So I broke the cardinal rule swapping out two CD players I have, and didn't disconnect the battery first You guessed it, the radio shorted out and I can't get that or my dome light to come on. After checking all of the fuses in the fuse box under the steering column, they all are fine. Everything I look up online seems to say there are another set of fuses in the power distribution box, which supposedly is on the left side of the engine bay... I can't find it. I think I know what it looks like, since I've seen it on other cars before, but it's nowhere to be seen. Anyone have any ideas, or preferably pictures? Or maybe the problem lies somewhere else... thanks!


90 F150, EFI, 5.0L, 4sp auto

 

Your truck doesn't have a distribution box, it has fusible links instead. They are bolted to the battery side of the starter solenoid. There's one or two on the drivers side near the firewall too.

 

Could my problem come from there? What do they look like and how can I tell if I've messed one up?

 

Fusible links melt when they short. Its basically a thin piece of wire. You'll know if you ruined one.

 

They are smaller gauge wires that are designed to melt so the whole wire doesn't burn. They sometimes look bigger though because they have thicker insulation around them. They are bolted to the solenoid, where they get power, and then with a factory one there's a plastic spot where the wire changes to the regular wire. Other than the battery positive cable, every other wire connected to that terminal on the solenoid is a fusible link.