Help me learn how to effectively use wiring diagrams?

ummduh · Sep 19, 2017

I'm in the middle of the Explorer 5.0 swap, but I'm being hamstrung since I don't really understand how to effectively use the Ford wiring diagrams.

I have the old Ford service DVDs that you could get for a while, and I found the fix so it all works properly.

I've come to certain connectors that don't really list what the wires do, but they're listed by code & color.

I assume I should be able to look up those wires by the code/number given and find the relevant circuits they're in? I just can't figure out how to do that!

I'm slowly figuring out how to get around the program structure, but it's been mostly 3 steps forwards 1 step back, or more like "a-ha!" "Wait, where am I now?"

adsm08 · Sep 19, 2017

I think there is a search page, where you can look for a circuit number and find the pages it is on. There is for the on-line version, I have never used the DVDs, but I think they are basically the same. The more intended use of the page you posted is if you already know what the circuit is for and you are attempting to diagnose an electrical issue, it shows you where in the connector the wire sits. That is so if you have a continuity issue you can test both sides of the connector and see which side it is on.

The number is the circuit number, the letter code is the wire color.

These are books that are meant to be used to trained technicians, not Joe Blow from his back yard, so there is a certain amount of learning involved in understanding what is going on on the page. PTS is a very hard website to navigate, and it took me many years of practice to get to being sort of not bad at it. Those DVD shop manuals follow the same layout.

ummduh · Sep 19, 2017

This is what the program looks like:

Is there somewhere that would break out the pins better? Many of the connectors have proper pinout maps, but not all of them. I'm not sure why but the diagrams for the same year Rangers are MUCH better than the Explorer diagrams.

adsm08 · Sep 19, 2017

Ford was doing rolling updates to the shop manuals around the end of the 90s. They were being updated as the vehicles were updated. The Ranger got many more changes in 2001, getting the 4.0 SOHC and loosing the PVH system mid-year, than the Explorer, which was due for a total revamp in 02.

I don't see the search button, but circuit numbers are largely the same vehicle to vehicle. It's more about what is or isn't there.

ummduh · Sep 20, 2017

Knowing that the circuit numbers are largely similar helps a lot. That leaves only 10 pins I need to figure out between the 2 platforms; 8, 10, 13, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32, 38, 41.

The only "searches" I can find beyond whats shown are while viewing a diagram, I can toggle "show associated components", "show associated connectors", """ splices" """ grounds", and one I never really noticed before, "display page references".. which may actually be what I'm looking for.

Unfortunately I need to go make dinner, I'll have to come back to this later. Thanks for the help.

adsm08 · Sep 20, 2017

The page reference is probably going to give you an index listing of what pages that circuit shows up on, which is what you want.

Help me learn how to effectively use wiring diagrams?

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