Warning Buzzer

Was the warning buzzer a standard item on 1986 F150's? If so, where was it located inside the cab? I do not have any buzzer noise when I turn the key on. Call me crazy, but I kind of want that buzzer, for nostalgia purposes. Thoughts?

It is behind dash board on the the passenger side, slightly above the blank panel above the glovebox and  between the air vents (if you have them). You may be able to reach up from below to locate it. The lack of a buzzer may be that a wire was cut because someone found the noise annoying.

I don't have any air vents, so that is not an issue.

It attaches by fitting a rectangle on the buzzer into a slot on the dash frame and then rotating so remove likewise.

If I remember correctly it's on the same circuit as the dome light. If that does not work or come on when the door opens     I would check that fuse.

I'm the same way - I retained the buzzer on my 1980 for just that reason.  Whenever my grandfather would take me for a ride somewhere in the truck, that buzzer always went off - he wasn't a big believer in seat belts.

Fun story: just before the coronapocalypse hit, I had a teenager in the truck with me...we were going around the back of the school to pick up some heavy gear for the robotics team that I mentor.  We get in, I start the truck, and the poor kid just about crapped his pants when the buzzer went off.

I had to explain to him that back in the dark ages, the 'warning chime' hadn't been invented yet, and all we had were buzzers.

Nothing says "old truck" more than pumping the gas to set the choke before starting and the old-school warning buzzer!


According to my 1986 F-Series sales brochure, the warning buzzer changed to a warning chime in 1986 for the Lariat models.

All other lesser models still used the warning buzzer.

My 86 Lariat has the buzzer and while the chime would be a little less grating and my kids probably wouldn't put their hands over their ears anymore, I agree - it's part of the era.

I must be one of the few that can absolutely not stand it lol. My father was the same way, as soon as it worked the first words out of his mouth were "well no wonder why I disconnected it".

Same with my 86 Lariat. Buzzer.

Well...I'm glad I'm not the only crazy guy that wants it back. I thought there would be an overwhelming response of "get rid of it!"

I do have dome light just fine, and I have gone through all the fuses and they are all good. Interestingly, this truck is so basic, it doesn't even have a doom jamb switch for the dome light on the passenger side.

Does anyone have a picture of what the buzzer "box" looks like, better yet, what it looks like installed?

Here is the buzzer. It mounts upside down (wires up) to the right of the glovebox latch. On the metal dash frame there is a wider spot with a slot for the tab you see on the buzzer. As I mentioned earlier, the tab is inserted sideways (parallel to the truck) and then rotated 90 degrees.



Here one is installed. Looking through the front windshield.

grumpin wrote

Same with my 86 Lariat. Buzzer.

Interesting.  I guess this is another example where the factory brochure was premature and Ford saved it for the 1987 redesign.

My 1985 brochure lists "new cloth covered sun visors" for the Lariat models, but that didn't happen either until 1987.  

And my 1985 Owner's Manual lists spark plug specs for a "5.0 Liter 4V H.O." engine that didn't happen.  

But Lucille has both of these options, so that makes her a very rare truck indeed.

I happen to have one dangling off the work table, but can't see the one on Big Blue as it is below the dash cover and above the glove box liner, IIRC.

There were a few different versions of buzzer.

80-82 had two separate buzzers, one for the door (standard buzzer), another for headlights (when equipped with the light group option). Opening your door and leaving your headlights on was fun in those trucks.

83+ had a standard buzzer, but light group trucks had the headlights on buzzer combined with the door open buzzer, it was one single unit.

They're all different colors as well, I've seen them in black, white, and green. There may have been other colors as well. I can't remember which color went with which option, but my 1986 standard dash has a white buzzer.

I found it. I took the glove box out, reached up and found the buzzer itself mounted exactly where you guys say it should be. Mercifully, the previous owner simply unplugged it. The wire still had the plug on it, so I plugged it back in, and there it went. And mine is white.










Cameron

1986 F-150 Base, 4x2, 4.9L I6, C6
1992 F-250 XLT, longbed extended cab, 4x4, 7.5L V8, ZF5 5-speed

Funny this came up
I took the truck to work to day and when got in to come home the key would not go in all the way and was like oh sh** if I cant get the key in how am I going to get home?

I fooled with the key some and with a little force it went in then turn the key and started and wouldn't you know the buzzer sounded till the seat belt light went off.
At least that's what I think as I never had the buzzer work before then and kind of shocked me.

Now I don't know how the system knows when the buzzer should work or not but on another project the key in the IGN it should sound the buzzer but that car has a button the key hits to make it work.

I will see next time I go to start it if it buzzes or not but I not going to go pulling the dash apart to unplug it.

Truck is a 81 - wiring from 81 Ranger and light switches in both doors
Dave ----

I put the horn pad in Big Blue today, and all the while that buzzer was going off.  It was obnoxious.  So, is that because the seat belt is disconnected?  The headlights nor key are on.  

Gary Lewis wrote

I put the horn pad in Big Blue today, and all the while that buzzer was going off.  It was obnoxious.  So, is that because the seat belt is disconnected?  The headlights nor key are on.  

I didn't think the seat belt buzzer was supposed to go off until the key was turned to on?

I agree, I don't believe the buzzer is supposed to go off unless the head lights are on, IIRC. Or if the key is in the ignition and the door is open thus turning on the dome light. It's been awhile since I last heard one working though.