How to: The Comprehensive Brown Wire Mod Thread

[IZwack]

ROFL where the heck did you get that line?

Nowhere , it was made up except for the last phrase (italics) -- thats from Ghost in the Shell (first movie).

I wanna see what the inside of his truck looks like. Bet its almost like the instrument panel of a 747,

If yer talking about me you'll be sadly disappointed Its a plain interior with a plug for the winch control and a hydraulic gauge for the hydro steering -- that and a hydraulic steering valve sitting between the brake and gas pedals, but nothing more .

[/hijack]

 

[gijoecam]

ok so i'm thoroughly confused as to what the point of this mod is...

The short answer is that it wrestles control of the transfer case away from the electronic modules and returns control to the driver. It also provides for 2wd low range in all 95-01 Explorers.

Its an easy way to convert to "2wd" -- as for the reasons to convert to 2wd, well most people try to do it to conserve gas, some do it to do a burnout (after considering the slight consequences), while others are switch crazy (like myself) and would prefer that even the spark plugs are individually switched from inside the cab (ok well maybe not me). Still there are others that, given the proper alignment of the Jupiter, the moon, and Earth, wake up one day and say to themselves, yes, I <put name here> will be doing a BWM today, for I am me, and I am determined, and self-empowered, and this is a new beginning in my life -- a revolution if you will, for the future is bright, and the world is new. And after proper execution of the BWM, the only question left is: where for, does the newborn go from here? For the 'net is vast and infinite.

Duuuude... That was DEEP!!!:smoke:

 

[patman]

Its an easy way to convert to "2wd" -- as for the reasons to convert to 2wd, well most people try to do it to conserve gas, some do it to do a burnout (after considering the slight consequences), while others are switch crazy (like myself) and would prefer that even the spark plugs are individually switched from inside the cab (ok well maybe not me). Still there are others that, given the proper alignment of the Jupiter, the moon, and Earth, wake up one day and say to themselves, yes, I <put name here> will be doing a BWM today, for I am me, and I am determined, and self-empowered, and this is a new beginning in my life -- a revolution if you will, for the future is bright, and the world is new. And after proper execution of the BWM, the only question left is: where for, does the newborn go from here? For the 'net is vast and infinite.

slow it down a minute

before asking this i must re-iterate that i am a complete and total idiot when it comes to this brown wire mod thing so....

you say

Its an easy way to convert to "2wd"

does this mean that on my 96 sport when i turn the transfer case selector knob to "2wd" it is actually not in two wheel drive?

 

[IZwack]

The early 2nd gen sports are different, they have an actual 2wd -- as opposed to their 4-door counterparts which didnt.

 

[gijoecam]

slow it down a minute

before asking this i must re-iterate that i am a complete and total idiot when it comes to this brown wire mod thing so....

you say does this mean that on my 96 sport when i turn the transfer case selector knob to "2wd" it is actually not in two wheel drive?

As IZ mentioned, the 95 and 96s are different... If you read the early part of the write-up on the first page, you'll see that I explained the differences in the two systems pretty thoroughly. I guess the part I left out was the quick, dirty summary of what the two will give you.

For a 95 or 96, the BWM provides 2low and 4high. For a 97-01, the BWM allows you to have 4low and 2wd. Simple enough?

 

[Lankhimself]

Just did the mod yesterday, and I'm pretty sure I did it correctly it's just a little hard to tell because I am lacking a lighted rocker switch...I just have an unlit one in there right now and plan on swapping it out for a lighted one today. I originally was going to have a stand-alone light (not part of the switch) for this rocker switch but that isn't working. On the way to a friends last night I pulled over to the side of the road in a sandy area, stopped, then hit the gas with the switch in the "off" position. I felt no resistance from the front axle and I'm pretty sure I felt the rear wheels spin a bit in the dirt.

So for now...

 

[Glen4X4]

I don't know where you have yours mounted, I have mine mounted on my full length console in the middle top, and since its black, I used a black permanent marker and for one side I wrote: F-full time, then the other: A-auto and middle in off but since you have a whole different setup you could just put A for on and O for off once you figure out which way you have to turn the toggle and one way to do that is turn your switch to 4high then go to an area and try to spin the tires or slightly turn the wheel on pavement just a little to feel bind and then flick the switch the other way then you know which way is on and which way is off. But remember the binding can break something.

 

[m4dc0w]

Thinking of doing the BWM on my EX, have a simple question though.

