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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 04:46 PM
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stereo wirng

hey guys im new here and never seen a bigger mess behind the dash of my 78 ford f250 it has no radio in it right now and a switch wired up to work the blower for the heater high and low. i have 2 wiring harnesses that arent being used one has a black plug with a black with yellow strip, black with red strip and blue with a red strip. then there is a small green plug with blue wire with a red strip and yellow wire with a blue stip. then there is also a two wire with a connector that looks like a light balb goes in it. im completly lost and confused i just want to hook the deck up and a remote wire to it to hook my speakers to my amp

thanks for your time
 
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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 05:09 PM
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Moved here from 80-86.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 06:10 PM
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sorry i posted to the 80 thread newbe should explain it all lost newbe at that not to familier with this old truck other then its giving me a good fight
 
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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 06:22 PM
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The small green plug is the original radio plug. The blue wire with a red tracer is for lighting, all your dash lights use this. The other wire in that plug, (yellow with a blue tracer, IIRC) is switched power for the radio. The original radio grounded through the metal case to the chassis via the radio mounts. It also had a seperate light (again, blue with a red tracer).
 
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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 07:12 PM
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so the black plug with the three wires is the 3 wires in it goes to the back light for guages and what not and the green plug with the two wires is the factory wiring?? so i just hook up the two 12v to the green plug wiring then find a ground?
 
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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 07:27 PM
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I'm not at home so I can't look at my book, and I don't remember what the black plug with 3 wires is.

Yes, the green plug is original radio. The blue with red tracer is for dash lights when the headlights are on. A modern radio is usually digital so you won't use that. Hook your main power from the new radio to the yellow with blue tracer in the green plug. You'll have to run a wire from the remote on wire on your modern radio to your amp. There is nothing existing in the original truck wiring harness for that.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2011 | 07:51 PM
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ya so what wire do you think i should hook the other 12v up to if you get home and look at that book i am very curious to no what that black plug is for and if you no what to hook the other 12v to that would be great i have never had such a problem with a stereo b4

thanks again cale
 
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Old Feb 23, 2011 | 12:17 PM
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"one has a black plug with a black with yellow strip, black with red strip and blue with a red strip" This should be for the heater blower switch.

"then there is also a two wire with a connector that looks like a light bulb goes in it" If you're describing what I think you are, this should be the light for the heater control panel.

I wouldn't hook the blue with red tracer from the radio plug to anything. You shouldn't need that.
 
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Old Feb 23, 2011 | 04:57 PM
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hey guys thanks i have power to my deck now!! going to get some connectors and i should have her up and running my only other problem is the black plug for the heater is unplugged and has a jumper wire connected to it because the high and low doesnt work on mine " im guessing...." does anyone no where to get a new heater control panel at??
 
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Old Feb 23, 2011 | 06:41 PM
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I am not positive it works this way on the 70s trucks, but the 80-86 I'm familiar with have
a coil resistor assembly in the heater box that provides for hi/med/lo fan speeds.
 
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Old Feb 23, 2011 | 07:18 PM
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A heater control panel is going to have to come from a junkyard.

The '73-'79 also has a resistor for the heater motor. It sounds like that failed and some PO bypassed it all to make the motor work.
 
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Old Feb 23, 2011 | 09:39 PM
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yea the po said that there was a tab a wire connected to and it broke off and he wired this up on the side of the road im just hoping its road worthy and not going to catch on fire or drain the battery down the road and leave me stranded..... haha ...... then i also have this problem of the factory stereo plug had the blue and red wire on it that was the light for the heater panel which i dont really need but there is another 2 wire plug back there that looks like a bulb goes into it and i have no back lights on my gauge cluster. and its not the light for the ash tray because its pluged in. currently i use my garman to tell me my speed at night because i have no lights on the dash what so ever it is very dark at night lol. any help here would be great im just lost on these old trucks. just like the advise on the stereo you guys gave me i went to do it and it was simple im just not trying to screw somthing up. cant hurt to ask.

thanks in advance cale
 
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Old Feb 24, 2011 | 02:46 AM
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Heater control panel as was said you will have to get from the wrecker.

Don't be afraid to look into the 1975-1982 econoline, or 1980-1982 pickups either, although the face may look different, as long as the engineering number on the back matches the old one. "D6TB" as example etc, it will work in a pinch, but will not be good enough for a year correct restoration...


Check the fuse panel for a blown fuse on the illumination circut. The Light Blue/Red stripe wire with two wires is for the heater panel that is missing.
 
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Old Feb 24, 2011 | 07:57 AM
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i still have the heater panel in the truck that two wire plug that looks like a bulb goes in it is a long wire didnt no if it went behind the gauge cluster maybe but my ash tray light and the one under the dash doesnt work either and i replaced all my blown fuses yesterday while doing the stereo i had 3 of them blown but still no lights i also have no running lights but i have break and turn signals but i dont have normal tail lights i have a flat bed with boat trailer light from po....
 
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Old Feb 24, 2011 | 12:52 PM
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It sounds like you still have wiring issues or problems.

For the dash lights, make sure the headlight **** is turned all the way to the left to make sure the instrument dimmer isnt all the way off.

Then check for power at the light blue/red stripe wire at the headlamp switch for power with it on. If you got power there, then check it at the fuse panel. same wire untill you don't have power to the circut.

Report back what you find.
 
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