2001 Ranger battery junction box source, interchangeability

[Ranger Harry]

I'm trying to help a friend get her 2001 Ranger, 3.0 into running condition. I took it to a good repair shop locally and they called back saying the battery junction box under the hood is obsolete, Ford no longer makes them. So I've been searching everywhere and have found a few but not exactly the same boxes. Does anybody have suggestions?

 

[XLTrunner]

Have you tried any of your local junk yards? My local U Pull shows a 2001 Ranger in stock. No idea what engine it has...or, whether it even matters if they all used the same junction box? Perhaps your shop can confirm interchangeability to help broaden your search?

 

[J_C]

What happened to result in needing a new battery junction box? Did the whole thing get destroyed somehow, say a fire or flood damage, or is there something particular, one circuit that just has corroded fuse or relay contacts or something?

I've not tried to do it myself but would expect that contacts can be pulled out of the individual positions (from the back side, there might be a different color piece of plastic retaining piece that needs pulled out first) to reuse the same box if it wasn't destroyed by fire.

 

[Ranger Harry]

The case is plastic and apparently it got really hot and brittle because it has crumbled apart in several places. That let's hot wires arc against the frame. There must be dozens of different boxes for the 2001 Ranger. I think I could disassemble a good box and use the sockets from the old one. The Ford dealership said the part number is F87Z14A068AA. I found 4 or 5 online with this part number, but they all have a different layout for the fuses and relays. There's a hundred wires coming out of this box. The repair shop is expecting me to find one with the exact layout but it looks like they are all different. Here's a pic of what I need.

 

[J_C]

That seems like it's going to be a real PITA to solve, not just finding a box (or reverse engineering the pinout for a different box), but also if you had wires overheating and shorting out, you probably need to graft on more wire to replace damaged areas, and with the heat probably starting at the box contacts, may not be able to reuse them.

I suppose if the replacement box has the wire pigtail to some extent that could speed things up a bit but frankly I wouldn't even begin to pay a shop to do the work for a 19 y/o Ranger unless they can guarantee a fairly low total cost. I mean of all the things I've seen shops do well, soldering is not one of them! I suppose a dealer shop might just insist on replacing all relevant wiring harnesses ($$$$).

That part #, F87Z14A068AA, I don't know all the rules for Ford #'s but suspect the F87Z portion might vary, and the AA might vary too, with 14A068 (or at least part of that string) being the most significant digits.

You might also look for newer model year boxes since it has the newer style square cartridge fuses. Is that box even the original, unmolested box or has it been carved up already? I see a diagram for a similar box layout but in the areas yours differs, the relays are a little crooked and the box space looks funny. Perhaps it's just the heat damage. I'm looking at the following "3.0L and 4.0L engines (2001)" pic:

2001-2003 Ford Ranger Fuse Box Diagram » Fuse Diagram

Note that you could make that box work with minimal changes. The two major differences I see are in the bottom row of relays on the above pic, the group of four on the left is swapped with the group of 3 on the right, compared to yours.

Maybe you can even snap out those relay blocks to exchange the left one for the right one, BUT leaving it as-is and putting the box at the state shown in the diagram isn't necessarily a bad thing because then it is a known entity that is easier to service in the future. If it does not match the owners manual diagram then I'd print out the replacement diagram and put it in the manual.

Many of the Ranger boxes I saw pictures of, were missing some features apparently, so the box wasn't fully populated with sockets. Here is one similar to the diagram above with all the sockets present:

2000 00 2001 01 2002 02 2003 03 FORD RANGER Fuse Relay Box Engine Under Hood OEM | eBay

There are probably more of these on ebay or elsewhere if you want to go that route... that ebay listing is just an example.

 

[XLTrunner]

I ran down to my local U Pull for a part for my Explorer and checked out the Rangers while there. What I found is that the single '01 and numerous pre-'01's sitting there all had long, narrow junction boxes regardless of engine size; which is weird because the F87Z Ford part number you are referencing would indicate a 1998 part. 2002 & 2003 had boxes similar to yours. However, in both cases, there was an empty slot (as in no relay block) in the same upper right area where your hand is in your photo. There are two slide channels in that empty slot that would indicate these relay blocks can be removed/added/swapped.

