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I don't understand why you didn't just install the '97 harness as it was, and overlay the THEFT wires from your original harness. It seems like less work, and the truck would be closer to working right sooner.
The harness was already pretty hacked up on the back end, and I got it for free. I am heading to the big yard later this week to look for a standard cab harness - this one was extended cab. Ideally I would like no splicing and only having to replace the cab wiring once. This one was really just to look at how the wires run to the connectors, and to make the adapter until I find what I want.
Haven't had a chance to test anything yet....got busy today. Gonna get at it again tomorrow. Again appreciate all the help from everyone.
Long story short - that red/orange wire is everything. In the connector that goes from the driver door to the cab, the red/orange wire on the driver's door was being met by a black/white wire on the cab harness side. Black/White is usually a ground, so the power lock was getting grounded out.
I de-pinned the ground from the cab connector and pulled the red/orange wire out of the keyless harness I had, pin and all, so I could re-pin the cab connector with that wire. Reconnect and boom, my power locks operate normally.
Now I need to figure out if I need that ground for anything - everything that gets power still works in the cab, and the ground isn't even present in the keyless harness going to the door, so for now I think I can just tape it off and leave it out.
Still need to finish making the adapter and get everything buttoned up to make sure no other issues present themselves, but it looks like I am good at least until I can find the right harness.
Big thanks to Steve83 for all the help and links to those diagrams - it made all the difference.
Ford used Bk/Wh for ground AND for power; sometimes in the same cell (system). So don't just assume that one is ground. Either ID it by its pin position (if you can find that connector face), or measure its voltage in each key position with a DMM/12V test light.
I didn't post this before because I didn't want to confuse you while you were figuring things out. But this shows several features you might add to your RKE:
Ford used Bk/Wh for ground AND for power; sometimes in the same cell (system). So don't just assume that one is ground. Either ID it by its pin position (if you can find that connector face), or measure its voltage in each key position with a DMM/12V test light.
Well whatever they were using it for in the previous harness, they weren't using it in the keyless harness on the cab side or the door side of that connector, and they replaced it with the red/orange wire for the power lock motor. All of the other wires matched up perfectly within that connector (cab to door behind e-brake). So the keyless harness much be pulling ground/power thru the other cables in that connector. There is clearly a blue/black wire and black wire for power and ground within the connector. Final testing today to verify.
I didn't post this before because I didn't want to confuse you while you were figuring things out. But this shows several features you might add to your RKE:
Ha! Spoke too soon. Truck doesn't start unless I cross the posts.
At this point I am leaning towards just putting my old dash wiring in and grabbing some power mirror door harnesses from the yard. Getting tired of chasing.
Bigger Ha! I am an idiot and forgot to plug the 4x4 module in before trying to start it. Fires right up now. I misread the post saying I could leave it unplugged - obviously you just leave the switch unplugged not the module. That is a reilef - I never want to do this again.
Last edited by BLDTruth; Jun 21, 2018 at 05:08 PM.
Bigger Ha! I am an idiot and forgot to plug the 4x4 module in before trying to start it. Fires right up now. I misread the post saying I could leave it unplugged - obviously you just leave the switch unplugged not the module. That is a reilef - I never want to do this again.