I have a trim/bezed with a factory fog switch, since its an on/off switch it should work, a plus is it is also lighted. Has anyone tried to use this switch?
I just thought it would be a good idea with out adding another switch to the truck.

 

[gijoecam]

I don't know that anyone's tried it, but I see no reason why you couldn't, other than the fact that the switch may not be rated to carry the current necessary to feed the transfer case clutch coil. The OEM fog light switch only triggers a relay under the hood. It carries very little current itself. (most 12V 30A relays are around 0.3A on the trigger side of the relay). If the switch is capable of carrying the 5A the TCCC draws, then go for it.

-Joe

 

[jtmx101]

ok, i did the mod in my x, my question is, when i'm driving, with it eather on or off, both the 4x4 low and 4x4 high lights blink. it isn't constant, but about evert 5 mins. I know the mod is working, because when it is off, I can spin hte back tires and not feel the front tires, but every thing works fine when it is on. Is this normal??

 

[gijoecam]

Were the lights blinking before you did the mod?

 

[jtmx101]

no, it didnt start untill after i did the mod

 

[adamwarner]

If you wired the left splice to not only the lower part of the brown wire, but also a switch with constant power. would it just be like 4HI when you were in auto and flipped the second switch?

Just trying to fully understand the signal that travels through the brown wire.

 

[Glen4X4]

If you hooked the power bwm up then yeah with the flick of a switch you could be in 4high without actually turning your 4X4 switch to High but since you already have it there's not really much sense to do the power bwm IMO.

 

[gijoecam]

If you hooked the power bwm up then yeah with the flick of a switch you could be in 4high without actually turning your 4X4 switch to High but since you already have it there's not really much sense to do the power bwm IMO.

Ditto. There's no need, but yes. That's more or less how the 95/96s use the BWM to provide the full time 4high that they don't have from the factory.

 

[adamwarner]

Okay thanks, i knew it would be a waste for the switch i just wanted to understand how the power worked. I wasnt sure if it stole power from the rear and moved it to the front or just engaged the front. I was wondering because i was out playing after i did the BWM and it seemed the rear tires let loose more when it was switched over to 4HI, but that could not have been the case.

One last question, how quick could i break something really expensive in 4Lo with the BWM?

 

[gijoecam]

Strapping the car to a 2wd chassis dyno is a sure-fire way to toast the transfer case.

 

[DrKlawz]

Not to be a complete idiot...BUT-

I pulled the radio/console in my 2000 Ranger, expecting to find the fabled brown-wire, w/ splice to the upper left on the main bundle which goes up and left.

Gently peeled the tape, seperated the wires, and ... WTF? No brown wire.

I had to re-assemble to finish a few other mods, but I'm back at this this weekend. Anybody done this on a 98+ ranger? Differant wire? Differant location? I'm 'tarded?

 

[Glen4X4]

Not to be a complete idiot...BUT-

I pulled the radio/console in my 2000 Ranger, expecting to find the fabled brown-wire, w/ splice to the upper left on the main bundle which goes up and left.

Gently peeled the tape, seperated the wires, and ... WTF? No brown wire.

I had to re-assemble to finish a few other mods, but I'm back at this this weekend. Anybody done this on a 98+ ranger? Differant wire? Differant location? I'm 'tarded?

You have a different transfer case and different 4X4 setup, someone can correct me here if I'm wrong but I believe you have the 1354 T-case in which your t-case does not send power to the front driveshaft with an electronic clutch like our 95+explorers do, if you want to be able to have 2low switch to manual hubs for your truck.

 

[gijoecam]

Not to be a complete idiot...BUT-

I pulled the radio/console in my 2000 Ranger, expecting to find the fabled brown-wire, w/ splice to the upper left on the main bundle which goes up and left.

Gently peeled the tape, seperated the wires, and ... WTF? No brown wire.

I had to re-assemble to finish a few other mods, but I'm back at this this weekend. Anybody done this on a 98+ ranger? Differant wire? Differant location? I'm 'tarded?

Indeed, your 2000 Ranger is a completely different setup. Your truck utilizes a 13-54 transfer case, which has a true 2wd position already. Why are you trying to do the BWM in the first place?

If it's 2low you wish to achieve, your 2000 should still have the PVH hubs and, therefore, should be able to be retrofitted with manual hub locks. You lose the true shift on the fly convenience, but gain infinite reliability and manual control of the system.

-Joe