 

[Ranger Harry]

Yes, I think the Ford part number is just the empty plastic box. This is a flex fuel model, I don't know if there are more relays because of that. The shop is very cooperative with us. The closer to original I can get the less time it would take. If I wasn't up to my earlobes in health issues and a handicapped wife, I'd just get the color coded diagram and see if I needed all the fuses and relays and start circuit by circuit. At $60.00 an hour I was thinking 4 or 5 hours might get it going. But I think there is no such thing as a 'stock junction block' for this thing. I've looked at a dozen or so and they are all different to some degree. The truck is otherwise in excellent condition. It sat in a garage for 2 years. The owner died of lung cancer and willed the truck to the lady who cared for her the last couple of years. So the cost so far is 0. I'm going to keep looking for a box. I may just have to build one. Wish me luck.

 

[Ranger Harry]

That seems like it's going to be a real PITA to solve, not just finding a box (or reverse engineering the pinout for a different box), but also if you had wires overheating and shorting out, you probably need to graft on more wire to replace damaged areas, and with the heat probably starting at the box contacts, may not be able to reuse them.

I suppose if the replacement box has the wire pigtail to some extent that could speed things up a bit but frankly I wouldn't even begin to pay a shop to do the work for a 19 y/o Ranger unless they can guarantee a fairly low total cost. I mean of all the things I've seen shops do well, soldering is not one of them! I suppose a dealer shop might just insist on replacing all relevant wiring harnesses ($$$$).

That part #, F87Z14A068AA, I don't know all the rules for Ford #'s but suspect the F87Z portion might vary, and the AA might vary too, with 14A068 (or at least part of that string) being the most significant digits.

You might also look for newer model year boxes since it has the newer style square cartridge fuses. Is that box even the original, unmolested box or has it been carved up already? I see a diagram for a similar box layout but in the areas yours differs, the relays are a little crooked and the box space looks funny. Perhaps it's just the heat damage. I'm looking at the following "3.0L and 4.0L engines (2001)" pic:

2001-2003 Ford Ranger Fuse Box Diagram » Fuse Diagram

View attachment 172373

Note that you could make that box work with minimal changes. The two major differences I see are in the bottom row of relays on the above pic, the group of four on the left is swapped with the group of 3 on the right, compared to yours.

Maybe you can even snap out those relay blocks to exchange the left one for the right one, BUT leaving it as-is and putting the box at the state shown in the diagram isn't necessarily a bad thing because then it is a known entity that is easier to service in the future. If it does not match the owners manual diagram then I'd print out the replacement diagram and put it in the manual.

Many of the Ranger boxes I saw pictures of, were missing some features apparently, so the box wasn't fully populated with sockets. Here is one similar to the diagram above with all the sockets present:

2000 00 2001 01 2002 02 2003 03 FORD RANGER Fuse Relay Box Engine Under Hood OEM | eBay

There are probably more of these on ebay or elsewhere if you want to go that route... that ebay listing is just an example.

Thanks JC
I found that diagram also and it seems to be shorter than the one on the truck. The Ford dealer took our vin number and looked it up and gave me that part number. I think that's just the plastic box. It shows 2000-2003 but this is going to take some serious study time to get an outfit located or built to match it. Thanks for your help.

 

[J_C]

^ Shorter as far as the mounting brackets? The one on ebay looks to be exactly the same size in the fuses/relays area as the one you pictured:

 

[XLTrunner]

I would agree with J_C. I was also carefully comparing the two I saw at the JY to yours in the pic you sent and dimensionally they are the same; as well as arrangement of compartments for relays and fuses. I think this swap is do-able.

 

[410Fortune]

I could do it
Just start one set of wires at a time and move them over...very carefully!!!
Make any repairs needed to corroded clips as you go

Hopefully the rest of the 3.0 Ranger is up to snuff so this is not all for not

 

[Ranger Harry]

They do look like the same size! And I think it might work. JC and XL, I just bought that one on EBay. I wasn't sure if the wires would be long enough to splice into, but this is the best fit so far. I'm supposed to get it by 8-5. I'll let you know how it goes. 410, I had mentioned earlier that this little truck is otherwise in excellent condition. It was a gift to a cancer patients caregiver. I get snookered into helping little old widow women cause I'm an easy mark. Lol. I think she's going to be tickled pink if I can get it going again. Thanks to all for helping!

 

[410Fortune]

I would so help on this if I was closer.
Good karma and good vibes sent your way, helping people in need is what its all about