Identify this frayed hose
 

Car = 2006 Mini Cooper S w/ Automatic trans

Was peeking around underhood and noticed this frayed hose that is pulled tight. Seems like it is dangerously tight and will probably split.

Anyone know what hose this is?

Thanks.

Top level view:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...0/IMG_1428.JPG

Close up:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S...0/IMG_1431.JPG

Not very familiar with the automatics but perhaps its not a hose at all and rather the shift cable going to your p-R-N-D-L lever on the tranny itself. Grab the line with engine off/cold and have someone hop in the car and run the shifter through p-n-r-d etc and see if you feel it. Obviously engine off and cold so you don't burn yourself. But based off how low that cable is and on tranny side I'd bet its for the trans.

Which begs the question, what caused the damage?

Obviously it looked like it chafed against the ribbed silver cylinder. Not sure if that's MINI's version of a tranny cooler, looks similar to the oil cooler with its ribbed fins on the outside.

Waiting from verdict from original poster though..

silver thing looks like tranny oil cooler:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...64&hg=24&fg=15

Cable indeed looks like auto trans shift cable:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...10&hg=25&fg=20

It looks like it goes into the top of the tranny. I don't have a second person around so can't shift through to feel if the cable moves.

The trans has been in/out of the car about 4 times when the dealer replaced the oil pan seal instead of correctly diagnosing the issue as the O-ring at the rear of the block. Given their terrible ability to diagnose, they probably screwed this up on the re-install. That line doesn't seem to be able to be routed differently so I don't understand why it would be so tense.

I hate dealer$...