Message center.

[H2opro]

Hello all! I have a 98 5.0 AWD mountaineer. I got bored one day and added to "autolamp" set up to it. Now id like to add the message center. i found the old thread on adding it. But the pdf is MIA. Can anyone help me out? How difficult is this install? I'd post pics if i could figure that out as well.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

does this help you?

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center

 

[H2opro]

does this help you?

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center

Sure does. Thank you!
I've been getting bored with the warmer weather. With everything else still in storage. I converted all the lights to led. Using the stock markers and taillights. I also added the autolamp feature, buffed out the paint and put new bfg all terrain KO2's on it.

 

[239]

does this help you?

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center

I'm going to do this soon on my 2000. So you just run the wires from the message center harness to the locations he wrote about? For example the engine temperature wire from the harness wires to the cluster temperature display?

 

[koda2000]

Unless you have sensors the message center monitors you will not have full functionality. Also if you have a different size fuel tank than the donor vehicle the fuel related displays will be incorrect. I thought about doing this on my XLT, but decided it was too much work.

 

[239]

Unless you have sensors the message center monitors you will not have full functionality. Also if you have a different size fuel tank than the donor vehicle the fuel related displays will be incorrect. I thought about doing this on my XLT, but decided it was too much work.

I imagine you need the washer fluid and oil level sensors? I don't mind buying those and rock auto has pretty much every connector for 95-01 explorers. Are there more sensors than those two?

 

[koda2000]

I imagine you need the washer fluid and oil level sensors? I don't mind buying those and rock auto has pretty much every connector for 95-01 explorers. Are there more sensors than those two?

The oil level sensor is quite expensive and requires a hole in the side of the oil pan and a seal. Removing the oil pan on the V8 is not easily accomplised on a 2WD, on a AWD/4X4 it's damn near impossible. I don't know if the fuel tank has any special wiring/sensor to communicate info back to the PCM for the Message Center, but (to my knowledge) vroomvroom boom has not been able to overcome the tank size difference in his application. I find Gallons to Empty and Avg MPG are the only 2 pieces of info I ever use. W/O that info I'd find the message center pretty useless IMO.

 

[239]

The oil level sensor is quite expensive and requires a hole in the side of the oil pan and a seal. Removing the oil pan on the V8 is not easily accomplised on a 2WD, on a AWD/4X4 it's damn near impossible. I don't know if the fuel tank has any special wiring/sensor to communicate info back to the PCM for the Message Center, but (to my knowledge) vroomvroom boom has not been able to overcome the tank size difference in his application. I find Gallons to Empty and Avg MPG are the only 2 pieces of info I ever use. W/O that info I'd find the message center pretty useless IMO.

Yeah I see it now, $260 wow that's more than the MAF or IAC sensors. Still I'll definitely pull the message center if I find an Eddie Bauer with the ohv. I wouldn't mind doing this install over the next year or so. I guess you just splice the harness wires to wherever the matching wires are?

 

[koda2000]

IDK about wiring for the message center. vroomvroomboom would know best what was involved. Some of the info comes from the sensors, but I think the rest comes from the PCM.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

from what i remember, you have to tap into a wire under the hood near the pcm for fuel mileage, one in the back of the cluster for speedo, one for the low wiper fluid (if its not there, find a truck that has a mc in and either take the tank out, or pull the sensor out, drill a hole in your tank and put it in. leave the oil sensor wires a lone, and dead end them. you will get a error when you do a test on the function. on the miles to empty thing, i think there was 3 different tank sizes in all explorers. sports having the smallest of them all. there is no known way to make it read the smallest tank, or nothing that i have found (and i have picked a lot of peoples brains on this). the other 2 tanks, you either ground, or sent a 5v current to one wire, or it might be just left open./ i cant remember without looking at all the wires and what they do.