How To: Long Console Install (Pictures!) | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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How To: Long Console Install (Pictures!)

DjDom

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Joined
September 11, 2011
Messages
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City, State
Toronto, Ontario
Year, Model & Trim Level
97 XL(imited)
After looking around on here for several hours, I couldn't find a true guide on installing the long/full sized console. So I decided to tackle the job and find the wiring myself.

So, here is a guide on installing it, so you don't have to go through the pain of finding which wire goes where and what to do.

First thing you're going to need to do is get a console, the mounting bracket, the wiring harness and air vent for the front.

Here's the long console:
N3xY7xal.jpg


Here is the mounting bracket you will need, this is a must or it will shake, as Si said, "Like a dead fish."
They are usually riveted onto the truck you take them from. I didn't bring a drill to get it out, so I just used a crowbar to take the bracket off and break the rivets.
Top View:
QP2MrcVl.jpg

Bottom View:
dFZKsO8l.jpg


Also, make sure to get the heater duct from the front of the truck. It looks like this, and is quite a pain to get out from my experiences:
Vjnr66rl.jpg


Here is a guide by Turdle on removing the long console, with pictures.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209770

Now that you've got all the stuff. Here's the fun part, out with the old, in with the new.

The short console is very easy to take out.
Here is a guide on removing the short console:
http://www.mysporttrac.com/MySportTrac/projects/Console_Swap_Gen1.pdf
Follow this guide until photo 3B.
Once you get to 3B and remove the short console, you will be left with a big metal block. This block is bolted to the floor in 4 corners. Just unbolt it, and your old console is out.

To put in the new console, you'll also need to take out the front ash tray/12V power outlet. That is held in by 4 bolts. 2 on the top when you take out the ash tray, 2 on the bottom.

I also cut the power wires to my 12V power outlet to splice to the power outlet in the side of the long console.

Cuenkqal.jpg


Now that you've got that out of the way, remove the floor vent. (This pic also shows the screw holes for the old ash tray and where the new console goes in.)

WHaDd5ll.jpg


The floor vent above drove me insane. It is held in by 4 bolts, however 1 bolt is impossible to get to. If anyone knows a short cut to getting it out, please tell me.

Once you get it out, put in the new one with the front cut out.

You are now ready to do some wiring.
In my case, I only connected the rear blower, and after tracing it down, I got the blower working great!

You will see this harness coming out of your new console:
2ld76V0l.jpg


These are the wires at the other end:

JwbHsUxl.jpg


Don't be overwhelmed by the amount of wires. We really only need 4 of them.

These are the wires you will need:
L6dHEXTl.jpg


From left to right:

Ground - Black
Blower Ground - Red/Orange (There are 2 red/orange wires. The ground is the thicker one.)
12V Constant - Black/Purple (This is for the side power outlet)
Blower Power - Pink/White (This is blower power)

The 2 ground wires I connected to the original ground wire for the 12V Power Outlet that I cut off.
Red/Orange and Black to Black coming from dash.
The Black/Purple wire I connected to Black/Purple wire coming from the dash.
The Pink/White wire, I connected to the radio 12V Switched power. This way, I can only use the rear blower if the truck is on. The color of the wire on my truck was Yellow/Black. Colors will vary with radios.

Now, take your mounting bracket, and line it up with the 2 holes in the back. You'll see them, they are pre-drilled from Ford.
Mount that bracket there. In my case, I just used a glue that works on metal and put special trim clips in there to hold it in place. It's in there pretty good.
(Don't mind the dirty carpet)

VNHqUEml.jpg


aEXj2Rdl.jpg


Once you have that bracket in, everything should fit in together.

Get the console in there, and slide it in. Opposite of removal..

At the front, tighten up the 2 bolts, and hook up the huge wire harness. Make sure to tighten the bolt in the middle of the harness.

ADWaXm7l.jpg


Put the front cupholders and cubby in. And you're done. Enjoy your new long console!

Just a few pics of the final product..

OBnF9QNl.jpg


L6Ugf0ml.jpg


Little side note, any clever ideas on what to do with the ash tray bulb I found.. Never even knew I had it. :D

- Dom
 



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looks nice :)
 


















lmao, good then. actually i need to clean mine.. its kind of discusting in back, amazing how fast lawnmowers dirty ur your cargo area xD so when u gunna get your console actually all mounted up?
 






lmao, good then. actually i need to clean mine.. its kind of discusting in back, amazing how fast lawnmowers dirty ur your cargo area xD so when u gunna get your console actually all mounted up?

Probably the weekend. Overwhelmed with work and studying lately.
And, yeah, after I get that console in. I'm doing a full carpet cleaning. I found this nice foam carpet cleaner. Worked great!
Gonna do an interior detailing. :D
 






wait i thot u did interior detailing like a week ago? or was that exterior? i gotta do full interior and exterior, almost ready to re-clearcoat my hood lol.
 






wait i thot u did interior detailing like a week ago? or was that exterior? i gotta do full interior and exterior, almost ready to re-clearcoat my hood lol.

I did a full exterior detail in the summer. Lol. A week ago.. no, maybe 2 months. :eek:
I need a full in and out detail actually..
 
























thats better. and when u detail teh interior, somnetimes u find wierd stuff.. i took off the plastic step piece on my rear right passenger door sill... the cavity there (for wires) was full of rocks... like all of them little 1/4-3/8" diamiter just stuck in theer it was the most bizarre thing ever haha.
 






thats better. and when u detail the interior, somnetimes u find wierd stuff.. i took off the plastic step piece on my rear right passenger door sill... the cavity there (for wires) was full of rocks... like all of them little 1/4-3/8" diamiter just stuck in theer it was the most bizarre thing ever haha.

Yeah, tell me about it.
I was tearing up carpet to clean in some places and I saw a metal ring. I'm like, what the hell is this. I grab it, turns out to be a keychain.. Not just any keychain either. It's the original keychain from the Ford dealership that the truck was bought from in 97. Even says, "Lincoln Mercury Ford Trucks" on it. Best part is.. we got the truck used. Nice find.. :D
 






Shameless self bump. Thread is now complete! :D
And truck's interior has been detailed. :D
 






Nice write up Dom. I'm setting you up with a 3 month Elite Explorer membership for your effort:chug:
 






Nice write up Dom. I'm setting you up with a 3 month Elite Explorer membership for your effort:chug:

Thank you kind sir.
I won't tell anyone you just offered a keg to a minor. ;)
 






What else is needed to get the radio buttons to work or is it more work then it's worth
 






What else is needed to get the radio buttons to work or is it more work then it's worth

Way more than it's worth.
It's a lot of work to wire up, and the easiest way to wire it up would be to change the whole dash harness to one from an ex with the center console controls.
Also, those rear controls are useless with a factory deck.

Right now, I'm trying to hook up the factory CD changer that I got with the console to the radio. Much harder in a 97 or older than a 98+, since the 98 has a simple harness, the 97 requires you tapping into stuff.
 






That's what I figured I have the new Panasonic head unit w xm and pandora an all that so I'm not interested in a cd changer at all I just figured why not if its there use it but ill just cut it out and add a pocket or cig lighter outlet thanks for the info and write up
 



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That's what I figured I have the new Panasonic head unit w xm and pandora an all that so I'm not interested in a cd changer at all I just figured why not if its there use it but ill just cut it out and add a pocket or cig lighter outlet thanks for the info and write up

Actually, many consoles come without the cd changer, and they just have a huge storage cubby in it's place. So you can find a console insert like that.
I still haven't hooked up the CD Changer, and I doubt that I will anytime soon since it's cold out right now. :(
 






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