.  I get to work with a variety of people including college students, industry technicians, and other instructors to help solve these challenges.  Every day is different and more challenging, that is exciting.

Tina: What specific makes, models, systems etc…have you subscribed to with your SureTrack Expert Subscription? Do you have a specific automotive expertise?

Matt: I typically research Chrysler and Dodge tips, but have helped out on a number of others when needed. I like to work with engine performance and drivability data and issues, as this motivates me to learn more about vehicle systems and pushes me to find better and more efficient ways of using diagnostic tools such as scanners and labscopes.

Tina: Why do you enjoy writing Expert Tips and answering questions for SureTrack?

Matt: It’s a great way to for me to get a high-level overview of the technical issues facing technicians in the field. This makes me a better instructor and technician. I use this information when teaching, as time is always short, so you need to focus on the highest priorities, but balance that with becoming too complacent and just replacing parts without proper testing. The common problems along with the more unique “one-off” repair situations found when writing tips help guide these discussions and show why proper diagnostic testing is so important. Nothing is more helpful in proving that a technician must always test and confirm the problem before replacing any parts as real world case studies and scenarios. This is exactly what every SureTrack Tip is.

Tina: Have you learned anything from your time as a SureTrack Community Expert?

Matt: It has reinforced my belief that knowledge is truly power, but the meaning behind this old saying has slightly changed. Historically, it has been access to knowledge, but in today’s digital information age, access is readily available and knowledge is almost unlimited, so now the emphasis is on filtering knowledge and finding reputable sources.  SureTrack provides the quality control needed to be sure time is not wasted looking though false or questionable information. A good decision made with bad information will ultimately end badly.

Tina: What are some of your favorite features of SureTrack? Why?

Matt: The best features I see and focus on with my students are the Common Replaced Parts Graph, Component Test Info, and Waveform Library.  These three tabs are seen inline near the top of the screen and can be used as a three-step process. Based on the trouble code or symptom you have searched, the first tab, the Common Replaced Parts Graph, highlights the most common repairs documented from the field and this will be graphed over the vehicle’s mileage. This can be used to decide which component to test first, to confirm the problem before replacing any parts. The next tab, the Component Test, will give vehicle specific component information on how to test that component.  Finally, the last tab, which is the Waveform Library, will show both labscope waveforms and scan tool graphs or data values of known good components to match up to your current findings. This streamlines the time required from identifying probable causes to confirming faulty components.

Tina: Do you have any wise words for automotive technicians just starting out in the field?

Matt: Don’t get too comfortable and let new technologies pass you by.  It’s hard work to be a professional technician and it will require some sacrifice. Do not be afraid to invest in yourself through education and training. Personal time and money will be required, but will pay high dividends down the road. Never pass on a chance to learn something new and hone your professional skills.