Can someone please tell me if the on board or factory reverse wire in the stereo harness a trigger for the review camera when installed. if so is it a ground circuit or 12 V circuit?
was a rearview back up camera even an option or a 97 Ranger?
I am installing an aftermarket stereo and a reverse camera and the only way it works is if I’ll turn it on manually with the camera icon. My installer hooked the factory reverse wire up to the reverse wire on the stereo but it does not trigger the camera screen (mode). Stereo camera requires a 12 V trigger. I know I can pull the stereo & test it but I’m hoping someone else has already been there and done that & can just tell me If I need to go back in & hook the stereo trigger wire up to the little red wire on the video wire coming from the reverse light.?
thanks in advance and all replies will be appreciatEd, Larry

 

There no Reverse wire in the cab in a 1997 Ranger, or any Ranger 1983 to 2011

Only place a "trigger" could be installed would be at the Reverse switch on the transmission or at the rear Reverse light wire

Ford used a Black/pink wire from transmission switch to Reverse light bulbs , it will only have 12volts when transmission is in reverse, which is what you want

On a manual transmission its easier to tap this wire at the transmission, but it can also be dome on an automatic, unplug the DTR sensor on drivers side of transmission and find the Black/pink striped wire, tap it

At the rear drivers side under the bed you will find the tail lght wiring harness, and the black/pink wire, it often easier to tap it there

 

Ron I hate to tell you this but my radio was clearly labeled with a wire called “reverse”.
I tested it it is neither ground nor hot and does not change Keon or keofl or moving the shift lever.
so I have tapped the little red wire that is attached to the video wire on my camera into the reverse light at the rear of the truck.
Have to pull the stereo back out and hook that little red wire to the reverse wire on the new stereo. I checked with the radio manufacturer and the reverse trigger circuit does require 12 V to switch the display into Camryn mode. so all should be good once I get the trigger hooked to reverse wire on the stereo harness. The camera works fine with manual initialization.
thanks for the reply, Larry

 

I am sure the radio has a reverse wire plug, just saying Ford never provided an "in reverse" 12v wire in the cab of a Ranger to connect to that wire

If Previous owner added a reverse wire connected to trans or tail light bulb then it might be there, but there is no reverse light wire in factory wiring harness

Usually reverse camera wiring harness will include a wire from rear of vehicle, along with cameras video wire, for that purpose it needs to be tapped into the Black/pink wire
And some units actually use the Reverse light 12v wire to power the camera so it only comes on when reverse lights have power, and the video signal triggers the screen to switch to camera

So there are a few ways to set this up, but there is no 12v wire in the Ranger cab that is only active in Reverse

 

RonD
here is a picture of the back of My factory radio
noticed the clearance for reverse I assume that is a reverse camera I don’t know what else it would be for?
Larry

 

That's not a factory Ford Ranger radio

 

It sure looked like the ones at pull apart but if it’s not then that explains a lot doesn’t.
it’s a cassette stereo no CD
search the bunch for letting me in on that
Larry

 

Yes, +1 ^^^ not a Ford radio for sure

Rangers also never had power antennas

Ranger Radio diagrams seen here if you need a cross reference for wire colors: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...diagrams.shtml

You should find where the above radio's wiring plugs into the Ranger factory harness and unplug it, then see if the New radios maker has a Ford Ranger wiring harness plug in
Reverse will still be a separate wire you need to add

 

Someone must’ve already change the radio and the harness call my harness has way more wires than that and I bought a 2plug harness adapter from Crutchfield and it fit.
I have two factory plugs one for speakers only and the other for the radio. They really wrapped them up good because it sure looks factory where that radio harness comes out.
when I first took it to the installer the first thing he asked if they did have one plug or two plugs. I told him I had a harness from Crutchfield and he installed it.
One other note I had an amplifier in the right panel behind the front door it was bad.
Larry

 

I'd just run a wire from the tail light to the cab. It's easy enough. How I wired my backup camera.
I'd go to the tail light with a swiss connect. Id rather make the connection up out of the way than at the transmission. Its gonna be harder to seal that connection from the elements underneath the truck. Up behind the tail light it doesn't get splashed as much. I ran wire down inside of frame rail with zip ties. Zip ties to fuel line mostly. Then up into engine bay and poked a small hole through rubber grommet and into cab. Zip ties under dash and up behind radio. Probably 30 min job.

 

Or you could do the toggle switch method. Mount a button or switch on dash wired to a 12v supply line. Then connect that to your camera feed. It's not automatic. But it does give you the option to turn camera on when your not in reverse.

 

That’s what I did except I went into the cab at the back of the front seat and under the door seal.
Larry

 

Here is a picture of the OEM radio & amp we’ve been discussing that I took out of my 97 Ranger truck also a cut sheet on the Metra 71-5600 harness that i used to hook it up
Looks like the pix didn’t work. Will retake and edit later.
Larry


Price: $17.99 You Save: $39.01 (68%)

• Metra 71-5600 1995 - 1997 FORD RANGER SUPER Car Audio Radio Wire Harness
• SKU: 71-5600_19627
• Wire Harness

I think this proves it is a Ford OEM unit as far as I know it is a good unit if someone needs it they can have it for $15 plus shipping.
I don’t know if it Has to have the factory amp work or not I’m sure someone on here knows.

The new unit I installed has really strong bass I need to replace my rear speakers with something that will handle that bass. Does any one have recommendations for some speakers that will fit my ranger and handle 40 or 50 watts of bass?

thanks in advance any replies will be appreciated
Larry

 

Yes that is a Ford radio, but that radio and that wiring diagram you posted earlier don't go to each other.