I just bought a 95 Pathfinder whose previous owner had an amp installed by a $1 install place. I see you get what you pay for. The truck blows the L side headlight fuse every week or so and last night the lights started shorting out as if there was a loose wire somewhere. When I looked at the battery, there is a wire stuffed into the positive terminal and they have taken some kind of sensor and spliced, connected it to the positive terminal and spliced a power wire into it. Any idea how I can undo this mess, or should I take it to an auto sound store? I've built guitar amps for years, but I've never done car audio. Thanks for your help.
Sounds like some idiotic person took the short cut in installing. Unless you are fairly comfortable with electronics and power, take it to the shop and have it done professionally. If however, you are knowledgable, then strip out all wires that are not part of the original package. Chances are, if the headlights are blowing fuses, then that light is sharing the power with another power hungry device. If you don't fix that problem, it will blow more fuses and who knows what in the future. Better to fix the bad install now than leaving it to chance. If you can, strip the amp's power wires too. It probably has high gauge wire and bad ground. Does it at least have inline fuse near the battery? If not, then purchase an amp kit from Walmart (slavery) or any other car audio shop. They cost around $30. It will come with complete instruction, so don't panic. Very easy to follow. Just takes a bit of time.
Yes I agree, shortcuts are unnecessary and in your case dangerous. Go to an audio shop, but you may first have to visit an auto electrical shop, to clean up the mess of the "spliced" headlight wire.