2004 explorer brown wire mod, location?

[mmasire88]

So, I've been wanting to do this mod for a while now and just have not gotten around to it. I'm looking into doing it now but...I can't seem to locate the brown wire. I pulled the panel off the passenger side but was surprised to find there was only one large bundle of wire and a smaller black one. From my understanding, from the DIY's I've read there should be a second bundle of wire?

pic below

 

[rwt101]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=406265&highlight=brown+wire+mod

 

[Joe in NY]

You are better off diggin for the brown wire in that bundle you found. Doing it under the car allows for your mod to corrode and break. This means no 4x4 at all. I did in the large bundle where you are looking.

 

[Number4]

You are better off diggin for the brown wire in that bundle you found. Doing it under the car allows for your mod to corrode and break. This means no 4x4 at all. I did in the large bundle where you are looking.

Don't forget that access to the wire changed at some point. Seems to me that 02/03 were the same and so was 04/05. The earlier years were easier as I recall.

 

[04explorer6]

There is a lot of misinformation around the gen 3 ford explorers BWM I have a 4.0 v6 2004 ford explorer. There is also a lot of confusion as to if a relay should be used on this mod or not and I will sum up why relays are used on this mod. There was a brown wire in a one big bundle of wires on the passenger side. ((((However this was not the correct brown wire for the Bwm, the correct wire was found under the hood)))))))))))))))))))). I cut the wire on the passenger side footwell and wired an illuminated switch to it. I was confused at first on how to wire a switch so for those of you that are too here is how I did it, I went to the auto store and bought a switch that said ground power and output on it connect the brown wire to input, output, and I grounded the switch to my radio. At first the light did not come on and I thought I had the wrong brown wire or that the wire I had didn’t have enough power to power the light however it does light up when the lights are turned on via the knob. This made me understand why people use a relay, with a relay the light would always be illuminated, not only when the headlights are on. I believe this is the main reason people decide to use a relay on this application. I still have not tested the 2x4 will post an update when I find some dirt roads.

 

[04explorer6]

Hear the update, the passenger side brown wire did nothing… the correct brown wire was found under the hood in a bundle going to the firewall. 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. THE BW going to the tc IS NOT IN THAT BIG BUNDLE!