A rusty 2007 Ford Explorer, a test light and a starter put on trial
Paul Danner's Saturday case study chases an intermittent no-crank down to its proof, and ends with his son roasting him.
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Wiring Problem or Bad Starter? How to Prove It
A ScannerDanner day usually runs well above where this one sits, and the channel is moving at a slower clip than normal right now. Inside that calmer stretch, though, one video is doing almost all the work.
"Wiring Problem or Bad Starter? How to Prove It" follows a 2007 Ford Explorer whose intermittent no-crank finally turned into a hard one. The battery checks out, the headlights stay bright, and Paul Danner, who taught engine performance diagnostics at Rosedale Technical College for 18 years, goes to the starter circuit with nothing fancier than an incandescent test light. The rusty connections make it look like an open-and-shut bad terminal. The point of the episode, as the description puts it, is that rust alone proves nothing. Along the way he manages to make it crank by accident, has to recreate the fault, and closes the case with a tap test. The last chapter is titled "Getting Roasted by My Son."
It passed 35,000 views in five days. In the comments, one technician tells how this same method found a dirty ring terminal on a towed-in Ram, and a newer tech thanks Paul for talking openly about what to charge customers, the part school never covered.
The other upload, Part 2 of the bad-battery Ram, gets an answer to its big question: no parasitic draw, just a failed battery behaving strangely. An older two-parter on a shorted O2 signal that confused all four sensors on a 2022 Ram is still finding readers.
ScannerDanner has the most subscribers among the nearby car channels, just under half a million, though most of that group is also running below its usual pace. ReDriven is the one with a truly big week.
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What viewers say
What I love about Paul is you can hear the excitment in his voice when he finds the problem, that feeling never goes away no matter how old or how long you;ve been fixing things.
@Sir2ofLitreSee it on YouTubeHad a ram etorque towed to a shop I used to work at. Was a no crank,no start. Used this method that I learned on here on the jeep video to show that current wasn't making it to that starter. The cable was fine, but the ring terminal at the starter was dirty. Took it off, cleaned the run terminal with a file, and that fixed the issue. Passed what I learned here on to the tech that was having trouble diagnosing it.
@kd7cwgSee it on YouTubeBest all encompassed voltage drop/starter/wire video yet boys. And thank you Paul for explaining the business aspect because what to charge, what is included vs separate has been my greatest challenge transitioning from school to making ends meet in this business. So please don't ever hesitate to speak your mind about how to correctly bill customers like you did! Accolades from Eugene, OR
@neildeatherage2269See it on YouTube
6 more comments
"Paul you're alright in my book" 😂
@UNEEK_LOGIKSee it on YouTubeWell that's one straight forward elaborated way to jump a starter!
@shaun8256See it on YouTubeOnce again sir, thank you for the extra effort of showing us this case ! The fact that you take the time with complementary explanations, showing the schematics and the extra aspect of this business makes you such a good teacher. Oh boy... how much I would loved to have such a guide when I was a youngster !
@Mr.Engin33rSee it on YouTubeThank you so much for anoter gerat saturday video team Danner.
@Pablo_AutomotiveSee it on YouTubeThank You for your step by step teaching. I can't wait for next videos.
@aungmyattun2693See it on YouTubePaul is a great teacher I’ve been leaning from him for years so in my head he is the best
@stevenayala2324See it on YouTube
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- ScannerDanner
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- 499,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 173,467
- Videos published this week
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- Video published
- October 3, 2026
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💡 Test your knowledge
Which company built the Ford Explorer's longtime rival, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, when it debuted for 1993?
Jeep belonged to Chrysler after Chrysler bought American Motors in 1987, and the Grand Cherokee was launched under Chrysler for the 1993 model year.
