Do you have a 1995-2001 Ford Explorer center console with the Information Center (Message Center), and wonder with the pinouts are for it’s connections?
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to get all of the features to work. These consoles with the message centers work best when you’ve swapped in the 5.0L engine and transmission in to a Ford Ranger along with the Explorers computer to run it.
This information may help though. This is from a 1998 Ford Explorer.
Things to have:
- Message Center (Information Center)
- Lamp warning module
- Low washer fluid sensor
- Lots of wire and connectors
Message Center Harness: The Larger Harness Connector
Pin # / Wire Color Function / Location:
Note M/C = Message Center (Information Center)
1 L. Green goes to the M/C…already done
2 Blue/Red illumination: dimmer module
3 Yellow/ White fuel level input: at the cluster
4 not used
5 Blue/ Pink fuel flow input: at the PCM
6 Yellow/ Red lamp out warn. module by the M/C
7 Green/ L. Green goes to the M/C…already done
8 Red/ White engine temp sense: at the cluster
9 Green/ White oil temp input: middle harness under the fuse box in engin compartment
10 Grey/ Yellow hot at ignition: i wired it to stereo
11 Grey/ Black speed sensor:4wabs mod. by battery
12 Pink/ White air ride control. dont have it, forget it
Message Center Harness: The Smaller Harness Connector
Pin # / Wire Color Function / Location:
Note M/C = Message Center (Information Center)
22 Green/ L. Green air rid control: dont have it, forget it
23 White/ Pink low oil level input: botton of oil pan
24 Red english/ metric output: EATC
25 Tan/ Yellow chime output: GEM pin 20
26 not used
27 L. Green/ Yellow hot at all times: i wired to stereo
28 Black/ White power ground to Data Link Conn.
29 Orange/ Black lamp out warn. module: by the M/C
30 Red/ Green lamp out warn. module: by the M/C
31 Pink/ Yellow low washer fluid sensor: fluid bottle
32 Black/ White chasis grd. not w/ other Blk/Wh wire
33 not used
34 Tan/ Yellow tach input: at the cluster
35 not used
36 Black ground….chasis
Message Center Harness: The Harness To The Buttons
Pin # / Wire Color Function / Location:
Note M/C = Message Center (Information Center)
1 Green/ L. Green to the M/C….already done
2 not used
3 Black/ White power ground…to Data Link Conn.
4 L. Green to the M/C….already done
5 Black ground…chasis
6 Red/ Black illumination: ash tray or stereo
Lamp Out Warning Module Harness:
Pin # / Wire Color Function / Location:
Note M/C = Message Center (Information Center)
1 White/ Green left headlight: fuse panel pin 4
2 Red/ Green headlight out warning: to the M/C
3 Orange/ Black rear park lamp out warning: to M/C
4 Yellow/ Red brake lamp out warning: to the M/C
5 Dark Brown rear park lamp input:park lamp relay
6 White/ Green park lamp output: left/and right rear light
7 Grey/ Yellow hot at ignition: i wired to the stereo
8 not used
9 Black ground…chassis
10 not used
11 L. Blue/ White left headlight output: left headlight
12 L. Blue/ Green right headlight input:fuse panel pin 8
13 Green/ Orange right headlight: fog lamp relay
14 L. Green stop lamp input: brake pedal switch
15 Red/ White stop lamp output: left/ and right rear stop light
16 not used
Be very advised that there are same color wires…so look what pin they are coming out of…
Gallons Used / Miles Left In Tank:
For the Blue/ Pink wire off of the bigger harness connector for the M/C (Message Center) goes to the PCM PIN 43 located in the engine compartment. Your Ford Ranger isn’t going to have this pinout. SOHC engines may have it.
PIN 43 is the fuel flow output from the PCM that the Message Center uses to calculate and display all fuel economy related info. Your Ranger PCM connector does not have a wire at 43.
Suggestion: Instead of PIN 43, swap out the fuel pump for a Ford Explorer fuel pump. There should be an extra wire where the fuel flow sensor is. I’ve seen this work before. The only problem is that you have to have the same fuel pump that goes on the same year as your Ranger, same year as the message center. The readout voltage changed almost every year.
Example: Voltage read out of the sensor starts out at 1ma @ 1 mph,voltage read out is 40 ma @ 40 mph, the 5 at 50 mph, and so on. In a 1999, it starts out at 3.7 ma, so if it’s a non matching fuel pump, all calculations will be inacurate below 40 mph.
Washer Fluid Sensor:
For the Pink/Yellow wire off the smaller harness connector for the M/C that goes to the washer fluid sensor, you won’t have that so you would need one from a junkyard or buy one, but you must get a harness for it from the junkyard. Once you get that, take your washer fluid bottle out and drill a hole til where it will fit…then plug it up with some silicon and set dry…
Low Oil Level Sensor:
For the White/ Pink wire out of the smaller harness connector that goes to the low oil level sensor, you will need to buy one at the junkyard, or get one from Ford. Again, you will need a harness.
The oil level / temperature sensor does not involve the PCM at all. It is a straight shot from the sensor to the Message Center.
Lamp Out Module:
Wiring diagrams suggest that the lamp out warning module has been deleted for the late production Explorers and for early 1998 Explorers will just act as a jumper. So i guess it wont read if you have a light out. Mine always say check my lights. I’m guessing it is because the Ford dealer said that there is a message center for each year. My 1995 Message Center wont work properly on my 1998 Explorer, so I guess I have got to get a 1998 Message Center for it to work properly. However it does read how many miles i got left, how many gallons i got and used, reset my oil…english to metric, and system check all work properly…so if you are gonna get a Message Center put in…get one that goes to your year of explorer…