How to: 4th gen hatch swap on 3rd gen Explorer DONE!!!

[jvslax27]

Looks great....nice work.....when u have some free time can you post the wiring differences....also does the chrome trim where the license plates lights and emblem are housed just screw or clip in?
I have an 02 mountaineer but explorer hatches are more readily available.....I can always just get the trim with the proper emblem

 

[jvslax27]

Does the trim on the interior match up properly or does it have to be heat molded and shaped?

 

[boominXplorer]

Interior trim matches perfectly except in my case where my color is off. It started tan and I dyed it dark grey but it's definitely not exact but close enough. The grab handle off the 3rd gen hatch is the same as the 4th so I was able to swap it and not have to paint it.

 

[boominXplorer]

04 Little Plug
1-Blk/pink - Wiper acces power
2-Pink/Org - Window button
3-Blk/ LT Blu - Wiper hi/lo
4-Wht/Org - Wiper washer mode
5-Blu/Yellow - Lock actuator
6-Purp/Yellow - Window actuator
7-Purp/wht - Running light +
8-White/purp - Door ajar

04 Big Plug
1-Bwn/Blu - Defrost +
2-Brwn/wht - Wiper power
3-Drk green - 3rd brake light +
4-Black - Ground to lights
5-Lg Black - Defrost -
6-Purp/Green - washer pump
7-Pink/Black - Lock actuator
8-Blk/Blu - Wiper ground

06 Little Plug
1-Blk/gry - Light ground
2-Blk/purp - Window button
3-Yel/purp - Wiper hi low
4-gry/Yellow - Wiper washer mode
5-Grn/Wht - Wiper acc power
6-Brown - Window button
7-Blu/Wht - Running light +
8-Gry/Org - Door ajar

06 Big Plug
1-Brwn/Yellow - Defrost +
2-Brwn/red - Wiper power
3-Purp/wht - 3rd brake light +
4-Brwn/Blu - Window actuator
5-Blk/wht - Defrost -
6-Gry/Org - Washer pump
7-Gry/brwn - Lock actuator
8-Purp/gry - Lock actuator

 

[jvslax27]

awesome thanks....what about with regard to the chrome trim?

 

[boominXplorer]

My 06 plug rewired to work in 04 is as followed....... PLEASE TRIPLE CHECK YOUR WORK AS IT MAY DIFFER!!!

Little Plug
1-Green/White
2-Brwn
3-Yellow/Purp
4-Gry/Yellow
5-Purp/Gry
6-Brwn/Blue
7-Blue/White
8-Gry/Orange

Big Plug
1-Brwn/Yellow
2-Brwn/red
3-Purp/White
4-Blk/gry
5-Blk/White
6-Gry/Orange
7-Gry/brwn
8-Blk/Purp

 

[boominXplorer]

awesome thanks....what about with regard to the chrome trim?

I would assume the hatches are Identical, just that trim being the difference from Ford to Mercury. There is a hole for a clip behind the ford emblem, as long as it's on the mercury one it's the same.

 

[jvslax27]

That is what I figured....great write up..thanks.....

 

[Number4]

02 & 03 may be diffferent than the 04 & 05 because of the CanBus wiring.

 

[jvslax27]

I thought that the Canbus wiring started in the 06 models.....would there being anything Canbus related in that harness? The only lights would be the license plates lights which I thought would not ever throw an error anyway

 

[boominXplorer]

I don't think can bus will affect the swap in any major way. There is nothing data related in the hatch, it's all 12v. It might affect the way things are wired though (pin locations and ground signals)

Can bus started in explorers in 2004.

 

[Drewmcg]

Boomin: Regarding the rear light assemblies (not the hatch), are those plug & play swap with the Gen 3?

 

[boominXplorer]

Boomin: Regarding the rear light assemblies (not the hatch), are those plug & play swap with the Gen 3?

No they are not, you will need all 3 bulb sockets / wiring pigtails from a donor truck or dealer. It's a pretty straight forward splice job for the taillights. The hatch on the other hand took a ton of research on the wiring.

 

[Drewmcg]

Thanks.

