I recently purchased a 1994 Ford Ranger. Today I attempted to put a new radio in it due to the one that was in it being non-functioning. I bought the same radio (a Dual XDM16BT) thinking this was the problem.
After I plugged the new radio in (harness was already installed by previous owner) and turned the truck on, nothing happened. I then got a multimeter and realized that the power wires weren't connected (probably should've checked that). I then spent 3 hours attempting to connect the red, yellow, and black wires from the radio to the OEM wires that were in the truck. Unfortunately though, no matter what I did, the radio would not turn on. After a while of switching wires around and attempting to figure out what was wrong, I realized that my dome light would not turn on and when I left my key in the ignition and opened my driver side door, it didn't do the usual annoying ding that it normally does. I looked online to see if they had fuses but nothing seemed to show up. Nothing online helped me although it did say something about the connections for these two things being behind the radio, and considering I was behind the radio, I think I messed something up. Does anyone have any idea of why all 3 of these things would just simply not work? Thank you in advance.

TL:DR radio, door chime, and dome light not functioning at all, even after checking fuses and replacing radio

 

Welcome to the forum

Can you turn on Dome light using Dimmer control?
Uses a different fuse/power

Door open switch is only thing the Chime and Dome light have in common
Its in the door jamb in a 1994

Also Fuse 1 in cab fuse box powers the door switches and radio "back up power", so you may have blown that fuse when swapping wires around


If you are using a 3rd party radio I can't help you for that models wiring but here is the Ranger factory wiring

1994 Radio wiring below, also Cab fuse box diagram

FUSE 1 is NOT radio power, it is backup power to keep clock and radio presets, the light green/yellow stripe wire, DO NOT use it for powering the radio

Fuse 11, a yellow/black wire, is the Key on Power wire for the radio

Black and Black/green are the 2 ground wires

Light blue/red wire is the Back Light power wire, has 12v when main light switch is on, its dim-able

 

I appreciate your response.

Unfortunately their is no dimmer control in my model year of truck, at least not that I can see. :(

I will check the door open switch tomorrow.

Also very possible I blew fuse 1 on the diagram below, I'll probably end up pulling every fuse one by one if this one isn't blown.

And, I was using the lt. green / yellow stripe wire for powering my radio, due to it being the only thing I could find online, so yeah, definitely blew a fuse somewhere

Yellow / black wire was being used correctly though (and also the ground wires, surprisingly)

Again, thank you for your response, very helpful 🙏🏼,
I'll let you know how it goes next time I get a chance to work on it (hopefully tomorrow)

 

Unfortunately, their is no dimmer control in my truck, at least not that I can find anywhere.

I will check the door open switch, possible it could've gotten stuck after all the door opening and closing.

Also, I will check this fuse because it's very possible I blew it. I do believe I was actually hooking up the lt. green / yellow wire to the red wire on my wiring harness.

Yellow / black wire was not hooked to the right wire either. Ground wires were correct though.

After looking up my radio diagram (put it below incase any of these are incorrect), I believe I have to put my red wire with the yellow / black on the truck, my yellow wire with lt. green/ yellow on the truck, and my black ground with a ground.


I appreciate your response. I'll let you know how it goes the next time I get a chance to work on it (hopefully tomorrow). Thank you again. First time I'm really hoping I just blew a fuse.

 

Dimmer is the main light switch ****, pull the **** out to turn on park/head lights then turn the **** either way and dash lights will dim or brighten
Turn the **** all the way clockwise and you will feel it "click" and that activates Dome light full time

Yes, that diagram looks like you will be able to match up the Ford wires correctly with the 3rd party wires, no guessing

 

UPDATE:
Came home today and pulled every fuse, eventually found a blown one (don't know which one it is on the diagram), replaced it, and as soon as I put it in everything worked, from the door chime, dome light, and radio.

Thank you for your help and pointing me in the right direction! Very much appreciated. 🙏🏼

 

UPDATE:

Came home this afternoon and started pulling fuses one by one. Eventually found a blown 15 amp (can't remember which one on the diagram) and replaced it. As soon as I put a new one in my door chime started going off and my dome light turned on. After this, I plugged in my radio and turned the battery on and what do you know, the radio came on.

Thank you for your help and pointing me in the right direction, RonD, I appreciate it.