I have searched this forum and googled extensively but cannot find my answer. I am cleaning up the inside of a 1994 Ranger before putting new flooring down. The audio system is chopped all to pieces with homemade harnesses from the radio to the (I assume premium audio amp) in the passenger kick panel. I see no signs on the old 16 pin connector up by the radio, but the smaller, power/illuminuation/antenna, etc plug is there.

My real question is regarding a thick, blue cable that looks like it would plug into the Head unit .... it ties into the same harness as the other audio stuff... Then - there is a similar sized cable that has what looks like a USB plug which plugs into the amp?

Any help is greatly appreciated. The truck currently has an aftermarket stereo, so if I can get rid of any of these items, please let me know.

Barry

 

Can you post some pictures? I can't visualize a thick blue cable on any of the Rangers that I've looked at previously, but none of them had the factory premium system.

At this point is the radio functional? It might be easiest to purchase an OEM vehicle side connector for a non-premium truck and solder that back into the existing wiring so you just totally eliminate any trace of the premium components. I found one of those connectors for my old '94 for less than $10 and used it to repair a previous owners hack job of wiring a radio directly to the truck's wiring after cutting off they cut off the factory connectors.

 

No USB in 1994, first use of USB was 1996, I know you said "looks like" just thought I would mention some useless information I had rattling around in my head, lol.

Radio wiring diagrams here: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...diagrams.shtml
And wire colors that Ford used for audio systems

 

I -think- that this is the connector set you'd need to revert to stock wiring behind the radio:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/332166487454

 

I'm definitely going to take some pictures.... The plug is unlike any audio plug I've seen . An i am ASSUMING.... (dangerous, I know) that what I'm seeing in the kick panel area is the amp. I've read that some trucks had the 4x4 control module there, but mine is behind the seat.

It's pouring rain here right now, so I will wait a bit to take pictures. Thanks again for all the input.

Also, one of the PO's made a harness that ties the aftermarket plug to the OEM wiring... but there was a birdnest of wire run behind the dash and under the carpet over to a plug in the kickpanel...

Hopefully i can get some good pics and we'll figure this out.

Barry

 

That sounds truly miserable. If you're willing to spend a little money, now would be the time to just wire your own amp under a seat and get rid of all the spliced in nonsense.

 

So I snapped some pictures... Here's what's in the kick panel -passenger side. The blue cable plugs in there




Then behind the radio I have this plug... I assume its the same cable

 

The box in the first picture is definitely an audio amplifier based on the part number. Given the 8 wires, that may be the speaker harness between the radio and the amp. Not sure what else is connected to the amp, looks like there's another plug there at the bottom of your picture. I'd assume you've got a second set of 8 wires there going out to the speakers, plus power/ground/switched power?

 

The second harness with all the speaker wires is the one that's butchered and someone made a new harness that goes from the HU down to the plug by the amp

 

Are you attached to making that amp work? You could probably sneak a small aftermarket unit in the same spot. Intercept the outgoing speaker wires there, then drop RCA cables from the radio to that point. Eliminate the entire factory premium system and all the hacked wiring.

 

The amp is bypassed anyway... so the answer is "no" I'm not attached to the amp. I may do just that. Thanks for all the help.

 

BTW, thanks for another great lesson.... I was so focused on figuring out what goes where... I didn't even think about looking up the part number... valuable info here everyday....

 

I'm currently in the same boat in fixing the previous owners hack job that they somehow call 'wiring', which is no where near as bad as yours. My only issues were solid core wiring and speaker wire twisted around speaker terminals with no insulation lol, and i wondered why my speaker system sounded like garbage when I bought it

 

It never ceases to amaze what you find in cars that PO's "thought" was an upgrade.....

 

What are the dimensions of the factory amp?

 

I'd have to measure to be sure... Its about the same size as an ECM. Thats what i thought it was at first...