1993 radio wiring

[Edgefevah]

I am having an issue with the wiring on my ranger, I have triple checked all the wiring connections and the radio will not work. checked the fuse box and none of the fuses are burnt.

What could it be? I can provide pictures if anyone needs so they can help me better thanks.

 

[cvar]

Have you checked that the radio itself is getting power?
Stick a safety pin straight into the back of the connector to touch the metal bits, so you won't pierce any insulation and don't disconnect anything. Then measure with voltmeter for power.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/pdf_documents/1993_Ranger_Radio_Wiring.pdf

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/radio_wiring_diagrams.html

 

[Earl43P]

The radio connector has two power pins:

Pin 1 is for the memory, power present at all times, LG/Y wire from Fuse #1 (cab)
Pin 3 is power with key on Y/BK wire from Fuse #11 (cab) Key in Run or ACC
Ground is Pin 2 Black wire, and Pin 6 Red wire.


The BK/LG wire was only used in the Premium Cassette version, it is the GROUND for the 4 channel amplifier, which is a completely different connector with 14 pins, only 11 have wires. The BK/LG also provides a GROUND at the radio connector, Pin 6.
Understand that Pin6 of the radio connector will always be a ground wire, whether that wire is Red or BK/LG depends which radio was installed.

If your original had the Cassette and amp option, you should have had 3 power wires:
Yellow from Fuse# 16 (20A) to 4 channel amp, Pin 14.
and the two previously mentioned to the radio.

You'd find that amp behind the passenger side kick panel or just below the glovebox to the right (outboard). It's hard to tell from the drawing.

There is no BLACK wire to the Premium Cassette 4 channel amp connector.
If you have a black wire, it is a GROUND at Pin2 of the radio power connector.

 

[Edgefevah]

Yeah the bloke that owned the truck previous to me cut the stock radio connector completely and put some other older style connector on. So now I am stuck just connecting the radio directly till I can get to a junk yard and replace the connector and then buy a aftermarket connector from a audio store.

For now I will be going out to make sure there is 12v coming out of the LG/Y wire and the BLK/Y wire.

Do either of you know what the Black wire with a green strip is used for?it is a larger gauge wire then the others.

Thank you cvar for the links, I have used them already though. From experience and from reading other peoples posts know that the search button is my friend and use it 9/10 before I make a post. Thanks though

 

[Edgefevah]

So I went out with the volt meter and I am not getting any readings from the LG/Y but I am getting a 12 volt reading from the BLK/Y. fuse is good.

Any more thoughts?

 

[cvar]

So what kind of weirdo connector have you got? And what does the radio rear look like? It's NO LONGER stock, eh? I dunno how to refer to the wires (eg, by color or by pin #) without first knowing what you really have. Does it match that 1993 radio schematic?

Sounds like your fuse #1 line is cut? Or that fuse isn't working right? Does your meter show +12V on both legs of that fuse?

Does radio have both ground wires attached? Are they really grounded?
Also, what happens when you bridge the LT-GRN/YEL to the YEL/BLK with a little bypass wire? IOW, bring power from the working ACC/RUN circuit into both (B+ and IGNITION) power inputs of radio.

Have you got any photos?

BTW, ebay has most harness styles, but not all. I bought a nice (used) radio connector from another forum user (at FRF) after I posted a WTB.

Do your connectors match any of these? http://i.imgur.com/pCNNGFc.jpg

 

[Lil-Pony]

Just thinking out loud did 93 have a data bus to tell the radio to come on?

 

[cvar]

Just thinking out loud did 93 have a data bus to tell the radio to come on?

Nope. Even my "newer" '97 didn't have any data bus radio wires. Besides, I installed a much newer 2008 Ford radio into my truck, and I just ignored its CAN-bus (data bus) pins, and yet the radio still works perfectly without it.

Good thinking outside da box, though!

 

[Lil-Pony]

I my 04 expedition has it so i wasnt sure. Probly a ground. Could the radio be missing a pin? Like the pin broke off

 

[Edgefevah]

There is this Black wire that I don't know what it does. it is not listed in the radio wiring diagram.
Forget the weirdo connecter it is just an older version of a radio harness that I have gotten rid of. so now what I have is the base wires that are complete stock, they all match the radio wiring diagram that you linked in your post. I will check tomorrow with the above mentioned wiring ideas.
This is the old on I pulled out, has two white connectors seperating the spealer wires from the power wires.
This is the new one I am trying to put in, the black part plugs into the back of my radio and the other wires obviously will be soldered into my harness

 

[cvar]

Wow, that's quite the rats nest of wires & crap. Looks like nothing in there is standard Ford stuff. Neither is your new black connector. So, I'd take photos, then rip it all out, going back to the standard dashboard wires of known standard 1993 Ford color-coding. Then match up the known MEANING of each old wire to the SAME wire meaning on your new radio (whatever model it is).

Normally, you cannot trust colors, except the ones listed in Ford's 1993 radio schematic that match your dash. So per Ford schematic, RED (in dash) goes to whatever is GROUND pin of your new radio. LT.GRN/YEL (in dash) goes to whatever is ALWAYS-HOT of your new radio. YEL/BLK (in dash) to whatever is ACC-HOT of your new radio. And so on. Do you have the wiring pinouts for your new radio's (non-Ford) black plug? You will need that diagram (or else a label on each new radio wire). May I suggest labelling each new wire with a masking-tape tab & Sharpie?

As for your snipped thicker BLK/LT.GRN wire... My Haynes Ranger book just shows a "typical" ranger radio schematic, which says BK/LG was a ground wire. Hmm, maybe? That would explain the added thickness. Does your voltmeter verify that it has 0V? And does your meter register its "continuity" to ground (ie, 0 ohms)? If so, I'd follow it back to a body ground. Good luck!

 

[Earl43P]

I edited Post #3.

 

[Edgefevah]

well, i got it figured out. I'd like to say it was a rookie mistake but it was just me overlooking a blatant thing. lol I have a radio now.

 

[cvar]

So, what was the cause and fix?

 

[Edgefevah]

I dont want to admit it but....... I had looked over the fuses and they all looked good NOT!
Turns out that the fuse had burnt and I had failed to look at it close enough to see it. Like I said I am not very proud of myself, but hey I got it fixed right LOL.