Editing Openai/6940b2df-db80-8003-b707-4cc5cbedf6d9 (section)

=== Assistant: Got it — 11.4 volts while cranking. ===
Got it — 11.4 volts while cranking.

That’s actually a healthy cranking voltage. It means the battery + starter circuit is not collapsing under load. In plain terms: the starter is spinning, the battery is holding, and the “big power” side is doing its job.

So if it cranks fast but won’t catch, the problem is usually not “insufficient cranking voltage.” It’s almost always one of these:
* No fuel (fuel pressure, pump control, injector pulse)
* No spark
* No RPM signal (crank sensor / DME not seeing engine speed)
* Start not authorized (CAS/EWS logic)
* DME not powered / not awake (this can still relate to that melted distribution panel, because it has multiple feeds)

===== Even if the starter cranks fine, the rear distribution panel can have a separate feed that powers engine electronics. So you can get a “strong crank / no start” if starter feed is fine but DME feed is not. =====

==== ### ====

This is the fork in the road.

ISTA+
# Put your charger on jump post + ground (stable voltage).
# Ignition ON.
# ISTA → Read out vehicle data → Vehicle test
# Look at the control unit list: - If DME does NOT respond / not present → power feed / fuse link / distribution panel / wiring issue is very likely. - If DME responds → stop chasing voltage and go after fuel/spark/authorization.

INPA
* Go into DME: confirm you can communicate.
* Go into CAS: look for start enable / key recognized.

===== Pick the easiest ones you can do safely. =====

Fuel
* When you key ON (not crank), do you hear the pump prime briefly?
* If you have a scan tool that shows it: check fuel rail pressure actual while cranking.
* If pressure is low/zero → fuel delivery problem.

Spark
* If you can safely test: spark test on one coil (proper spark tester preferred). No spark → ignition/DME/start enable path.

===== Even though 11.4V is good, a melted panel can still create weird “split-power” issues. =====

Use a multimeter while cranking:

Test A: Battery + post → underhood jump post
* Red lead: battery positive post (in trunk)
* Black lead: jump post
* Crank
* You want very low drop (roughly under ~0.2V). If you see something like 0.5V, 1.0V, etc. → resistance in the distribution panel/cable/junction.

Test B: Battery – post → engine block
* Red lead: battery negative post
* Black lead: bare metal engine block
* Crank
* Same idea: low drop good; high drop = bad ground path / ground strap / IBS connection area.

These tests don’t guess. They convict.

===== - Battery test: good for health/internal resistance. =====
* Cranking test: you already basically did; 11.4V min is strong.
* Charging test: only meaningful once it starts and runs.

So right now, the PB6000 is mostly telling you: “battery isn’t the villain.”

==== If it’s melted/warped/flimsy, replacing it is still smart — melted high-current joints are a future fire + failure waiting to happen. But don’t expect that alone to magically fix a no-start unless we confirm the DME power path is compromised. ====

==== Answer these and I’ll give you the exact next test steps (ISTA/INPA screens + what values to look for): ====
# Does the tach needle move at all while cranking? - If it stays dead at 0, that points hard at crankshaft position signal / DME seeing RPM.
# In ISTA, during the vehicle test, does DME communicate (yes/no)?

If you answer just those two, I’ll map the next moves step-by-step—no wandering, no parts cannon.