The Ford F150 was released in 1975 to bridge the gap between the F100 and F250. Initially it was intended to avoid certain emission control restrictions. It was a few years later in 1980 that Ford started including wiring in the F150s so a radio could be included.
Since then there have been two updates to this initial wiring system so in this post we will cover all of the potential model years by exploring these three wiring diagrams. Known as the wiring harness diagram it is important to understand it if we are trying to put in our own radio.
What Is a Wiring Harness?
Also referred to as a cable harness, a wiring harness is an assembly of the cables and wires that supply signals and power to a device. In this instance we are talking about truck radios. This means wires that supply radio signals, power and transmit audio information to speakers.
These wires are bound together usually with a durable material such as rubber or vinyl. When working with these wires you can even use electrical tape to secure any that come loose from the original bundle.
The intent of these bundles is to make sure all the required wires meant to attach an external device into the vehicle's electrical system are together in one place. It saves a lot of space and a great deal of confusion.
The Earliest Ford F150 Wire Harness Diagram 1980 – 1986
We may as well start at the start with the first six model years of the F150 that featured hookups for a radio. These were in the seventh generation models of the F-series trucks and the F150 itself had only been added during the sixth generation.
The radios in the seventh generation had a larger single DIN setup. For those who do not know, DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung. This institute sets a standard that specifies the height and width for car head units i.e. the radio you are putting into the car.
The table below explains the functions of the individual wires and the color associated with the specific functions. This will help you identify which wire needs to be attached to which part of the radio unit itself.
Wire Function | Wire Color |
---|---|
12V Battery Wire | Light Green |
12V Accessory Switched Wire | Yellow or Green |
Ground Wire | Black |
Illumination Wire | Blue or Brown |
Left Front Speaker Positive | Green |
Left Front Speaker Negative | Black or White |
Right Front Speaker Positive | White or Red |
Right Front Speaker Negative | Black or White |
Generally speaking this is one of the easiest radio hookups in the F150 range because it was so much more basic during these early years. Some of the colors are repeated as you will notice which can be frustrating but a check of your specific model year may help you identify the correct wire.
Ford F150 Wire Harness Diagram 1987 – 1999
The next iteration of the wire harness for the Ford F150 radio system would stay largely unchanged for over a decade. This wire harness covers the 8th, 9th and 10th generations of the F150. These generations saw the introduction of bench-style dashboards and the option for single or double DIN systems
It is still very similar to the old system from 1980 – 1986 but there are some obvious changes as you will see from the table below.
Wire Function | Wire Color |
---|---|
Battery Constant 12V+ Wire | Green/Yellow (8th), Green/Violet (9th), Green/Pink (10th) |
12V Switched Wire | Black/Yellow (8th), Black/Pink (9th), Black/Violet (10th) |
Ground Wire | Red/Black (8th), Black/Green (9th& 10th) |
Illumination Wire | Blue/Red (8th), LT Blue/Red (9th & 10th) |
Left Front Speaker Wire Positive | Orange/Green (8th), Gray/LT Blue (9th & 10th) |
Left Front Speaker Wire Negative | Black/White (8th), Tan/Yellow (9th & 10th) |
Right Front Speaker Wire Positive | White/Green (8th), White/LT Green (9th & 10th) |
Right Front Speaker Wire Negative | Black/White (8th), DK Green/Orange (9th & 10th) |
Left Rear Speaker Wire Positive | Pink/Green (8th), Orange/LT Green (9th & 10th) |
Left Rear Speaker Wire Negative | Blue/Pink (8th), LT Blue/White (9th & 10th) |
Right Rear Speaker Wire Positive | Pink/Blue (8th), Orange/Red (9th & 10th) |
Right Rear Speaker Wire Negative | Green/Orange (8th), Brown/Pink (9th & 10th) |
Antenna Trigger Wire | Blue (9th & 10th) |
In the 8th generation you will note that the addition of rear speakers has added a further eight wires to the harness. Additionally in the 9th and 10th generations another wire is added known as the Antenna Trigger wire.
This trigger wire is the one which from the 9th generation onwards would instigate the raising and lowering of the radio antenna. Until this point Ford F150s had static aerials which were always up.
With the extra wiring obviously it is a little trickier to fit a new radio to the trucks in generation 9 – 10. It is still however not terribly difficult to do. Confirming the specific diagram for your model year should clear up any confusion regarding wire colors.
It should be noted that midway through generation 10 there was a shift to a slightly different wire harness layout.
Ford F150 Wire Harness Diagram 2000 – 2021
It was in 2000 that Ford F150s started to get an updated wire harness layout but as little else of note changed these model years were still considered generation 10 vehicles. Subsequent generations 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th have maintained this same layout for wiring purposes.
The color coding system has also thankfully remained the same since 2000 so there are no concerns over which generation the vehicle is. In the table below you will see the most recent wire harness system and the colors attached to particular wires.
Wire Function | Wire Color |
---|---|
15A Fuse 11 Panel | Yellow or Black |
Power (B+) | Light Green or Purple |
Ground (Bottom or Left Kick Panel) | Black |
Fused Ignition | Yellow or Black |
Illumination | Light Blue, Red, Orange, & Black |
Ground (Bottom or Right Kick Panel) | Black or Light Green |
Left Front Speaker Positive | Orange or Light Green |
Left Front Speaker Negative | Light Blue or White |
Left Rear Speaker Positive | Pink or Light Green |
Left Rear Speaker Negative | Tan or Yellow |
Right Front Speaker Positive | White or Light Green |
Right Front Speaker Negative | Dark Green or Orange |
Right Rear Speaker Positive | Pink or Light Blue |
Right Rear Speaker Negative | Brown or Pink |
The newer system does not really have more wires so again as long as you can determine which wire corresponds to which function it should not be too difficult to attach a new radio into your car. In order to clear any confusion with this particular layout it should be noted the B+ wire is basically the battery 12V found in earlier models.
How Do I Choose a New Radio for a Ford F150?
When it comes to car radios not all are created equal. There can be a great deal of difference between manufacturers, size and specific model years. You therefore really need to do your research and find a radio that matches your specific make, model and year.
Thankfully we have the internet at our hands these days so googling radions for a 2000 Ford F150 will likely bring up a whole host of purchasing options. The older the model year the more specialized a supplier you will need but there are still radios out there for even the early 80s Ford F150s.
Conclusion
Hopefully this look at the wiring harnesses of the past almost 40 years of Ford F150s has given you some insight into how to fit a new radio in your truck. As with all things today there’s also probably a YouTube video out there to help you with the more technical aspects of the task.
If however this has all seemed a little daunting then do not worry. There are plenty of reputable vendors who can not only supply a new radio but also fit it for you as well. There is no shame in letting the experts do the job, it’s better than ruining a radio by wiring it incorrectly.
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