Wires from overhead console to dome light?

[Freshmo55]

Hello!

I am wiring my overhead console (without a wiring harness) and am trying to figure out how to hook up the 2 wires to the dome light.

When I pulled off the plastic cover and found the wires I only found one wire that ran between 2 screw holes. How do I splice into the dome light for the two wires coming out of the console?
Are there supposed to be 2 wires?

Also I have an aftermarket cd changer wired to my ford radio. If I wire certain power wires from my console to the radio also, will that be too much for those wires?

Any help would be greatly appreciate!
thanks!

 

[Crankcase]

You might want to keep the console power wire seperate from the radio...There is only a 15 amp fuse protecting it....

 

[AlaskanJack]

Hmmm. according to the wiring diagram I thought it was supposed to connect into the wires in the a-pillar. I will go put my pants on and get my electrical and vacuum wiring diagram book for the 1991 Explorer.

 

[AlaskanJack]

yuck, yuck..... 1991 didn't have overhead console yet. Stupid me.

I did find these write ups hope they help the ranger one is very thorough.

Installing overhead console from Explorer forum
Dead Link Removed

Ranger station link

Hope this helps. I want to install an overhead console in my 93 so I will be interested in how you do this.

 

[MattHarrell]

Freshmo55, I just installed one in a '91 so I can give you advice on the console but not on a '99 specifically.

Anyway, are you trying to set it up so the map lights on the console come on when the door opens? I didn't do that but it's just a matter of doing that one wire. Look at the picture AlaskanJack was kind enough to provide. The Green/Orange line provides power for the dome lights - I tied this one together with the Grey/Yellow line and it allows me to flip on the map lights when the vehicle is on. The Black/Blue line should be the one to trigger the lights when the door is open. That's the one you would want to tie to the overhead light.

I don't know about overloading the radio circuit. I tied mine there but I don't have anything else on there except the radio. You might give it a try and see if you blow the fuse

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Freshmo55,
I wondered when you would get that console wired up! Mine has worked great for months now.
I wired mine up just like you mention. First off, I printed out, and used that drawing. Hold the plug oriented like in the drawing to figure out which wire is which. The colors did not match up, but the positions did.

I unscrewed the existing console light and found 2 wires. (if I remember right...the wires were tucked under the headliner towards the back. I had to pull them out from up there?)
I ran wires, one each from these wires to the DOME light in the drawing provided in this post.

I pulled the radio (stock) out and tapped the FUSE 7.5A wire into the radio yellow/black stripe wire.

I also used the radio harness and tapped the DIMMER switch wire into the pink/black stripe wire on the radio harness.

I attached the GROUND wire to the screw holding the bracket to the roof.

I did not connect the SPEED sensor wire.

I ran my own wires for the TEMP sensor.

My electronics have worked perfectly. I have one problem that I could not figure out......when I dim the lights with the dimmer switch, the overhead console data lights (temp, compass) just blink!!?? Basically, I never dim the the guage lights anyway, so it's no problem for me. The console lights do dim when the headlights are turned on, just like they are supposed to, I just can't dim them all the way down like you can the guages.
Also, when I open a door, both console lights come on. I also have 4 map lights to use...all independent of each other. Just flip any of the 4 switches and I get that map light. The rear spots shine more to the feet area, and the new front ones shine more into the lap. I can light up about anything I need!!!!
Good luck, hope this might help some.
Ken

 

[BIG COUNTRY]

BOTTOMLESSPIT:

WIRE YOUR DIMMER WIRE TO THE LIGHT BULB IN THE ASHTRAY...BECAUSE IF YOU SEE, WHEN YOU DIM IT DOWN THE LIGHT IN THE TRAY WILL ALSO DIM SO I WIRED MINE TO THAT...
BUT I GOT ONE PROBLEM TOO...HEHE...I WIRED MY BLACK/BLUE WIRE TO THE REAR CARGO LIGHT SINCE IT WAS EASIER TO WIRE UP TO...AND THE ONLY TIME IT COMES ON IS WHEN I OPEN THE DOORS...HEHEHE
WHERE DID YOU GUYS WIRE YOURS UP TO?

 

[BIG COUNTRY]

nevermind...that didnt work...i rewired it to be hot at all times so you can push the button and turn them on instead of them only turning on when the door is open because the rear cargo light comes on only when a door is opened...

 

[MattHarrell]

BIG COUNTRY,
If you want you can have both behaviors. You've got two wires going there. I think the green / orange should be wired to something like the dome light and then the blue / black can go to constant power. This way the lights will come on when the doors open and when you push the switches.

I didn't both with wiring them when the doors open - the dome light in mine is bright enough I didn't need any more light.

 

[BIG COUNTRY]

yup, that is what i did, they now turn on at the switch and when i open the door...also, i hooked up my dual vanity mirrors to the orange/green wire for them to work...what was weird about them is that there is only one wire coming out of the visors and i had two wires going to them...the wire coming out was the power wire so i hooked it up to that...and what was weird about it is that i had to wrap the ground wire around the spring thing on the visor for it to work it wouldnt work just on a regular ground it had to be grounded on the visor... but it works...now that wasnt factory wired. so i wondered, how the hell was it wired up? since there was only one wire coming out of the visor....but it works so i dont care anymore...hehehe....but i cant figure out how to dim the overhead console lights with the dimmer switch

 

[MattHarrell]

I hooked the dimmer line to the radio dimmer wire. Works fine now. My radio doesn't use the dimmer so it doesn't have a use for it.

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Big Country,
Thanks for the info. My light all work great...door open and with switches. The dimming function just won't work right. I wired to the dimmer switch on my radio too, but when I dim down, my console just starts blinking. I tried the ashtray and it does the same thing. I just don't ever dim down the lights anyway!!! The auto dim feature (when you turn on the headlight switch) does work. The console light dims down for nightime driving, I just don't have further dim capability with the dimming switch. I'm not touching it and messing something up!!!
Ken

 

[BIG COUNTRY]

Yea, my dimmer doesnt work on the console...who cares, i dont use it either...it works on the switch and when the door opens...dont need to bother with it anyways...