Ivan Temnykh, owner and diagnostician, Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics
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Hi, my name is Ivan Temnykh, proud owner and founder of Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics. Here I would like to share some of my education and life experiences that led to the exciting career in automotive diagnostics. Thank you for your interest and your business!
My passion for tinkering with all things on wheels goes back to childhood, when my dad taught me to ride a bicycle at age 3. This passion progressed naturally from bicycles to motorcycles and finally cars.
I moved from Novosibirsk, Russia to Ithaca, NY with my family in 1992, at age 6. My dad, who always fueled my curiosity for how mechanical and electrical things worked, was invited to work at the Particle Accelerator Laboratory at Cornell University. For me, attending the first day of Kindergarten in a foreign country without knowing a word of English was a memorable experience indeed. I graduated from Ithaca High School in 2004 and then completed my Bachelor's Degree in Engineering Physics (with a minor in Mechanical Engineering) at Cornell University in 2008. At that time, I had no specific career path in mind, but a solid math and physics background was sure to be useful in any future endeavor. My favorite courses in college were Electricity & Magnetism, (professor Chris Xu) and AEP 363 Circuits Lab (Earl Kirkland), where I became very familiar with one of my favorite automotive diagnostic tools: the oscilloscope. During the 4 years at Cornell, my limited free time was spent competing with the Cornell Cycling Club, as well as fixing up and riding vintage Japanese motorcycles with my friend, neighbor, and classmate, Brandon S. By senior year, my younger brother and two more friends had also obtained old bikes that Brandon and I wrenched on to get road-worthy, just in time for a little post-graduation adventure... |
 Day 10: Yamaha XS500 engine trouble in Marquette, Kansas
On June 1st, 2008, our gang of 5 riders departed Ithaca on a cross-country motorcycle trip that was two years in the making. Destination: San Francisco, CA...and then back to Ithaca! As the designated navigator and mechanic, I loaded down my trusty 1982 Yamaha (thus the motoYam82 YouTube name) with a "mobile repair kit" of sorts. I had to be prepared for any mechanical issue that might arise during the trip, including a road-side engine overhaul. As predicted, just about every tool I had on board came in handy...
But 40 days, 8,500 miles, and several road-side repairs later, all 5 bikes and riders made it back to Ithaca in one piece. This once-in-a-lifetime experience made friends forever, and further fueled my passion for problem solving, troubleshooting and repair. 
From 2008 to 2012, I attended the Materials Science graduate program at Penn State University here in State College, PA. My project involved developing novel fiber-optic waveguides with professor Venkat Gopalan. I even published a scientific paper! On the side, I could not resist helping out friends and classmates with their car problems. In fact, I soon found this side work to be just as fun as playing with lasers in the fiber-optics lab!
Meanwhile, I also had to keep my old 1989 Mazda MPV van running to drive to collegiate bicycle races with the Penn State Cycling team. The biggest repair to date was replacing a cracked cylinder head in the parking lot of my apartment complex. And yes, I still drive my rusty trusty van to this date! In 2012 the pivotal moment came when my friend and mentor Anton Kukharev was looking for help at his newly-renovated automotive shop Absolute Auto Repair in Port Matilda, PA. I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed working hands-on in a garage...enough to leave grad school. One of the most appealing aspects of this new job was helping people and solving problems with instant, tangible results. Of course, most of the work entrusted to a “rookie” technician was dirty jobs like oil changes, tires, inspections, and replacing rusty brake lines and suspension components. I got my PA State Inspector's license, but was eager to tackle more mentally-stimulating work. |
Day 20: Near Yosemite National Park, California
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Before...
After...
1965 Montgomery Wards 50cc moped. Ground-up restoration.
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 1973 Honda CB450 restoration
In 2012 I moved to a more rural setting with my soon-to-be wife, Amanda. In my spare time, I transformed our bare two-car garage into a functional workshop, where I worked on a few side projects like a complete ground-up restoration of a vintage 1965 Wards 50cc Moped.
At one point, my dream was to establish a vintage motorcycle restoration and repair shop, but not many people had old bikes to restore, so it would take a very long time to get into this niche business... But everyone was asking for car repairs! For the next few years I worked as a "freelance mechanic", gaining experience and growing my meager tool collection and skill set. In 2013, after finding ScannerDanner's YouTube channel through the internet's favorite auto mechanic EricTheCarGuy, and seeing the void in systematic troubleshooting that existed in the automotive repair field, I decided to invest in some specialty diagnostic equipment and focus my time and efforts on electrical troubleshooting and driveability. This was a very exciting development. Finally: the perfect opportunity to put the engineering skills I learned in school together with my passion for auto repair! In 2015, again via YouTube, I stumbled on a brand-new auto repair channel known as "South Main Auto Repair" where the mechanic Eric O. was putting up some refreshingly professional automotive videos. After discovering that his shop was located in a small nearby village in Central NY, I had to drop by one day just to say "hi". In a few hours we basically became best friends, and went on to make a 2-part diagnostic video together: "Hyundai Tucson P0173 Case Study". Shortly after the co-production I was more motivated than ever to start up my own YouTube channel, where I would focus on automotive diagnostics and the scientific/engineering approach to auto repair. |
April 2016: PHAD is officially open for business!!
THANK YOU:
First and foremost I want to say a huge THANK YOU to my amazing wife Amanda, without whom I would not even be here, pursuing my dream career. You have worked so incredibly hard to give me a chance to start my own business. Amanda, you have no idea how grateful I am for your support and I love you from the bottom of my heart!!
"Thank You!" to my parents for always being there for me and for all the invaluable life advice!
"Thank You!" to all my friends, mentors, teachers, and professors. All your hard work has not gone unnoticed :)
And of course, "Thank You!" to all my current and future customers! Without you I wouldn't have a job!
I promise to provide the most honest and thorough auto diagnostic service that I can, and hope to become your "go-to" auto diagnostics specialist in the State College, PA area.
-Ivan Temnykh
First and foremost I want to say a huge THANK YOU to my amazing wife Amanda, without whom I would not even be here, pursuing my dream career. You have worked so incredibly hard to give me a chance to start my own business. Amanda, you have no idea how grateful I am for your support and I love you from the bottom of my heart!!
"Thank You!" to my parents for always being there for me and for all the invaluable life advice!
"Thank You!" to all my friends, mentors, teachers, and professors. All your hard work has not gone unnoticed :)
And of course, "Thank You!" to all my current and future customers! Without you I wouldn't have a job!
I promise to provide the most honest and thorough auto diagnostic service that I can, and hope to become your "go-to" auto diagnostics specialist in the State College, PA area.
-Ivan Temnykh
