I was at the local pick n pull looking for parts for my 1998 f150. Came across a 2001 and took the radio out. It is an in dash CD player type. I also took the wiring harness from the dash. I am looking to install it in the 1998 truck.

Question- The part on the back of the radio where the harnesses click in, can that piece be changed from one radio to the next?

Or can someone show me where to find the wire diagrams on line?

 

should be plug and play

 

The wire harness connectors are different.

 

then you could do this. When installing aftermarket radios they have a short pigtail harness which plugs into the factory harness and all the leads are labelled. Best buy and aftermarket radio shops has them where they have radio installations. If they dont have them, it would be easy to order. There also is a different harness called a reverse harness which plugs into the back of the radio, used usually for theft repairs. splice the 2 harnesses together color for color and its plug and play.Usually the aftermarket harnesses have a universal color for each specific wire, if 1 side is the ford harness, the colors might be different and would take a little thought to make correct.

 

So I should buy a 2001 specific harness for the back of the radio and then splice into the factory 1998 wire harness that is in the dash? Are you certain this would work and the colors will match up?

 

I didnt say splice. I said buy the chassis radio plug harness pigtail from best buy or any radio installer, which plugs into your chassis harness, and work off that to create an adapter harness to connect between the chassis harness and the radio.