What's this??

[b1ackb1rd]

Checking the oil level when my eye fell in this. 

What is it? 

Should I be worried? 

2010 S spec 2.0tdi CFHA

[Austin 7]

Hi

 

To my eyes the pins look tarnished, i.e. it hasn't dropped off recently.

 

I suspect it's a case of the wiring loom having provision for all variants and markets, and whatever it's designed to connect to wasn't fitted to your car.

[b1ackb1rd]

31 minutes ago, Austin 7 said:

I suspect it's a case of the wiring loom having provision for all variants and markets, and whatever it's designed to connect to wasn't fitted to your car.

 

Agreed it's (hopefully) nothing that should be connected, everything works as it should anyway.

 

It's down behind the drivers side headlamp, I wonder if it's a webasto loom?

[Kenny R]

All I can say is, it is not usual to have any additional wiring installed  for options that aren’t fitted on Skoda and indeed any of the VAG range.

[Paul52]

As the above. Your Yeti seems to be from the lower end of the range (in 2013 it was E, S, SE, SE+,Elegance) so didn't come with all the toys of the higher end models (or the price tag). If everything's working just be be grateful. 

[langers2k]

Are you sure it's an electrical connection?

 

To me it looks like cooling fins for something, especially with what appears to be vertical slots cut into them.

 

It is was electrical, pins that wide seem like they could take a lot of current :/

[b1ackb1rd]

1 hour ago, langers2k said:

Are you sure it's an electrical connection?

 

To me it looks like cooling fins for something, especially with what appears to be vertical slots cut into them.

 

It is was electrical, pins that wide seem like they could take a lot of current :/

 No ! I don't have a Scooby Doo what it is! 

It does look like it's come off something and has fallen to this position.

High current? Perhaps for a webasto?

[J.R.]

If it is an electrical connector then it sure aint a VAG one, no sealing or latching evident.

 

If it is an electrical connector then the pins look to be male Lucar ones which makes it very old and very unsophisticated, definitely something aftermarket like a cheap alarm or for auxiliary driving lamps.

[weasley]

14 hours ago, J.R. said:

If it is an electrical connector then it sure aint a VAG one, no sealing or latching evident.

 

If it is an electrical connector then the pins look to be male Lucar ones which makes it very old and very unsophisticated, definitely something aftermarket like a cheap alarm or for auxiliary driving lamps.

I tend to agree - from what I can see it has at least 15 blades though; maybe something like an aftermarket towing loom?

[langers2k]

It was the 'blades' that made me think it wasn't electrical.

 

There seem to be 13 larger ones I've marked in yellow, 3 of which are huge. Then another 15 small ones I've marked in blue. It feels too many given the scale and in quite a random layout to be a normal connector...

 

A clearer picture might help but I think you're going to need a borescope or mirror to see what and how it attaches to the car...

 

[ejstubbs]

1 hour ago, langers2k said:

There seem to be 13 larger ones I've marked in yellow, 3 of which are huge. Then another 15 small ones I've marked in blue. It feels too many given the scale and in quite a random layout to be a normal connector...

 

Normal connector yes, but it seems at least likely to be an attempt at ensuring that whatever connection is made, it is made with the correct polarity/orientation.

 

Conversely, that kind of layout - with diverse sizes in no obvious pattern - would seem to make even less sense for a heat sink.  And it would be pretty unusual IMO to surround a heat sink with a plastic shroud like that, given that it would limit the air flow around the "fins" (though I admit it might offer some physical protection).

[J.R.]

The larger grey blades I thought were insulators, seperators if you like and also to prevent the mating plug from being inserted the wrong way round, the smaller silver ones being the Lucar connectors.

 

Its bugging me because I have come across something similar somewhere.

 

Could the car perhaps have been an emergency services vehicle in a former life, are there any signs of equipment being removed, holes blanked off? Anything signs that something might once have attached to the front of the vehicle? Any cables running around under the bonnet spliced into something else?

 

I am speculating that the vehicle may have once been towed using an A frame and that connector is for using the vehicles lights as trailer lights, I did a similar thing on my Westfield using a standard trailer socket spliced into the loom and a trailing lead with a trailer plug on each end, some of my van trailers have the same system. A trailer socket would be too large and visible but that connector could do the job.

[logiclee]

Tuning Box plug?

[muddyjim]

It looks a bit like one of the diesel heater connectors on this page?

 

https://www.letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/eberspacher_wiring_1.html

[J.R.]

Thats looking favorite, lucky OP if he has one fitted!

[weasley]

On 29/05/2021 at 09:19, langers2k said:

There seem to be 13 larger ones I've marked in yellow, 3 of which are huge.

A towing connector is 13 pin, with three of them being earth connectors.

[b1ackb1rd]

Ok, I managed to reach the item with the assistance of a small child's small hands. 

Self contained, tuning box perhaps but not one I've seen before. 

Plug has catches on the one side to fit in a VAG socket.

 

[b1ackb1rd]

[Frenchtone]

It looks like a tuning box bypass plug, I have a similar piece, it is utilised when the tuning box is disconnected, ie it saves disconnecting the t/box loom!

[b1ackb1rd]

@Frenchtone good call.