Wire Mystery? Smoke in the Cabin

[wmack <wmack@xxxx>]

Group,

I was driving down the road on saturday, as I was stopped at a stoplight, the 
car suddenly died. Just out of the blue cuts off. I manage to get it to the 
side of the road, and for some reason it refires. I pull it quickly into the 
next parking lot to take a look at it. But on the way to the parking lot my 
wife and I smell something burning, and next thing we know there is smoke 
filling the cabin. I made it to the parking lot, and opened the access panel 
to the fuse box and electrical compartment. 
There is a large group of wires bundled together that runs underneath/just 
behind the fuse box. There was one brown wire, maybe 14 guage, that the 
previous owner had spliced an inline fuse into it. The burning and the smoke 
was from the fuse melting, I think that is why the car cut off, because the 
wire was basically cut. 
Anyway, my question is what does this wire do? And why would it overheat, 
besides maybe having the wrong fuse in it. That day, I had the car on, and 
the radio thats it, no ac, nothing else.
I've had the car for 3 1/2 years, this is the first electrical problem I've 
had.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Willie Mack
Vin 5043