Last week I was fortunate to be invited to serve as one of 10 judges for Honda’s Northern California zone TOPTECH competition. From a field of about 300 eligible Master Technicians, a final group of 20 was selected to participate in the hands-on exercises at Honda’s French Camp training center, near Stockton, California.

My station, one of 10, involved a 2014 Accord with a bizarre symptom caused by two seemingly unrelated electrical circuits being shorted together. Other stations consisted of a diverse mix of odd and creepy problems that one might think would take hours or possibly a day to figure out. Some required savvy analysis of a lengthy snapshot of engine data while others required a thorough understanding of the effects of mechanical mischief. Each competitor was given 15 minutes to make his determination, requiring lightning-quick assessments, research, planning and task execution.

It was interesting to watch each contestant’s eyes grow large then roll back in his head as the whistle blew and I handed him their symptom card — not unlike opening an urgent letter from the IRS. Contestants had one minute to digest the information, with mental gears spinning wildly and fingers poised above their tech cart’s laptop, waiting for the signal to go. With the next whistle-blow, they would plunge into ISIS, Honda’s online service information system for a quick check of applicable service bulletins, then bolt to the car to validate the symptom. Most would next connect the tech cart’s modular vehicle communication interface to the vehicle’s data port and wirelessly partner it with the laptop to access onboard data.

Here’s where gut instinct from years of experience kicks in. After checking for applicable diagnostic trouble codes (body electronics codes don’t illuminate a check-something lamp), some would dive into Honda’s very cool Electronic Wiring Diagrams to devise a game plan, while others barreled into the body controls PID list to look for unusual input activity as they operated various driver controls.

Data in hand, it was time to quickly formulate a plan, keeping in mind the fault area had to be reasonably accessible to be solved so quickly. Where and how could these two circuits be commingled? Darn — two-minute warning! How much deeper can I dig into the vehicle before risking points for failure to restore the vehicle and tools and write up my findings before the final whistle-blow? Some solved my very tricky station, while others came so very close.

It was a stressful day for all involved but fun every minute. French Camp’s shop floor is shinier than my car’s hood, and everything in the place is state-of-the-art, ingeniously situated for efficient use, sort of like a 30-bed operating room. The 20 technicians, the best of the best, were treated like royalty by the Honda training staff and attending corporate folks, who greatly appreciate their dedication to excellence. The Northern California 2014 winner was Rick Marshall of Avery Greene Honda in Vallejo, California. He blew through my station with a confident smile and time to spare and advanced to the National TOPTECH competition this month.