Hey all, don's know if anyone can answer this one - I've got the STUPID OEM tape player in my 98 and want to at least get a less stupid OEM CD player. The only hitch is that the guy I'm planning to get it from at EBay says the harness connections are different from what I have on my tape player than on his CD player. Is this true or should it be a simple plug and play deal?

 

Forget that first message, I figured out I can buy an adapter kit that converts my two existing female vertical plugs into the newer square type male plug. But, which trucks had the cd player with blue lights? I checked out the cd player in my wife's 01 escape and it had green lights- my 98 F150 have "bluish green" ones (wife caught me looking to swap hers out with mine - ugly scene....) I just want to do ALL my homework before laying down the cash on this guy on Ebay. Thanks for any help...

 

The 99-up model years have the newer style head units like the one the guy is selling on ebay. They are plug and play among any of the 99-2002 Ford vehicles. I know, I just verified by plugging the stock 2002 Explorer Sport Trac cd/tape into my 2001 Supercrew and it worked, even with my changer in the console. I was amazed that Ford finally made something standard in their cars. I wonder how long that will last. As for yours, I am not familiar with the differences in the 98's and the newer ones. I would imagine your best bet would be to find one that is out of a 98 to make it easiest, but that may be easier said than done.

Good luck.

 

I am amazed also. I bet it was an accident LOL. I sold my factory CD player and changer to a guy on eBay who installed it in his 02 Scew without a hitch. I think he even found the factory wiring in his truck for the changer so it was plug and play. I told him I thought he would have to modify harnesses, etc. You will have to ask JHimes to know for sure.

David

 

I am working on this exact conversion as we speak. Got the harness from a member of the board, now figuring out how I'm going to mount it because there is a difference in size and mounting (at least between my 2000 single CD head unit and my dad's 97 F-150 which is what its getting mounted in)

 

97 & 98 have the blue lights.

99 & newer, green.

Ford changed the radio wiring harness mid-year in '98. I put a CD radio from a '97 in my '98, but had to buy an adapter harness. My '98 was built in Aug. 98 and has the newer style connectors.

You can buy the harness from:

www.radiosandmore.com

 

Finally got the CD player!!! Needed an adapter but works great. I guess I just like the stock look. If only the aftermarket guys made the sotck lookalikes like they used to in Crutchfield... hohum.

 

I was able to install the AM/FM/CAssette - CD changer controller head with 6 disc changer units I purchased from Brokeagin in my 01 Screw.

The rear connectors were just the same as on my AM/FM/CD head unit. As I could not find the wiring for the CD changer, I did need to purchase a harness. Basically the harenss had 2 sets of connectors, 1 set pluged into the head unit, the 2nd set is where the existing connectors pluged into & then a harness to route to where I installed the changer.

As I have not seen any definitave that all Screw's are pre-wired for the changer, this could be the way Ford does it.

If it wasn't for the cd changer, swaping the 2 units would have been plug and play!

If I would have purchased the head unit with the built in changer, it also would have been plug and play, I just would have had to cut a small support member as that unit is box shaped, not a wedge like the other units.