Using a Ford CD Unit in Another Application

radio1 · #1 02-11-2005, 07:54 PM

Help, help, help!

I bought a Ford OEM in-dash CD unit off eBay. The model number is F87F-18C815-CA. I believe this unit was used in Rangers and Explorers from about 1995 to 2001. I am attempting to use it in another Ford vehicle (a '95 Grand Marquis), but I am having problems!

The Grand Marquis came with an OEM AM/FM/Cassette unit which I want to upgrade to CD/AM/FM. The power harness seems to work. The unit powers up and acts normally. But the speaker outputs are giving me fits.

I went to a wrecking yard and found the correct connector in a wrecked Explorer (though I am not certain it is wired correctly to drive speakers directly). I clipped it out of the wreck with about eight inches of the wiring attached. It pops right into the CD unit.

When I try to figure out the wiring for the speaker outputs, nothing makes sense. I have green, blue, yellow, brown, orange/white,red/white,violet/white, and blue/black. There is also a black wire. Using a test speaker, I cannot seem to find any combination of two of these wires that makes a nice, clean output. Several combinations make for noisy and weak output, however. I have tried setting the fade and balance so that only one channel would (or SHOULD) be alive, but I still end up with weird combinations of wires that make a weak, noisy output.

I have noticed that the connector body has provisions for up to 16 wires, and there are 9 wires presently in it as I described above.

Can anyone help? Does anyone know what the speaker pin-out is on this model of CD unit??

Thanks in advance!

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radio1 · #2 02-12-2005, 06:53 PM

UPDATE:

Because I wanted to eliminate the uncertainty about the unit's condition, I took it to town and stopped at a few used car lots to try and find a vehicle that has the same unit. I was able to convince one of the dealers to allow me to swap my unit into a vehicle (I think it was about a '99 Explorer) to test it, and it works like a champ.

As I was swapping the unit in, I noticed that the power harness is wired slightly differently from what's in my Mercury. It is now apparent that the power harness in my Mercury is not wired correctly for this CD unit. Unfortunately, I had nothing with me to make a sketch of the power harness and wire colors.

I am thinking that if I had the wire colors and pinout for the power harness, I would be home free. If someone can provide that information, I would appreciate it greatly.

radio1 · #3 02-23-2005, 04:57 PM

I find it hard to believe that no one knows what the wiring of the power harness is in a 1996 or later Ranger or Explorer...

crudeau · #4 02-23-2005, 05:08 PM

go over and register at www.the12volt.com If they don't already have it listed I am sure that some one will have it. I get all of my alarm and wire schemetics off of there.

texas_fordlover · #5 02-23-2005, 05:11 PM

I'm uncertain as to what you can do. If I had the unit I can tell you what to do. But this format does have it's limits. With that said my recommendation would be to have a mass merchandiser make you one on the cheap (we have all the books and do it in five minutes for about fifteen bucks at my store) or to go to an auto parts store or bookstore and find an open copy of the chilton's or haynes guide and just jot down the one illustration you need or buy the book and have it on hand.

Good Luck