328: loose wire in engine compartment.. where does it go?

[ryanf]

I noticed a loose connector hanging off the bottom of my engine of my '98 328i the other day, and I can't for the life of me figure out where it goes.

It was hanging down on the passenger side, forward of the front wheel. It has a two pronged connector end. My guess is it's a power lead (since the leads look like they're isulated with a ceramic), but the wire bundle it is part of contains the hood-contact switch, so maybe it's a sensor lead.
It comes from a small wire bundle that pops out of the firewall right behind the positive jumper-cable terminal, breaks into several smaller wires near the washer fluid tank, then drops downwards near the hood-contact-switch. It's long enough to reach just about anything in the front passenger-side quadrent of the engine. The wire is rather thin.

I've been poking around with a flashlight and searching through my Bently and Chilton manuals, but I just can't find any clues. It has to have been plugged into something, and that something can't be working too well without it, I'd imagine. Any ideas?

Here are some blurry pics. My camera doesn't like taking close up shots.

 

[wood_e]

Maybe it's for a fog light? I wish I had a 328 so I could check it out...

 

[bmwboy]

it looks to me like a light plug in but since i am away form my 328 i can not tell you for sure but when i am at home agian i will let yuo know/ also you might want to to check if the other side headlight plug looks like that or even fog light plug. thats what it looks like. sorry i cant be of better help to you.

 

[m5runner]

its for a light. check your light connections

 

[Frosty Power 323CI]

You got side markers on your car? I know some of the cars don't have side markers and those look like the wires for them. Other than that I'd say the fog lights. Let me know how you make out...

 

[ryanf]

It's not for the lights, although that was a good suggestion. The lights use a slightly different plug style. Also, I did turn on all the lights, turn signals, and fog lamps to make sure everything was working.
My washer fluid pump is working, as well, so I don't think it's that either.

What I need is a list of parts in that region so I can check them one by one. You'd think the bently or chilton books would help with this, but they always assume you know what part you're working on. Ugh.

I've checked:
low beam, high beam, running lamp, turn lamp, fog lamp
hood contact switch
washer fluid sensor
washer fluid pump

things I know are in the area but haven't checked yet:
abs wheel sensor

 

[redhandmonkey]

it looks like the plug for your outside temperature sensor. ON 325's the sensor is located in a vent that cools the front brakes. CHeck to see if you are reading an outside air temp on your console computer.

 

[Pink_Floyd]

Coolant level sender?

 

[JUS]

It's your windshield washer fluid reservoir pump connector wire colors violet/black w/ violet.
The coolant lever connector is smaller.


JUS

 

[m5runner]

it actually goes to that copper/gold looking deal down by the wheel well. it was urking me so much that i had to see where it went.