Well, I have a Ranger and not an Explorer but I have a bunch of Explorer stuff in mine including an overhead console and the full EATC hook-up. As a result of researching some of that I've gotten a lot of information on the EATC and what's what with what year.
You can view my how-to for Rangers, which includes a detailed rundown of all years of Eddies and their compatibilities, on my CarDomain page. It starts on page 14, but mostly you will be interested in page 16, which describes the EATC head unit differences in detail.
My CarDomain site is:
http://members.cardomain.com/n3elz
For best compatibility, you want a '96 or '97 unit. A 95 unit will work, but you will lose the ODB-II network function which allows the EATC to query the PCM for coolant temperature and vehicle speed data. However, you can plug in a '95 unit if you need to. It just won't be quite as "smart" about things.
Starting in 1998, and for reasons best known to Ford, they changed the pinout of the connector. Also, in 1998 the displays are green rather than blue as in the 1995 to 1997 units.
It won't affect you unless it goes bad, but the blend door servo motor changed in 1998 as well. Although physically compatible, it too has different pinout and connector. Up to 1997 there are 7 wires to the actuator, in 1998 to 2001 there are 5. Basically, the extra 2 wires are power and ground in the older ones -- the newer ones run entirely off of 5 volts sourced from the HU.
And of course there were changes to the connector for the fan speed controller in the evaporator/blower housing. But again, newer units can be used by obtaining a harness pigtail and splicing it in. Obviously, for a Ranger owner, there is a BIT of splicing and harness construction! My how-to details how I do it (I've done 3 Rangers so far, including my own).
I see there's been no activity on this thread for a long time, but I only just chanced upon it in a google search. I hope you get or have gotten the information already.
If anyone has EATC questions, please feel free to email me -- I've enabled email from members here.
Thanks and you guys have a great board. I done research over here before but have never joined and posted -- being a Ranger owner and all.
