In this article originally published in our sister publication Transmission Digest, author Mike Greer outlines what can go wrong with a car’s starting or electrical system. It’s simple, says Greer, “starting with the battery and ending with, well, the battery.” According to the author, seemingly every week, his shop gets a vehicle in that has an issue at the battery terminals; and if it isn’t causing an issue right now, it will sooner or later.

Greer highlights several cars, including a 2009 Honda Civic, a 2014 Honda Pilot and a 1999 Toyota 4Runner that all apparent transmission problems that turned out to be battery-related issues.

Whether or not you work on imports, proper diagnostic procedures can save the day. Many times, it’s a simple fix.

This article was contributed by Mike Greer, who has been with Certified Transmission since 1996 and been in the industry since 1987. He is an ASE master technician and has served as a master builder for the company in the past.