Brown Wire Mod?? Questions...

[lkreykes]

Okay, I am thinking about doing the BWM to my 2005 XLT just because I don't like not having the option to have 2wd. I have read all the forums and know exactly what I am to do... But today I pried up the passenger kick panel / floorboard plastic thing, expecting to find what everyone else has (2 wire bundles, the smaller of which contains a single solid brown wire- the wire you cut into), but mine just has 1 big wire bundle with NO solid brown wire. Some people said that theirs was the same way, and that the 4x4 ex's are supposed to have a control module for the 4wheel behind the glovebox, but theirs do not. Well, mine doesn't either. They said to just cut into the brown wire on the t-case. Well, I don't know if I want to do that. Was the 2005 model just special? Why it so different? And lastly, where is the dang brown wire!? Cheers

 

[Number4]

From what I read, early models had a module. 04 and 05 had this built into the ECM. If this is true, then you have to interrupt the brown wire going to the t case. Same difference.

Go through the million pages of "good mod man" and find the guy talking about your issue, then PM him. And come back here to post. I'd be interested as well.

 

[scdix50]

I did mine out under the hood and ran the wires inside. No more tight turn jumping, in & out of parking spots are a dream. Truck drives just like my 1st & 2nd gen expl.

 

[lkreykes]

I did mine under the hood and ran the wires inside. No more tight turn jumping, in & out of parking spots are a dream. Truck drives just like my 1st & 2nd gen expl.

Where exactly under the hood are these wires? Thanks

 

[scdix50]

Standing at the grill, look to the left side of the firewall, near the hood hinge you will see three connecters. The top connector to fire wall is the one you need. Where you see the wire ties is where you need to open the wire bundle. I split the plactic cover on the wire bundle to free the bundle of wires so you cann find the brown wire.

 

[lkreykes]

Standing at the grill, look to the left side of the firewall, near the hood hinge you will see three connecters. The top connector to fire wall is the one you need. Where you see the wire ties is where you need to open the wire bundle. I split the plactic cover on the wire bundle to free the bundle of wires so you cann find the brown wire.

Perfect! Thanks. Did you end up using a relay?

 

[Explorer0204]

Perfect! Thanks. Did you end up using a relay?

I didn't you don't need one.

 

[Number4]

15 amp switch would be sufficient. Probably don't need that.

 

[lkreykes]

Okay just making sure. I bought one just in case but I guess I'll return it. I will be doing the mod tomorrow so I will post pictures along the way

 

[lkreykes]

Finished the mod!!! Took me about an hour of trying to feed the wires through the firewall and to the switch. But it works great and 2 wheel drive is awesome!

The brown wire is on the passenger side of the firewall, in the top wire bundle. I cut off the plastic shroud cover thing and spliced into the brown wire and ran the wires over to the driver's side under the hood.

I then ran the wire through the firewall about a foot underneath the brake booster. The previous owner added a trailer brake controller and the electrical wire you see in the picture is for the trailer brakes. I ran the 2 green wires for the brown wire switch through the same hole, and it comes out right behind the parking brake pedal.

This is where I ended up putting the switch. Everything works perfectly! Having 2 wheel low is pretty awesome lol. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

 

[Number4]

Anyone know of adverse effects to doing this mod? Or "what-not-to-do" when flipped?

 

[lkreykes]

Anyone know of adverse effects to doing this mod? Or "what-not-to-do-when flipped?

From what I've read, just don't roast your tires for long amounts of time and you should be fine.

 

[03eddie]

Finished the mod!!! Took me about an hour of trying to feed the wires through the firewall and to the switch. But it works great and 2 wheel drive is awesome!

The brown wire is on the passenger side of the firewall, in the top wire bundle. I cut off the plastic shroud cover thing and spliced into the brown wire and ran the wires over to the driver's side under the hood.

I then ran the wire through the firewall about a foot underneath the brake booster. The previous owner added a trailer brake controller and the electrical wire you see in the picture is for the trailer brakes. I ran the 2 green wires for the brown wire switch through the same hole, and it comes out right behind the parking brake pedal.

This is where I ended up putting the switch. Everything works perfectly! Having 2 wheel low is pretty awesome lol. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Any issues with the mod? Or more importantly issues with fluid or clutch wear after?

 

[04explorer6]

I have a 2004 ford explorer and managed to complete the bwm without clipping it at the transmission. This is for 2004-2005 ford explorers after a LOT OF CONFUSION and reading threads I finally found the right brown wire and can now disable 4x4. A lot of posts were saying that there should be two bundles of wires under the passenger side footwell and I have also read posts saying there is only one big bundle my 2004 4.0 only had one big bundle under the footwell it did indeed have a brown wire but after clipping it and putting a switch to it, the switch’s light only Illuminated when the lights were turned on which made me realize I had the wrong brown wire so I reconnected them and did some more research, I do not know how the other posters on this forum got the Bwm to successfully work using that brown wire found in the one big bundle under the passenger side, that brown wire is for a light and does not go to the transmission although if you have two bundles the brown wire we are looking for might be in there. My wire was located in a bundle (under the hood , the top bundle of wires going to the firewall on the passenger side which plug in) I cut the wiring harness and put a switch to the brown wire l now know that it is the correct brown wire because my x will stay in 2x4 and the light does not illuminate when the lights are on, only when the 4x4 is turned on. So I know it is working and I got the right wire. I fed my wires threw the rubber boot with a needle that the two wires are going into the firewall threw, used a fuse on the switch and mounted it next to my radio switch is grounded out to the radio. I believe the point of using a relay is so that the light will be illuminated when the switch is turned on and when the switch is in the off position the 4x4 will function normally, with just a switch and no relay the switch will need to be in the on position for 4x4 to function and the light will illuminate when 4x4 auto engages or when you put your car in 4x4 high. I will be leaving mine without a relay because I like to see when the 4x4 automatically kicks in and I do not believe a relay is necessary for this. I also connected the brown wire with male female terminals so that if I ever need to I can just connect them and put them back into the harness, make sure everything is waterproof just to be safe.