• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Wiring diagram 1987 Ranger?


Natedog

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
CA
Vehicle Year
87
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Manual
Anybody have a wiring diagram for a 1987 Ranger? I'm finishing my a4ld to M5r1 swap and need to make it so it thinks it in neutral so that it will crank the starter. Also need to make my reverse lights work. I'm not using the clutch neutral safety switch that goes on the clutch pedal, hate those things.

My wires are different colors than the ones in the a4ld to Fm145 swap tech. Played with a DVM using volts and ohms settings but didn't want to fry my ECU or something else possibly. After using DVM I used a test light and connected a few wires in the plugs and couldn't get the engine to crank or my reverse lights to come on.

I have two plugs from my a4ld. First one is a two wire, a red and an orange wire. The red wire has 12 volts power only in KOER. Orange wire don't know what it does.

Second plug is round five wire. Black/purple stripe wire is ground. Brown/purple stripe is 12 volts power only in KOER. Red/purple stripe don't know what it does. White/pink stripe is ground. Red/pink stripe don't know what it does. I jumpered with a test light from the brown/purple stripe to ground and with koer it lit the test light. So I tried a few others. If I connect the brown/purple stripe wire to the white/pink stripe or the black/purple stripe the test light comes on with KEOR, but goes out when ignition is in the cranking position (starter engage). However, the engine will NOT crank and run no matter what I've tried. Didn't want to try to much more without a diagram to help keep the smoke in...call me chicken I guess. :D

BTW, o2 sensor that is part of this harness group was not plugged in during these tests but don't think that should matter.
 
Last edited:


Natedog

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
CA
Vehicle Year
87
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Manual
Just cut the two plugs off the ends of all the tranny wires and pulled them halfway out of the harness and up to the middle of the upper intake manifold. Plugged my O2 sensor in and jumpered the starter solenoid on passenger fender and it fired right up and runs!!! I will figure out which wires need to be jumpered for key start later this week and post up.

FYI white/with pink stripe wire joins two red wires in the harness just above the wires that go to the ignition module in the distributor. These two red wires look like red/dark blue or green stripe and red with couldn't tell for sure as they're kinda dirty, it's dark out and I"m tired from a late night last night and work today.

Will update more later.
 

Natedog

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
CA
Vehicle Year
87
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Manual
FIgured it out tonight. The two wire plug (one red and one orange) is for the torque converter lockup and is not needed for anything.

On the five wire plug...

Neutral safety switch is red/light blue stripe connected to white/pink stripe. The white pink stripe runs into red/light blue stripe in the harness just before the tfi ignition control module (on the distributor). This is the is the same red/light blue wire that goes to starter solenoid on inner passenger fender!
 

Natedog

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
CA
Vehicle Year
87
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Manual
Forgot to say my parking lights and dash/gauge illmumination does not work now, but the fuses are all good. Also parking lights and dash/gauge illmumination don't work now, but the fuses are all good. Right rear brake light and turn signal usually don't work....but are intermittent. Any ideas?
 
Last edited:

Natedog

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
CA
Vehicle Year
87
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Manual
Come to the conclusion a couple nights ago that I had a bad ground somewheres. Either I forgot a ground wire, a wiring harness plug has a dirty/loose connector, or a ground wire is broken inside the insulation. Aw crap.

Got it all working tonight! Used a dvm and checked for 12 volts (with the parking lights in the on and then the off positions) at the tail light plugs where the tail light and license plate harnesses plug into the main harness under the left rear frame rail corner. Also ohmed out both sides of the harness plugs at the same spot. Everything was looking good at the rear so I moved to the fuse box.

Checked for 12v+ at all the fuses with parking light switch in both positions.

Then went under the hood on the left inner fender next to the firewall and checked for 12v+ with parking light switch in both position at the large rectangular harness plug that goes to the rear of the truck (fuel pump, both fuel tanks, tail lights and license plate lights). Things didn't seem quite right here and there was alot of half dried up connector grease and lots of sandy dirty grime, so I unplugged the connector and did a serious hosing out of both halves of the plug with a fresh can of WD-40. Let it drain out and wiped it off with a clean rag, plugged it back together and still not working correctly!

Went back to the fuse panel and checked both sides of the fuses for 12v+. The tail lights fuse (15 amp) had no power on one side of it! Pulled it and it looked ok but kinda funny. Looked closer and it had blown fuse, but a piece of the fuse was still across the terminals inside! It was barely, sorta, kinda, maybe making contact occasionally, hence my usually NOT working tail lights and instrument lights. Replaced the fuse and all my lights are working properly again!
 
Last edited:

Natedog

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
CA
Vehicle Year
87
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Manual
Should I remove all the extra wires from the wiring harness that aren't needed for the a4ld? If yes, how far up the harness should I remove them and any easier way than unwrapping it all? THought about opening it every three feet or so and pulling on the wires one at a time until I get to thier origins and then cutting them completely out.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top