Automotive Starting, Charging, and Battery Diagnostics

01 SC01 - Starting, Charging, and Battery Diagnostic Mindset

• SC01-L01 – What Starting, Charging, and Battery Diagnostics Actually Cover
• SC01-L02 – Complaint Verification, Baseline Capture, and First Electrical Checks
• SC01-L03 – Separating No-Crank, Slow Crank, Dead Battery, No-Charge, and Overcharge Complaints

02 SC02 - Battery Fundamentals, State of Charge, and State of Health

• SC02-L01 – Battery Chemistry, CCA, Reserve Capacity, AGM, EFB, Flooded, and Lithium Boundaries
• SC02-L02 – State of Charge, Open-Circuit Voltage, Surface Charge, and Resting Voltage
• SC02-L03 – State of Health, Conductance Testing, Load Testing, and Battery Replacement Decisions

03 SC03 - Battery Testing Workflow and Replacement Decisions

• SC03-L01 – Visual Battery Inspection, Case, Terminals, Venting, Leaks, and Date Codes
• SC03-L02 – Load Testing, Conductance Testing, Capacity Testing, and Tester Limitations
• SC03-L03 – Battery Registration, Coding, BMS Reset, and Modern Replacement Workflow

04 SC04 - Cable, Terminal, Ground, and Voltage Drop Mastery

• SC04-L01 – Voltage Drop Theory for Power and Ground Circuits
• SC04-L02 – Battery Cable, Terminal, Ground Strap, and Engine Ground Diagnosis
• SC04-L03 – Hidden Resistance, Corrosion, Heat, and Intermittent Cranking Faults

05 SC05 - Starter Motor, Solenoid, Relay, and Control Circuit Diagnostics

• SC05-L01 – Starter Motor Operation, Solenoid Engagement, Bendix, and Current Demand
• SC05-L02 – Starter Relay, Fuse, Ignition Switch, Neutral Safety, and Start Authorization
• SC05-L03 – Starter Current Draw, Slow Crank, Click-No-Crank, and Mechanical Drag

06 SC06 - No-Crank and Slow-Crank Diagnostic Cases

• SC06-L01 – No Click, Single Click, Rapid Click, and Dead Dash Case Sorting
• SC06-L02 – Slow Crank With Good Battery: Cable, Ground, Starter, or Engine Drag
• SC06-L03 – Hot No-Crank, Heat Soak, Relay Dropout, and Starter Intermittency

07 SC07 - Charging System Fundamentals and Alternator Operation

• SC07-L01 – Alternator, Rotor, Stator, Rectifier, Regulator, and Output Logic
• SC07-L02 – Charging Voltage, Current Output, Load Response, and Battery Recovery
• SC07-L03 – Smart Charging, LIN/BSS/PCM Control, and Variable Voltage Strategy

08 SC08 - Alternator Testing, Ripple, Diodes, and Output Faults

• SC08-L01 – Alternator Output Testing With Meter, Clamp, and Scan Tool
• SC08-L02 – AC Ripple, Diode Failure, Electrical Noise, and Module Side Effects
• SC08-L03 – No-Charge, Undercharge, Overcharge, and Warning Lamp Cases

09 SC09 - Serpentine Belt, Pulleys, Tensioners, and Mechanical Charging Faults

• SC09-L01 – Belt Slip, Tensioner Wear, Pulley Alignment, and Alternator Drive
• SC09-L02 – Crank Pulley, Overrunning Alternator Pulley, Noise, and Low Output
• SC09-L03 – Mechanical Drag, Accessory Lockup, and Charging Complaint Imitators

10 SC10 - Parasitic Draw, Sleep Mode, and Battery Drain Diagnostics

• SC10-L01 – Parasitic Draw Theory, Sleep Mode, Wake-Up, and Network Timing
• SC10-L02 – Draw Testing With Ammeter, Clamp, Fuse Voltage Drop, and Data Logging
• SC10-L03 – Modules Staying Awake, Aftermarket Accessories, and Intermittent Drains

11 SC11 - Battery Management Systems, IBS Sensors, and Start-Stop Strategy

• SC11-L01 – Intelligent Battery Sensor, BMS Logic, SOC/SOH Calculation, and Charging Commands
• SC11-L02 – Start-Stop Batteries, Auxiliary Batteries, DC/DC Strategy, and Restart Complaints
• SC11-L03 – Battery Registration, Reset Errors, Sensor Faults, and Smart Charging Conflicts

12 SC12 - Scan Tool Data, Codes, Network, and Electrical Evidence

• SC12-L01 – Essential Scan Data for Starting and Charging Complaints
• SC12-L02 – Battery, Starter, Alternator, BCM, PCM, Gateway, and U-Code Interpretation
• SC12-L03 – Freeze Frame, History Codes, Voltage Events, and Evidence Capture

13 SC13 - Hybrid, EV 12V Systems, DC/DC Converters, and Safety Boundaries

• SC13-L01 – Hybrid and EV 12V Battery Role, Ready Mode, and DC/DC Converter Output
• SC13-L02 – High-Voltage Boundary, Isolation Rules, and Stop-Work Decisions
• SC13-L03 – No-Ready, Low 12V, DC/DC Faults, and Hybrid Start Complaints

14 SC14 - Diesel, Heavy-Duty, Dual Battery, and High-Current Systems

• SC14-L01 – Dual Battery, Diesel Cranking Load, Glow Plug Load, and Cable Strategy
• SC14-L02 – High-Current Testing, Battery Isolation, Parallel Batteries, and Safety
• SC14-L03 – Cold Start, Voltage Sag, Starter Load, and Diesel Charging Cases

15 SC15 - Intermittent Electrical Faults and Heat/Vibration Cases

• SC15-L01 – Heat, Vibration, Loose Terminals, Relay Dropout, and Voltage Event Capture
• SC15-L02 – Wiggle Testing, Thermal Testing, Logging, and Repeatable Proof
• SC15-L03 – Customer Interview, Pattern Logging, and Comeback Prevention

16 SC16 - Case Studies: Battery, Cable, Starter, and Alternator Faults

• SC16-L01 – Dead Battery Every Morning: Draw, Battery, or Charging Case Study
• SC16-L02 – Slow Crank After Battery Replacement: Voltage Drop Case Study
• SC16-L03 – Battery Light With Good Alternator: Smart Charging Case Study

17 SC17 - Case Studies: Smart Charging, Start-Stop, Hybrid 12V, and Network Faults

• SC17-L01 – Start-Stop Disabled: Battery, IBS, Auxiliary Battery, or Coding Case Study
• SC17-L02 – Hybrid No-Ready From Low 12V or DC/DC Fault Case Study
• SC17-L03 – Network Wake-Up Causing Battery Drain Case Study

18 SC18 - Repair Decisions, Verification, Documentation, and Customer Communication

• SC18-L01 – Clean, Charge, Test, Replace, Register, Repair, or Escalate Decision Logic
• SC18-L02 – Post-Repair Verification: Cold Start, Hot Restart, Load Test, and Charging Proof
• SC18-L03 – Customer Report, Battery Health Evidence, Warranty Notes, and Maintenance Advice

19 SC19 - Capstone Starting, Charging, and Battery Diagnostic Workflow

• SC19-L01 – Building the Complete Starting and Charging Diagnostic Tree
• SC19-L02 – Timed Workshop Simulation: First 30 Minutes of an Electrical Complaint
• SC19-L03 – Final Capstone Case: Diagnose, Prove, Repair, Register, and Verify

20 CAPSTONE - Integrated Starting/Charging Diagnostic Cases and Professional Release

• Capstone Final Assessment and Professional Release Logic