Are All first gen radios a simple hookup??

[Tony H]

Looking at e-bay for a stock radio to replace my stock radio (AM/FM Cassette) The '92 and '93 radios look different then my '91. Will these just slide in with the same harness or do I have to play games with connectors on the radios?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEBWA%3AIT

[Purdue72]

I'm sorry, I have to ask. Why do you want to swap stock for stock?

[Tony H]

Music is not too important, so long as I can get something coming through the speakers.
The Stock one in the car is flaky. I start the car, and sometimes it just keeps scanning fopr stations without stopping, Sometimes the volume doesn't work. Sometimes it loses the presets... It's just a mess.

If I can slide in a Stock E-bay special without a hassle. That would make me happy. I would think that many people have upgraded and have the Stock one sitting in the garage.

[Purdue72]

okay, hey to each their own. I put a kenwood cd (nothing spectacular,but better than stock) in mine, got it on sale at circuit city for $100, slid right in.

[Fhantazm]

Yes the power bundle/connector is an exact fit. HOWEVER you need to determine if you headunit is one with the external amp i.e premium sound. If you do, then its a direct fit. If not, dont bother.

[Crankcase]

Chnaces are you have the premium radio. If the hookups in the rear are two different sizes, then it is premium sound.

[cobrajeff]

You can update a '91 Ford radio with a '92-'94 model if you are installing the same level of radio. In other words, you can install a '92 MIDLINE radio in place of a '91 MIDLINE radio, or a '92 PREMIUM Radio in place of a '91 PREMIUM radio.

How do you tell if your radio is the Midline model or the Premium model? By part numbers - the Ford "Midline" cassette will have a base part number of -19B132- , while the Ford "Premium" cassette (for model years 1991 through 1994) will have a base part number of -19B165- . The Premium radio has an external amp, and, for these years, is the same for Premium Sound or Ford/JBL (the system difference is in the amps and speakers).

The Midline radio is a simple swap. The Premium radio swap is simple, too, but will require one minor wiring modification. In 1991, we used a 12V signal to turn-on the amplifier, in 1992, that was changed to a 5V turn-on. In order to get your '91 amp to turn-on, you will need to run a jumper wire (in the plug at the radio head unit) to pick up a 12V turn-on signal from the power antenna pin on the radio (the '92-'93 radio's 5V amp signal is not enough to turn on your amp).

If you have the Premium radio, you could also swap to a '92-'94 Ford DIN size single CD radio (base part number -18C815- if you desired. We did not offer the single CD in '91, but, it WILL fit (it was just a little too close for production tolerances).

regards,

cobrajeff

[Tony H]

Cobrajeff...this is the info I was looking for .
THANKS MUCH

[Tony H]

I now know that I have to look for another radio with the 19B165 number for the connectors to match up BUT COBRAJEFF mentioned a wire change. It seems the '91 X has a 12V Power amp turn-on where the later ones have a 5V. Can someone give me more detail on the Wire mod. What pin number has to change on what connector. Maybe a wire color would help. I used a friends Chiltons but the schematics do not include Radio hookup.
Thanks

[cobrajeff]

Tony -

The radio power connector is the long thin one. Numbering the pins from top (where the "index key" is) to the bottom, goes like this:

pin circuit color function
1) 54A LG/Y Memory
2) 57B BK Lamp Gnd
3) 137 Y/BK Ignition A+
4) 19A LB/R Lamp Illum
5) 484 O/B LCD Power
6) 694 R Power Gnd
7) 747 O/LB Power Ant Enable
8) 698 DB Power Amp Enable

What you need to do is to take the Dark Blue wire out of pin#8, and put it into pin position number 7. If there is no wire in your harness now at pin#7, just move the wire from pin#8 to pin#7. If there is a wire already in pin#7, then splice the wire from pin#8 together with the wire at pin#7.

Hope this helps.

regards,

cobrajeff

[Tony H]

I get it. Pin 7 (as it sits now) has 12V for the antenna in all year cars. So I need to get 12V to Pin 8 and as a bonus, it is a Switched 12V so the Amp isn't always on.

Piece of cake.

I am seeing a lot of radios from like '94 Mark IV and such, they have the 19B165 number in their part number.. Will they work too. From the pictures, the Fit looks right.

You've been a great help.

[Gimp]

AM/FM Cassette Premium Sound. It worked very well when taken out to be replaced by a new system. Can you use? If so, I will be going into town late next week and could mail it then.

[Gimp]

with din removal tool inserted into radio

[Gimp]

All that small print that is stamped into the case says
02-11-94
F3DF-18K817-CA
PP

[Gimp]

I even still have the Ford Audio demo tape

[cobrajeff]

Tony -

The -19B165- radios out of a Mark or Taurus will work in your Explorer, however, they will have blue backlighting (both the display and graphics) as opposed to the green of your Explorer instrumentation, and will not have a "clock" feature. The clock feature cannot be "enabled" like a lot of aftermarket radios - the radio either has this feature, or it doesn't.

In general, most Ford "car" radios of that period had blue lighting and no clock, while most Ford "truck" radios had green lighting and a clock function.

Another item, which may or may not be an issue for you, is that we built two different-sized bezels for our DIN radios. One radio bezel had a true "DIN size" bezel, measuring 60mm high and 188mm wide. The other style had a "flanged" bezel (it's more squared-off) that measured 64mm high and 192mm wide. The newer ('92-'94) radios are available in both configurations, the older ('89-'91) radios were ALL of the "flanged" variety. So if you get a newer radio with the smaller bezel, there will be a slight gap. I think we changed the Explorer trim panel in '93 to take the smaller bezel. T'Bird/Cougar, Mustang and the 2-seat Capri roadster all still used the "flanged" bezel up until 1994.

The radio Gimp shows should work (it has the smaller DIN bezel). Look closely at the picture of the back of the radio, see the little connector in the upper right hand corner? That is the "shorting plug" used in radios that are CD Player or CD Changer compatible. Many of those models used in T'Bird/Cougar/Mustang and Mark were "CD" compatible. If the unit is installed in a car WITHOUT a CD Player or CD Changer, then this plug MUST be used. If it is left out, the radio will turn on, but you will have no audio.

Hope this helps (and doesn't confuse you more).

regards,

Cobrajeff

[Tony H]

GIMP, I sent you a private e-mail. THANKS!!

COBRA, If I leave that upper connector in and make sure I get 12V to Pin 8 All should be happy.
I guess you work/worked for Ford. Or designed radios for Ford.
Thanks a million

[Gimp]

Originally posted by Tony H
GIMP, I sent you a private e-mail.

Tony H,

I have not received your e-mail and don't know why. I checked my profile settings/options in case that was the problem and all looks OK. Could you try sending me a PM instead? I know the Private Messaging is working because I have received/sent them in the last few days.

Anyway, this radio is one of those things that I rescued from one of the Old Lady's cleaning sprees. It's been hiding in my desk because I can't stand throwing away something that (1) works perfectly, and (2) that someone can use. PM me with your address and I will mail it to you when I next go into town.

Later



Cobra Jeff,

You are a wealth of information on the Ford audio systems. It's good to have someone with that knowledge on the forum, but it's also good to have someone on here that's older than I am (besides just Stephen and Aldive).

[Gimp]

The "shorting plug" that Cobra Jeff refers to is in place on the radio.

[Gimp]

Tony H,
I got your PM. The radio will be in the mail to you this week.