I just recently picked up a '94 XLT and I got a CD player for it this weekend. I got the old unit out fine, but the wiring harness I got that listed my truck doesn't even come close to fitting. How many different factory radios were there in these things, and what's it going to take to get the correct harness?

I know Ford did a lot of strange stuff with radios in that period, because I helped a friend with a ~'96 Windstar and it took him a few weeks to get the right harness, and even then, it was a pain in the *** to get working correctly.

Do these things have an external amp that's going to make my job more difficult?

 

There was 2 different systems in 94 you just have to figure out which one you have then get that harness. I did that and it was easy as pie. First stereo i ever put in too. ( i was only 16)

 

These are the connectors aside from the antenna lead. Anybody know what harness I need?

 

wtf is that witchcraft? I have the gray one there but not that other gobbledegook.
Go to bestbuy or one of those places, and ask to see the choices for your body style truck. not just what year it's supposed to be. I've put a custom stereo in all the vehicles we own except the '31 model A. Been in your shoes here

 

Some Fords have a secondary harness to adapt the wiring to a different style stereo. See if there's another plug further down those.

 

I'll check that after work. Any idea how deep in the dash another harness would be?

 

It's long enough to reach the stereo, just shoved down. My old '94 Taurus had it.

 

I had a couple minutes between loading parts, so I just went to the parking lot. Definitely no other harness attached unless they've been bound in tape. That's all the further either connector will come out of the dash. As tight a cable that is, I'd really prefer to not have to manually splice, and I'm sure there has to be a plug and play harness on the market, I just can't find it.

 

Wait, I think the last Ford harness I bought was a dual harness. It had the square and rectangle plugs on it. Came from WalMart.

 

That's actually the one I got, but the square ends are definitely not the same. If I get a few more minutes that I can walk away from my machine, I'll go get the other harness to take pictures.