Help identify a part found loose in my engine bay...

Matthew.M · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:14

Found in a mk3 Mondeo 2.0 petrol.

The reverse has a 2 pin plug.

It's obviously (hopefully?) been replaced and the old one left lying where it shouldn't. All fluid levels are fine anyway.

I'm curious what it is if only so I can check there's a new one where it should be.

bledd · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:18

Oil pressure sensor..?

Matthew.M · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:21

bledd. said:
Oil pressure sensor..?

Nothing on google image search for that looks close - they have far more thread it seems.

bledd · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:28

Was just coming to the same conclusion. Goggled 'mondeo sensor' and couldn't find anything similar..

It may have bounced off the road up into your engine bay..

Matthew.M · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:29

After ages on google I've found it - reverse light switch. How random.

bledd · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:34

Do you have another plugged in?

Seems unlikely it would unscrew and unplug itself

Matthew.M · 27 Apr 2014 at 18:37

bledd. said:
Do you have another plugged in?

Seems unlikely it would unscrew and unplug itself

Reverse lights work fine so must be.

From Googling it looks like a common failure so a previous owner/garage must have just switched it and left the old one lying around. Was just bothering me trying to figure out what it was

phil675 · 27 Apr 2014 at 20:11

I found 2 sets of clamp grip things and a screwdriver in my old cars engine bay 3 months after I bought the car.

Scythe · 27 Apr 2014 at 20:40

Matthew.M said:
Reverse lights work fine so must be.

From Googling it looks like a common failure so a previous owner/garage must have just switched it and left the old one lying around. Was just bothering me trying to figure out what it was

Must be, the reverse light switch plugs into the gearbox on my clio (assume it would be the same), if it had come out you'd also have a puddle of oil on the floor

rodenal · 27 Apr 2014 at 20:41

That's pretty good going for them not to be rattling around.

I dropped an f pipe from the intake into the undertray of the e46 - might be a slightly worrying find for the next owner, kind of thing you'd wonder where the hell it came from if you'd never taken the intake out

vanpeebles · 28 Apr 2014 at 09:12

The first time I took the undertray off my old Alfa 156 I found two sockets and an old spanner

mattyprice4004 · 28 Apr 2014 at 12:09

My best find to date has to be a 1/4" Snap On ratchet I found - probably worth more than the shed of a Rover 45 I found it in.
Nestled neatly up against the lower corner of the radiator

Malt_Vinegar · 28 Apr 2014 at 13:10

mattyprice4004 said:
My best find to date has to be a 1/4" Snap On ratchet I found - probably worth more than the shed of a Rover 45 I found it in.
Nestled neatly up against the lower corner of the radiator

The previous owner probably left it there for easy access when it went wrong each time

Jonnycoupe · 28 Apr 2014 at 14:05

Could be a knock sensor, normally on the back of the block between cylinder 2 and 3 on an I4.