General Index
[1 - Overview] [2 - My wreck!] [7 - Crazy Robin!] [9 - Candy's Ranger] [10 - Keypad entry system]

Meets and Outings
[11 - Centralia adventure Part I] [21 - Centralia adventure Part II]

How-To Articles
[3 - Overhead Console Install] [4 - Overhead Console Wiring] [5 - MAF mod] [6 - LED switch mod] [8 - Homebrew Remote Bass Control] [12 - Headlight/4x4 Switch LED Mod] [13 - General LED tutorial] [14 - EATC install how-to (pages 14-19)] [20 - IAT Resistor Mod (older engines only)] [22 - Automatic Power Windows] [23 - Cruise Control Pod LED's]

Overhead Console Wiring Notes

Okay, so now you've got your console bracket up and aligned, so how do we wire it? (2004 and later Rangers, see addendum at bottom of page for additional required information.)

Basically there are 8 wires we will use, in 5 "groups" according to where they go. When two colors are given for a wire the first color is the wire color, and the second color denotes a colored stripe on the wire.

1. Black (BK) - ground

2A. Yellow/Gray (YE/GY) - console electronics power
2B. Blue/Red (BL/RD) - console display dimmer input

3A. Green/Orange(GN/OR) - Map light power
3B. Black/Blue(BK/BL) - Dome light power

4A. Lt. Blue/White (BL/WH) - Temp sensor
4B. Lt. Blue/Yellow (BL/YE) - Temp sensor

5. Gray/Black (GY/BK) - speed sensor (not used by some, but necessary)

The first one-wire "group" is just the ground wire which will have a lug put on it and go under a bracket mounting screw as shown on the previous page.

Group 2 will provide power when the key is on, and "dimmer" signal to the display so it can be dimmed like the other lights on the dash. Both of these wires will be picked up behind the radio. In some installation instructions you are supposed to take the dash apart and wire into an unused circuit in the fuse box. The console draws so little power it just seemed easier to "borrow" a little power from the radio.

Group 3 will hook into the existing wires that go to the dome light. You just need to "tap" them in using tap connectors that don't require the wires to be cut.

Group 4 will be run to the front of the vehicle where you will mount the outside temperature sensor.

Group 5 is the speed sensor wire and many people don't have it hooked it up. It's was reported to be for wind chill which makes no sense since the console doesn't know if the sensor is wet or not. I finally found out what it does! It controls how increases in temperature are processed to keep the engine heat from causing artificial "spikes" in temperature. Basically, the console does not allow the temperature to increase (especially on hot days) unless it sees the truck in motion for a while to make sure the engine heat has been "blown away". If you don't hook up this wire, your console will appear to freeze its temperature display and refuse to show it's getting warmer outside when it is. It basically is run to the same area as the group 2 wires.

This means that you have just 5 wires to run across the headliner and down the drivers side pillar and that encompasses groups 2, 4, and 5.

You will need to remove the dome light, pull out the radio or take off the center console (radio puller tools for Ford are like $5 at Pep Boys or similar auto parts store -- go get a set) and remove the "A pillar" cover. This is the cover over the pillar next to the windshield on the drivers side. It just pulls straight off and snaps back on.

You'll need to "snake" the group 2 and 4 wires over the A pillar, and down it to the dashboard, and through a small gap at the top of the dashboard on the side, just above the soft rubber cover piece that hides the big mounting bolts next to the dash. Then you'll need to get groups 2 and the one wire in "group" 5 over behind the radio. Group 4 is going to go through the firewall and to the front of the truck where you'll mount the temp sensor, and splice the temp sensor wires to the group 4 wires. Polarity does not matter on these.

The group 3 wires will be snaked over the headliner to the domelight area. Some key connection points are illustrated below.

Here's how I terminated group 2 wires. Since I had to extend my harness it's not the same colors. Here the console electronics power wire (red here, yellow gray on the console harness) is attached to the yellow/black wire on the back of the radio with a "tap" connector. The consoles blue/red wire (black in my harness extension) is connected to the blue/red wire on the radio.

And here's the same kind of thing done to tap the lamp power wires (group 3) into the dome light wires (dome light is removed here). The cable in the center is an antenna cable of mine and not relevant.

This photo shows the GEM (labeled by me, lol, it doesn't say that in your truck) as seen through the hole where the radio has been removed. You can see the tap connector on the GY/BK wire as well. This is the VSS connection for the overhead console. The wire you extend down from the console's GY/BK wire terminates like this. The GY/BK wire you want comes from the black connector at the front of the GEM (the connector closest to you as you look at it).

This is not real detailed, but should get you through it. Have fun!

2004+ Owners Please Note:

rwenzing of http://www.ranger-forums.com has taken the time to detail the differences in the wiring harnesses of 2004 and up Rangers. Here's his table:

There are a few differences for 2004+:

Console Power (Explorer Yellow/Gray at console)-
2003-back Ranger: Yellow/Black at radio harness
2004-on Ranger: Black/Pink at radio harness

Speed Sensor Input (Explorer Gray/Black at console)-
2003-back Ranger: Gray/Black at GEM
2004-on Ranger: Gray/Black at Smart Junction Box (brown connector)

Map Light Power (Explorer Lt. Green/Orange at console)-
2003-back Ranger: Lt. Green/Orange at dome light
2004-on Ranger: Lt. Green/Orange at dimmer module

Thanks, Bob, for the research and update!