Disconnected cable - but what's it for?

[The Doctor]

Hi guys, I had my 2003 S3 up on ramps last week and discovered a disconnected cable behind the rear n/s wheel. The car is driving perfectly, and there are no warning messages on the dash display, so I've no idea what it's for. I checked behind the o/s rear wheel and there is another cable there but that one was connected. It looks like some form of thin plastic cable housing (approx. 5mm dia.), not dissimilar to a brake cable on a bike, and enters a 90 degree braided connector.

I have a picture of the cable I'm talking about, but I'm not sure how to post it on here.

 

[<tuffty/>]

Picture will need to be hosted somewhere and you paste the link in..

<tuffty/>

 

[The Doctor]

Thanks tuftybloke, try this:

http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/DrPRN/RIMG3619.jpg

Anyone help me identify what this is / should be doing!

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[NHN]

Which part as cant make it out

 

[NHN]

Aha bistro hold on that looks like the leveling sensor to the left with the plastic arm that moves up/down with axle, has that got anything plugged into it atm?

 

[The Doctor]

Right in the centre of the picture you can see the open end of the cable / cable housing that I'm talking about. Just to the right you can see the braided 90 deg connection that on the o/s rear the cable goes in to. No idea what it's for though. I've not had a good look around due to time constraints, so I thought I'd post on here 1st. Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[NHN]

Ah you mean pipe not cable, that looks like a drainage pipe

 

[Prawn]

fuel tank breather perhaps?

 

[subby]

fuel tank breather perhaps?

yep spot on. Its not electrical wiring its either an overfill pipe when its get too high up the filler neck or a breather.

 

[The Doctor]

Sorry for the confusion, yes it's more like a plastic pipe than a cable. When I wrote the last post I was juggling the kids at the same time, so not thinking clearly!!

By the looks of it, it could well be a breather of some sort, but why would there be one on each side of the car? I could understand there being one on the o/s because that's where the fuel filler is located, but not sure why there'd be one on the n/s. As I say, the one on the other side is connected into the braided section.

 

[s3ollie]

diff breather??