Electrical & Electronics
From dead batteries to CAN bus mysteries.
Electrical & Electronics covers 12V systems from batteries and alternators through modern multiplexed vehicle networks. Includes wiring diagnosis and repair. Everything below is free, no login, no paywall. Work through the skill areas, drill them in Study Mode, and when you're ready, prove it with the certification exam.
Your readiness to certify
Drill all 60 concepts in Study Mode. Mark each one "Got it" once you know it cold. When every concept is cleared, you're ready for the ELE exam.
What you'll be able to do
- Battery, alternator, starter diagnosis and replacement
- Voltage drop testing methodology
- Wiring diagram interpretation
- Ground and power distribution diagnosis
- CAN bus and multiplexed network fundamentals
- Module programming basics (Ford IDS, GM SPS, etc.)
- Wire repair techniques (crimp, solder, heat shrink)
- Diagnosis of parasitic draws
Skill areas
9 lessons, each one short enough to finish in a break. Every lesson teaches the system from the ground up, ends with a call to work, and tracks which concepts you have cleared.
Fundamentals
Every electrical diagnosis you will ever make comes back to a handful of basic relationships between voltage, current, resistance, and power.
Multimeter
The digital multimeter is the electrical tech's primary instrument, but it only tells the truth when you connect it the right way in the right mode.
Voltage Drop
Voltage drop testing is the single most powerful diagnostic technique in automotive electrical work, and the one inexperienced techs skip most often.
Battery
The battery is the foundation of every electrical system on the vehicle.
Charging
The charging system keeps the battery full and the whole electrical system alive.
Starter
Starter diagnosis is where electrical fundamentals meet heavy current.
Body Electrical
Body electrical covers everything the customer touches.
Wire Repair
A wire repair on a vehicle has to survive vibration, temperature swings, moisture, and years of current cycling.
Grounds
Every amp that leaves the battery has to get back, and the ground side of the circuit is where it returns.
Studied the material? Get ELE certified.
The Electrical & Electronics exam turns what you just learned into a verifiable credential drivers and shops can look up. 60 questions · 75 minutes · 75% to pass · Free.
Studying on MechanicRank is free forever. There's no obligation to take the exam.
The work these lessons teach.
Real jobs from Supercanic trucks — the systems above, out in the field.
Real-world cost guides for this system.
See what customers pay for the jobs this track teaches, parts, labor hours, and state-by-state ranges from our repair cost estimator.
Standards and further reading
Primary sources behind this page. Federal safety, emissions and consumer-protection references, worth reading before you authorize any repair.
- ASE certification The national standard for automotive technician testing and certification.
- SAE International The engineering body behind fluid, fastener and diagnostic standards.
- OSHA motor vehicle safety Workplace safety standards for lifting, chemicals and shop equipment.
- California Bureau of Automotive Repair Licensing, consumer complaints and shop regulation in California.