Car Radio Repair

Re-read what you wrote. How many radio sets are installed. Where?

It is not clear what you want to do.

Maybe there is a fuse inside.

Sorry for the confusion, perhaps I over-explained the situation.

I think I shorted something inside of the radio. I bought a truck with a chopped radio wiring harness. I repaired the truck's radio harness wiring, but I somehow shorted the hot wire off of the radio ground when I was installing the radio.

I'm wondering if I damaged a resistor or capacitor inside of the radio, because it won't power up at all. I'm sure the wiring harness is correct now, but I might have wired it incorrectly the first time I hooked it up. I suspect that I switched the ground and hot wires the first time.

I didn't see one, but I might have overlooked. I'll have to tear into it, and share pictures if I can't figure it out.

Isn't it more likely that you blew the car's fuse feeding the radio. I think the backlight circuit is separate from power.

I concur. From the second description it seems likely.

My guess(tm) is that you somehow reversed the power polarity. Use a DVM to check the polarity with the radio unplugged from the truck's

Also, some details would be nice, such as the year of the Ford Ranger truck and if possible the model number of the AM radio. Extra credit for posting a photo of the repaired radio harness.

Yes, definitely, based on "I somehow shorted the hot wire off of the radio ground, I believe". How would this involve the radio itself?

Yes, the same circuit that powers the other dashboard light, so you can make them dim or bright.