1998 Explorer Door Wiring

[CarMama]

I have a problem that I just can't seem to find a solution to. I have had a 1998 Ford Explorer that someone tried to replace the heated mirror on the drivers side door sitting in my garage since July. Problem is he didn't disconnect the battery and he FRIED the headlight and dimmer switches. Then, someone else decided to rewire them, didn't disconnect the battery, and neglected to check to see if there was a fuse in the corresponding slot. There wasn't, and it totally Toasted random wires all through the interior wiring harness and destroyed the interior relay box.

I found a wiring harness that I thought was a fit, only to realize that the old harness had both connectors C232 (Air Bag Diagnostic Monitor and C233 (also labeled Air Bag Diagnostic Monitor), but the new harness only had a different version of the C233 connector, which is called Restraints Control Module.

I have spent months modifying the new harness to be an exact match of the old one and am now ready to install it and get the darned dashboard out of my living room (did I mention that?) but I have run into yet another problem. There are burnt wires in the wiring harness going from the inside of the truck to the boot connector in the door jamb and also burnt wires inside the door itself.

I got the connector (C245) in the door jamb apart and can fix the issue coming FROM the truck interior, but for the life of me cannot figure out how to get to the wires coming from the door up into the top of that connector. I thought I could push the boot back through the hole in the door, but I just can't get it to budge. Has anyone ever had to do that before? Even if I take the door off I don't think I can push that connector through there. Any help at all would be appreciated. I tried to post a pic of the connector, but am not really sure how to do that. When I click on insert image it asks for a url...

 

[CDW6212R]

The door harness will come out, the connector in the jamb has covers on it, plus there are two bolts that hold it onto the door. I had to rebuild my 99 Explorer, and I rewired my old 93 doors, using the 99 door harnesses(cut the LF door hole to fit the connector contraption). It can be done, just take the parts off it there slowly to find the next pieces to remove etc.

The 98 wiring is very likely unique to that one year model, due to big changes from 97 to 98, and the new fuel system changes of 1999. You would have done better to find a 98 Explorer and bought the dash, body, and door harnesses from that. Your Limited has just a few extra wires in it, the radio and AC option stuff would be a bigger deal(find a car with the same radio and AC controls(EATC)). Keep at it.

 

[CarMama]

The door harness will come out, the connector in the jamb has covers on it, plus there are two bolts that hold it onto the door. I had to rebuild my 99 Explorer, and I rewired my old 93 doors, using the 99 door harnesses(cut the LF door hole to fit the connector contraption). It can be done, just take the parts off it there slowly to find the next pieces to remove etc.

The 98 wiring is very likely unique to that one year model, due to big changes from 97 to 98, and the new fuel system changes of 1999. You would have done better to find a 98 Explorer and bought the dash, body, and door harnesses from that. Your Limited has just a few extra wires in it, the radio and AC option stuff would be a bigger deal(find a car with the same radio and AC controls(EATC)). Keep at it.

Believe it or not, I DID go to the local pick and pull with the intent of finding a complete dash with wiring harness from a 98 XLT. Problem was, every single one of them had the same C233 connector that my 99 harness did! AArrggh! I was told by our local wiring expert that it wouldn't work so ended up tracing each wire on each connector by hand and then moving wires around to make them match. A whole lot of no fun.

As far as the boot coming out - I have all the screws you're talking about out. I tried to get the cover off the connector but it won't budge. Guess I'm going to have to get someone with stronger hands than mine involved. thanks for the reply!

 

[CDW6212R]

Check out my build thread of my 99/93 Limited. Look at post # 144, that shows the hole in the 93 door I made, and post # 153 shows the body harness connector that goes through to the LF door jamb.

Build thread of my 99/93 Explorer Limited - page 4

Have you loosened the 10mm bolt on the top, removed the zip tie, and the plastic cover that covers the wires on top? With those you should have the inner wires out of the way(push through the kick panel inside), and then you can work on the door wiring there(get at the two small bolts going into the door). That's about all I recall of the assembly, and that it was very slow going to fish that wiring into the door and around the window channel etc. I think I loosened the channel a lot to make room for the wiring.