 

[Somewhiteguy14165]

04 Little Plug
1-Blk/pink - Wiper acces power
2-Pink/Org - Window button
3-Blk/ LT Blu - Wiper hi/lo
4-Wht/Org - Wiper washer mode
5-Blu/Yellow - Lock actuator
6-Purp/Yellow - Window actuator
7-Purp/wht - Running light +
8-White/purp - Door ajar

04 Big Plug
1-Bwn/Blu - Defrost +
2-Brwn/wht - Wiper power
3-Drk green - 3rd brake light +
4-Black - Ground to lights
5-Lg Black - Defrost -
6-Purp/Green - washer pump
7-Pink/Black - Lock actuator
8-Blk/Blu - Wiper ground

06 Little Plug
1-Blk/gry - Light ground
2-Blk/purp - Window button
3-Yel/purp - Wiper hi low
4-gry/Yellow - Wiper washer mode
5-Grn/Wht - Wiper acc power
6-Brown - Window button
7-Blu/Wht - Running light +
8-Gry/Org - Door ajar

06 Big Plug
1-Brwn/Yellow - Defrost +
2-Brwn/red - Wiper power
3-Purp/wht - 3rd brake light +
4-Brwn/Blu - Window actuator
5-Blk/wht - Defrost -
6-Gry/Org - Washer pump
7-Gry/brwn - Lock actuator
8-Purp/gry - Lock actuator

Where did you find the wiring diagram. I haven’t looked too hard because when I fitted the hatch, it was 15 degrees outside. I didn’t seem to find anything on the rear hatch.

 

[boominXplorer]

I traced my wires to figure them out. Once you have the panel off its pretty easy to figure them all out.

 

[Styx]

Great info if my 02 ever cracks I will for sure be doing this swap.
Thanks for posting.

 

[Milky2k]

I've been thinking about getting a 4th gen Explorer. However, I really prefer the lower glass opening of the 3rd gen hatch. I suppose if you can put a 4th gen hatch on a 3rd gen body, then I guess you can put a 3rd gen hatch on a 4th gen body. Very interesting!

 

[firefly1246]

My 06 plug rewired to work in 04 is as followed....... PLEASE TRIPLE CHECK YOUR WORK AS IT MAY DIFFER!!!

Little Plug
1-Green/White
2-Brwn
3-Yellow/Purp
4-Gry/Yellow
5-Purp/Gry
6-Brwn/Blue
7-Blue/White
8-Gry/Orange

Big Plug
1-Brwn/Yellow
2-Brwn/red
3-Purp/White
4-Blk/gry
5-Blk/White
6-Gry/Orange
7-Gry/brwn
8-Blk/Purp

Hey BoomingXplorer: I am in the process of doing this swap and want to confirm that you had to switch some of the plugs from the little plug to the big plug and vise versa. Since the plugs have different brass pins I will have to cut the wire and splice them over on 4 of the wires and the other 2 you can just take out the brass pins from the plastic plug and just swap them using a flat removal tool. Just wanted to confirm this prior to splicing. Huge Thanks on the write up, been thinking about doing this for a few years now since the hatch cracked.


Little Plug
1-Green/White ->from little plug 5
2-Brwn -> from little plug 6
3-Yellow/Purp
4-Gry/Yellow
5-Purp/Gry -> from big plug 8
6-Brwn/Blue -> from big plug 4
7-Blue/White
8-Gry/Orange

Big Plug
1-Brwn/Yellow
2-Brwn/red
3-Purp/White
4-Blk/gry -> from little plug 1
5-Blk/White
6-Gry/Orange
7-Gry/brwn
8-Blk/Purp -> from little plug 2


On my 04 red EB I was able to find an 06 XLT that came in the exact same color. Someone at the junkyard broke the glass for some reason, so i purchased another hatch that had the tan EB interior. The 4th gen EB tan is lighter than the lower trim plastic on the 3rd gen, but matches the upper plastic trim on the 3rd gen.

 

[boominXplorer]

I just repinned my 2006 connectors to make it plug and play in my 04. Some wires did jump from one connector to the other.