Q: What was the device that prevented my car from starting and blew a fuse? Is it safe now?

asked by on June 22, 2016

So, my car stopped while driving it. Then it wouldn't start and only lights and radio came on. I had a mechanic friend look at it and he found a blown fuse. We used a jumper and tried to start the car. It cranked but was still struggling to start. My sister noticed smoke coming from the left side. We discovered that it was coming from two disconnected wires attached to a little black box. My friend took the device out, taped the wires with electrical tape and tried to start the car. It started easily. We replaced the fuse and now it starts. What was the device and is my car safe to drive?

My car has 98000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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