What's this I've smashed on the bottom of car?? - PICS

[Moose1978]

...well not me but the missus ran over 'something' on a slip road coming off the M1 in her Citreon C3.
Looked underneath on the drivers side, just under back seats and found this



What ever she ran over has smashed the plastic bottom of what looks like some kind of air filter because small black crystals keep falling out (purple arrow) - what the hell is it?

Also there are two pipes that run from under the engine, past the unknown filter type thing above and then vanish behind the heatshield partly shown in the picture. One of these pipes has snapped off (red arrow). Again, anyone know what it's for? I've had the car running around and no fluid is coming out of either and car seems to be working just fine so not quite sure what they are??

Cheers

Edited by Moose1978 on Saturday 12th June 08:04

[SVTRick]

It may be something to do with fuel vapour recovery, if the car has such a thing.

[TheEnd]

the carbon canister, meant to grab fuel vapours, and send them to be burnt at a later stage.

[Mroad]

TheEnd said:

the carbon canister, meant to grab fuel vapours, and send them to be burnt at a later stage.

+1

All the signs of the EVAP carbon canister.
It will have two or possibly three pipes, one pipe going to the engine intake and one from the fuel tank top or filler neck and it will also have a hole or pipe going to atmosphere, most likely at the opposite end of where the other pipes are.
Any fuel vapour in the tank exits through the carbon canister to atmosphere, the fuel vapour gets stuck to the charcoal in the canister in the process so it doesn't enter the atmosphere and kill sheep, small children etc.
When the engine starts up the vacuum in the intake (via the EVAP valve) sucks atmospheric air back through the canister purging the fuel vapour from the charcoal and burning it in the engine.
Basically, it replaces the old tank breather pipe.

[SVTRick]

Simple fix then

Sticky back plastic and a cut down squeezey bottle - blue peter style.


On a serious note try a breakers yard or 2nd hand spares place.
May well be a common component on several makes / type of vehicle.