I have a 2006 Ranger and I am installing a double DIN Kenwood headunit and a backup camera.

I know the 2004-2011 Rangers don't have the reverse light entering the cab at all, so I know I'll have to get underneath. Is this reverse wire near the transmission, and if so what color is it? If not, where is the reverse wire?

I've thought about tapping into the reverse light but I have heard that can draw too much and cause a burnout (not on a Ranger.....but read on an Escape).

 

I've had mine hooked up to the reverse bulb for years without a problem.

 

Read this thread:
https://www.ranger-forums.com/audio-...camera-113097/

 

Just a heads up. I found THREE black with pink stripe wires in the cab of my '93 XLT (4 banger with manual trannie), and not a one of them lit the test lamp. Also no wires under the console as suggested in another post. I spent a couple hours fiddle farting around with that before giving up.

Final solution ... I popped the boot off the shifter, and made a small hole in the rubber gasket underneath. Routed a reinforced wire through that and scotch blocked that to the reverse switch harness located on the drivers side of the trannie. Black with pink stripe ... kewl! Routed the other end under the carpet then up under the dash.

My accessory hot and ground were tapped off the thing that goes ding. Anybody who's had their head under the dash with the key on knows EXACTLY where that is. <G>

PS ... Amazon special set me back less than $50. Includes the wireless senders and a clip on mirror type monitor that works surprisingly nice. Only complaint might be it's a bit weak on contrast on a bright day, but I'd think that's more the rule anyway.

Having had a similar camera fill up with water, I also put black tape on the seam on the camera itself. A bit of silicone sealant where the wire goes into the camera body as well. I'll keep my fingers crossed that helps the weatherproofing ...

** I also mounted the camera up high. Got a topper, and wanted to be able to see behind a short popup camper. Couple trim screws and some more black silicone hold it on.

 

Looks good.

There are no reverse active wires in the cab, it only goes from transmission to tail light assembly, and it is a Black/pink striped wire, just not in the cab

 

Good to know ... I'd heard some years have it, some don't. Put the '93 on the "don't" list.

One minor fiddly bit ... that dingy thingy isn't dinging anymore if I leave the keys in the ignition or leave the lights on. I know it's working, because it DOES ding if I manually turn the inside lights on with the key in the ignition. Hmmmm ...

(Fuses are good, and like I say it DOES work at times)

I'm thinking it's tapping the mirror monitor into the dingy thingy's harness for accessory power and ground that's confusing things. That control is probably looking for specific resistances in the circuit to trigger events. I'll try a different ground tomorrow, then a different accessory hot if that don't fix it, and see what happens.

UPDATE

Yup ... that was it. Apparently the dingy thingy didn't much care for the extra load and/or resistance of the backup mirror. I disconnected those new connections, and everything's working again.

Well ... everything but the camera. Have to find a different accessory hot to tie into, and figure to ground directly to the frame. Project for another day, as it's time to PARTY ON!

HAPPY FOURTH EVERBODY!

 

I hooked my rear and forward facing cameras to under the dash switches. Personally I prefer being able to use the cameras at any time, not when I am in a specific gear. I also do not like the backup camera flipping on and off any time I switch into reverse as sometimes I don't need it. I wouldn't bother with the reverse activation. just wire it up and flip an easily accessible switch whenever you need it.

 

Does anyone have any actual pictures of how to properly wire a backup camera to a Ranger?
I'm in the process of doing this very same thing, but there's a lot of confusing information out there.
I have a 2004 with Kenwood Double din.
thanks.

 

How are you bring the wires into the cab? Did you drill a new hole in the floor? Use an existing hole?

Reading the stereos sites/boards it's split between tapping off the reverse lights at the back-end and finding the reverse wire in the cab.

 

On my 2004 single cab I found a rubber grommet under the driver seat, iirc there was more than one. Big enough to slide the RCA cable through.

What​ did was cut an x pattern on the grommet pushed the wires thru and never had a water issue. The truck is gone now tho. :-(

 

Follow Parking brake cable, it's grommet is usually large enough to fit a wire thru, and your in behind the dash.

Reverse lights are activated by either an NSS(neutral safety switch) or a DTR(digital transmission range) sensor, on an automatic transmission
These are both located on the transmission, on or near shift linkage.

Manual transmissions use a simple on/off switch also located on the transmission

Either setup sends 12volts from the cab to the Reverse "switch" on the transmission when key is on, so there is no "reverse" detection in the cab.

The wire on the "switch", hooked to the Reverse Bulbs, will have 12volts when "switch" is closed, transmission is IN Reverse.
Thats the only reverse detection for back up camera.

Ford used Black/pink stripe wire for Reverse lights most years

So you can either tap the Reverse wire at the "switch" on the transmission or at one of the Reverse Bulbs



Some models, some being the key word there, did have a "Reverse Wire" in the cab, it would be part of the Keyless entry system, to Flash Reverse lights when locking and unlocking the vehicle.
You can test if your RAP module has that by looking at the reverse lights and seeing it they come one when locking and unlocking

And some models with power mirrors would change mirror position when backing up, so needed Reverse detection, if your power mirrors change position in Reverse then there will be reverse detection wire in the cab

Either of these would also be a Black/pink stripe wire at the modules, and this wire would have 12volts when transmission was in Reverse, RAP module would also flash this wire with 12volts when locking and unlocking but that shouldn't hurt anything

 

I kinda wish I did that, I snuck it through under my driveside old where the sidesteps are supposed to bolt into. Overall I don't think that was a good move and I should probably look into the underseat grommet.