Support and Training to Make You a Diagnostic Hero.
There's a car in your bay with no useful codes, two shops have already thrown parts at it, and the customer's out of patience.
A scope is the fastest way out of a head-scratching repair. That is, if somebody shows you how to read it. That's what Autonerdz exists to do: connect techs to the right PicoScope kit, offer the training to actually use it, and host open communication for 5,730 techs who've already stood in front of a car like yours.
Whether you've been scoping for 2 months or 2 years, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, there is always more to learn, and Autonerdz is here to help you level up your scoping game, one test at a time.
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PicoScope Forum
Techs, shop owners, and other PicoScope users who've posted a capture, asked a question, or answered someone else's
PicoGroup is the in-real-time side of our community. Monthly Group Therapy calls, real vehicles, and phone/video support.
Odds are somebody has already scoped the car you're looking at. Techs and Pico users post in our forum daily.
Autonerdz Team
Trevor Schlientz
I am a technician, I have always been a technician. I expect to always be a technician. Rather than turn the wrench every day, now I do my best to help others who do.
Trevor Schlientz
Trevor spent 15 years in the bay before he took over Autonerdz from Tom. Trevor has had that on-the-ground experience that takes a class from theory to reality. He's stood in front of a car, scratching his head at a waveform. He's done the try-it-and-see guesswork that still rules in most shops. His experience as a tech shapes everything that Autonerdz offers.
Trevor first encountered the PicoScope in 2010. Working at an independent shop at the time, the shop owner offered to send Trevor to classes to learn how to use the scope. After just one class, Trevor was hooked.
In 2016, Trevor bought his own scope from Autonerdz, which was his introduction to the service-first business that Tom Roberts opened in 2000. In 2020, when Tom had to step away, Trevor stepped in. This year marks 6 years for Trevor as an owner, and 10 years as a Nerd.
Trevor teaches the way he learned: hands on a real vehicle, waveform on the screen, working with it until it clicks. He doesn't teach theory, or lead a lecture-style class. Whether Trevor is on the phone walking through a tough readout or teaching a class at a shop full of techs, he's starting and finishing where the work actually matters: on the shop floor.
Whether you've been scoping for years or you're brand new, Trevor wants to help you level up your scoping game.
Brian Haley
I'm excited to be part of a community where I can both support others and continue growing myself. I look forward to working with and learning from all of you.
Brian Haley
For over 17 years, Brian has been the voice on the other end of the phone when you call the Nerdz for help. The calls often start the same way: a puzzling capture or a frustrating repair. By the end, the tech has direction and clarity. Helping Nerdz to put their scopes to work on the shop floor is what Brian loves to do, and he's good at it.
Brian's journey in the automotive world started as an oil tech while he was in high school. He got his ATA at South Puget Sound Community College, where he would eventually return to teach full-time. In-between, he spent 15 years on the shop floor at independent shops, facing the same issues that techs call for help with today.
When you call Autonerdz, you're not getting a script or a canned response based on a user manual. Brian has real experience on the shop floor, and he puts that experience to work every day helping Nerdz solve their toughest cases. Give us a call next time you're stuck and you'll be chatting with somebody who has diagnosed the thing you're diagnosing, and who will stay on the line until that readout makes sense.
The North American PicoScope Authority
Autonerdz was the first to introduce PicoScope to the North American automotive industry in 2000, and has kept the focus on PicoScopes ever since. No massive tool catalog. No rep who learned about the product last quarter. We do one thing, and we do it well: Help techs make money by using a scope.
That's the whole reason support from Autonerdz is different: when you call about channel B acting strange, you're not describing it to somebody who has to go look it up. We know PicoScopes. And we want to help you put yours to work on the shop floor or level up your scoping abilities.
Our History
Tom Roberts
I suppose, one of my best qualifications... is that I have probably made more mistakes than anyone else. Therefore, I can teach others how to avoid them. Plus, I am making new ones all the time.
Tom Roberts (The Picotologist)
Built by Techs, Not Investors
Tom Roberts, the founder of Autonerdz, was a diagnostician who wanted better tools. He hosted a website listing scopes he felt were worth owning as a resource to other techs, and Pico Tech noticed. That's how the first North American PicoScope distributorship got started. It wasn't a business plan or a pitch, it was a technician seeking to support other technicians along their journey. And that same mission carries Autonerdz today.
For twenty years, Tom taught techs to scope. He was a traveling trainer, hitting the road to take scoping to shops in-person. Whether he was leading a course or answering a question on the Pico forum, Tom had a passion for redefining support. Online, he gave himself the title "The Picotologist," which tells you just about everything you need to know about him.
Tom stepped away when he sold Autonerdz to Trevor. But if you're digging on the Pico forum or the Autonerdz forum, you might just see his signoff.
New Captain, Same Flag
The Pandemic put enough stress on the business that Tom was going to have to close. That's when Trevor stepped in. He bought the business, not as an investor looking to turn a profit, but as a Nerd who didn't want to see the resources and support provided by Autonerdz disappear.
Autonerdz may have a new captain, but we operate under the same mission: redefining support by putting the PicoScope into the hands of techs everywhere, and then helping them to use it.
Automotive PicoScope Support
Whether you're new to scoping or have been at it for years, you've got a place here. You don't have to buy a kit from us to join our PicoScope support community. If you do snag your PicoScope kit from Autonerdz, the forum, community, and support is included in your purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to buy from you to train with you?
Nope. Autonerdz training is available to any PicoScope user, wherever you bought it. Check out our Support & Training page to see what classes are coming up, and to see how you can get access to our video training library.
Which kit do I need?
We always give the same advice to shops and techs looking to buy a scope: do your homework. But here's the part we don't always say: you don't have to do it alone.
Call or message our team and tell us a little about your shop. We'll help you figure out which kit has the components you need (and none of the bells and whistles you don't).
Is a PicoScope worth owning in a small shop?
A PicoScope is worth owning if you use it. That goes for big shops, small shops, and all the shops in between. That's why we prioritize support: The hardware is one thing; it's the training that makes all the difference.
How long before I start making money with my scope?
You may have heard us offer to help you make money using your scope, and we mean it. You'll start seeing the impact of a scope within weeks if you get training from the right source. Trevor knows from experience it might be well over a year to see benefit if you're figuring it out on your own.
Can you come to my shop?
Check out our Training & Support page to learn more about the classes Autonerdz offers, and to learn how you can request a private training at your shop.