Tailgate swap 02 to 04 wiring harness doesn't match

[Theo B Roma]

I backed my 2002 Eddie Bauer into the garage door with my tailgate open. Found a 2004 XLT the same color at a upull yard. Thought I hit the jackpot until I tried to connect the wiring harnesses. One 8 wire plugged right in. The 02 has a second 4 wire connector but the 04 has an 8 wire. I have Haynes manuals for the covered years but it doesn't tell specific wire functions by year. Last resort would be to strip out all the electrical and mechanical from the 02 and reinstall into 04. All thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Black Dynomite]

2002 to 2004 liftgate replacement

I was able to replace the 2004 Explorer XLT liftgate with a 2002 Eddie Bauer model. BUT, one of the electrical connections is different. The 2004 has one "8 wire" connection which plugs in fine to the 02 (probably tail lights, etc), but the 04 also has a "4 wire" connection that doesn't match up...

www.explorerforum.com

 

[Theo B Roma]

I backed my 2002 Eddie Bauer into the garage door with my tailgate open. Found a 2004 XLT the same color at a upull yard. Thought I hit the jackpot until I tried to connect the wiring harnesses. One 8 wire plugged right in. The 02 has a second 4 wire connector but the 04 has an 8 wire. I have Haynes manuals for the covered years but it doesn't tell specific wire functions by year. Last resort would be to strip out all the electrical and mechanical from the 02 and reinstall into 04. All thoughts would be appreciated.

FYI Update. I ended up swapping the wiring harness from the '02 into the '04. Everything works fine. The wiper, heater, and electric locks all work.

 

[mountaineer2004]

Excellent! All's well that ends well, right? Thanks for update.