Symptoms

Symptoms, and what each one usually points to

What the car is doing, and what it usually turns out to be. Written from jobs that came through this shop, not from a parts catalogue.

01Starting & cranking4 documented

Starter does not even try — but the dash, lights and radio work
Wiring damage — the power or ground path to the starter circuit is broken, not the starter itself.
Cranks strong but never fires — tachometer stays at zero
DME, crank sensor, or the wiring between them.
Starts, but not on the first try
Many possible causes — this one genuinely needs a proper diagnostic before any answer.
The engine starts but almost nothing works — a wall of codes
Fuse box or body module.

02Battery, power & drain3 documented

03Lights & warnings3 documented

04Modules & communication1 documented

Lights, windows and turn signals act up at once — often the footwell module
Often the FRM3 footwell module — and it usually has not burned out, it just stopped communicating. That state is repairable.

Your symptom is not in the list? Describe what the car is doing, when it started, and what has already been tried — I will tell you what it usually is.

Describe the symptom

Symptoms, and what each one usually points to

Starter does not even try — but the dash, lights and radio work

Cranks strong but never fires — tachometer stays at zero

Starts, but not on the first try

The engine starts but almost nothing works — a wall of codes

Dead after sitting for a few days

New battery still dies — and voltage drops while driving

The car never sleeps — radio or lights stay on after locking

Half the dash lights up, speedometer dead, no power steering

The fault clears and comes back — or the light goes out on its own

A message you have never seen — "Drive Carefully: Power Supply"

Lights, windows and turn signals act up at once — often the footwell module