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RESOLVED - Aftermarket Head-Unit - need location of parking brake wire


Nodd
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2014 Ford Transit Connect cargo van
Boss BE950WCPA - Digital multimedia receiver

 

I'm almost done installing a new head-unit but I need to locate the "parking brake wire" to finish the connections. In the past everyone just grounded this wire & that was enough to fool the radio into thinking the vehicle was parked. But these modern head-units are smarter than that & require you hook them up correctly. Which is fine, I kinda want to do this properly anyway, no bypassing of the safety lockouts. But... I can't find the blood wire.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

 

Ford Transit Connect android auto 002.jpg

Ford Transit Connect android auto 001.jpg

Edited by Nodd
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Okay nevermind, I figured this out. There's a white wire with violet stripe located under the hand brake center console. Apparently that is the "parking brake" wire that you need to tap into to make these modern head-units happy.

Ford Transit Connect android auto 007.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Do you know where this wire is located so I can tap into it from the Body Control Module behind the glove box?  I am installing a similar Boss head unit purchased from Crutchfield and their instructions do not have this information.  I also need to tap into the Reverse Trigger wire.  

 

The Parking brake is a White w/purple stripe wire as you've indicated.  It says it's located in a 60-pin blue plug (C) in the BCM behind the glove box.  I have included pics of an empty BCM to show the pin counts, and my own Transit's wiring.  I have pulled the only blue 60-pin connector but I'm not sure how to find which pin is 25, for the parking brake.  Since I have to be here anyway to connect the reverse trigger wire I'd rather just do both here instead of running a wire down to the parking break directly.

 

The Reverse Trigger wire is supposed to be in a 20-pin brown plug (E) in the BCM.  There is no "E" plug.  All the plugs start with "C", as best I can tell.  Also the only plug that looks even close to brown looks more like orange to me, and it's a 60-pin instead of a 20-pin, so that can't be the right one.  I have reminded myself why I would pay someone to do this normally, and why it takes so long.  I've been at it all day.

 

I think your Transit might be one of the big ones.  Mine is the small long wheel base van (instead of the wagon version), but I'll happily take any advise you have.

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BCMblank.png

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Here are drawings showing the BCM layout, reverse lamp signals and parking brake switch. The BCM layout shows the connector number e.g. C2280C and the pin numbers on each connector. Plug E is C2280E on the BCM. The reverse signal is a blu/wht wire, pin 20 on C2280E.

bcm layout.pdf

 

parking brake sw.pdf

 

reverse lamps.pdf

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Don you may have helped me with the missing link to this puzzle!  After looking more carefully at my pictures (rather than in the van) I think I do see a brown connector, and from your diagram there is an "E" at the end of the connector name in the diagram.  I really with Crutchfield had made that more clear.  So with that information, I have 2 additional questions:

 

  1. I am using the Posi-Products wire tap product to tap into this wire to connect to my wiring harness.  How do I disengage it from the connector that plugs into the BCM?  Is there a special tool or something I have to use to eject the pin from the connector so I can tap into it and put it back?  The tap connect requires that I feed the wire I intend to tap through the connector so I will have to first remove it from the plug/harness housing.
  2. I am attaching another image showing a second wire harness connector with a single pin on it for "amplifier turn-on".  The instructions say nothing about what to do with this or where to plug it in.  Since I am using just the Boss head unit and no other equipment can I do without this, or does it need to go somewhere?

step2-3.png

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Ok I was able to get farther along with the info that Don provided.  I did not have to disengage any wires from the harness/plug because the posi-tap connectors I was using fit around the wire you want to tap in to, then the top screws on with the sharp point puncturing the jacket and making contact with the cable you wish to tap.  Then the 2nd screw top on the connector comes off and that's where you feed your wire that runs back to the wire harness for the head unit.  I took some additional pictures, hopefully they are helpful...

 

That all said, Don, if you read this I did run into an issue on the E plug finding the correct reverse wire (blue with white stripe).  There ended up being 2 such wires, and I could not determine which was the correct one.  I attempted to tone with my tone generator but they're all so close together and not shielded I couldn't really tell.  So I put taps on both wires and I'll connect one and if it doesn't work I'll move the tap wire to the other.  It does seem risky and I don't want to damage anything.  If you have advice for making sure I have the correct wire I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Also from my previous response I still have no idea what to do with the "amplifier turn on" connector.  

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Sigh...do you ever have moments, where you wonder how you make it through a day?  Today has been like that for so many reasons.  Looking back at the wiring diagram Don sent, pin 19 goes to the Right rear lamp and ping 20 goes to the Left rear lamp.  The instructions from Crutchfield mentioned pin 20 specifically, but now that I took another look at the diagram either should be fine.  

 

Pro tip:

This entire project has been made easier when needing to run wires behind panels and dash pieces by taping the wires to the end of a zip tie and running that through first.  My push rods for network cabling would have been waaay too big, and a fish tape has to come back out the way it went in.  But I successfully used a cable tie as a mini push rod with a high degree of success!

 

So at this point I still don't know what to do with the amplifier turn on wire and harness, and the replacement dash piece for the head unit doesn't explain how it and the head unit should attach.  I may have to call Crutchfield on that one.  But with this one last wire everything else is done!

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Yes, the Posi-Tap connectors are great because you don't have to remove or splice wires. I have also used them to test wires for the proper signal so you are doing things properly. They only make a tiny hole in the wire thay you can leave alone or wrap tape around it if you are really worried.

 

The amp turn on needs to be any 12V signal that is only on when the ignition is on. This is typically used for an external amplifier. IF you need this you can use the signal that turns on power windows and other things. This signal stays active for 10 minutes (called accessory delay) after you turn off the ignition and keep the doors closed. This is useful for listening to music briefly while you wait in the car. You need "door modules", and if you have power windows, you should have door modules. See attached drawing. Let me know if this does not work in your vehicle and we can find another wire connected to the BCM.

**EDIT**

The amp turn on signal is typically supplied by the head unit. I was thinking about the configuration in my TC and how I had to find an amp turn on signal. I think the OP can ingnore the amp turn on wiring since he does not have an external ammp.f60.pdf

 

f60.pdf

Edited by Don Ridley
clarify amp turn on signal
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3 hours ago, devryguy81 said:

Don, again, I greatly appreciate your willingness to help!  I am assuming that if I don't have an external amp I can just ignore this wire and it's harness, correct?

 

Thanks!

Yes, this seems correct. But without all the information on your system I can't make a definitive statement. If everything is workng now, you are good.

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  • 7 months later...
3 hours ago, Don Ridley said:

Yes, to be safe, disconnect the ground wire from the battery (easy to access). The BCM has a lot of circuits that are powered with the ignition off.

Can you tell me if there is somewhere on the drivers side to tap into a switched 12v power supply?

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There is not a circuit that is easy to tap into without having the electrical diagrams. There is a fuse box near the battery (called battery junction box, BJB) that has several switched circuits. There a also many circuits on the body control module (BCM) behind the glove box. The manual lists the circuits for each fuse. Some have used an "add-a-fuse" connector to tap into a circuit.  

 

Note the cigarette lighter power ports remain hot at all times.

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