Can anyone tell me what the little black plastic plug thing is (see the two images top side and bottom side.) It came of the front of the car somehow - think driver side.



This is from a 2005 MCS October '04 build.

Thank you for any insight you can offer to my mystery part images

 

can't remember, but could that be the strut top cap (the one that

goes over the nut on the piston shaft?)

 

If I can figure it out here I will post the answer....

 

Could your mystery part be: Blind/Dummy Plug pn#51-71-0-141-035?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...=51&fg=80&hl=5

(Part #4)

How large is the part?

 

Man there alot of plugs on the car..looks like alot of weight

 

Now all I gotta do is find the damn thing on either side of the car, the missing one, or the other side where I think it still is....

Sure looks like your part number though...

Thanks I will let you know when I can verify it.

 

How could a plug, if it is a plug, just fall off randomly like that? Strange..

 

my 04 MC has the OEM front mud flaps self-installed by me.....I found a plug that looks exactly like what is in your picture on my driveway....it is around 3/4 inch in diameter and it pulled out I think during the winter backing out of my driveway through a snow bank left there by the street plows....it is sort of like a pop rivet, that is now obviously broken, that pops in to connect the bottom of the mudflap with the bottom of the cowling and into the frame...there are a bunch of similar looking plugs that connect the cowling of the wheel wells to the car.....my flap, since it is missing that connector plug, can wiggle and rotate up, but seems to be staying until I get to the dealer for a new connector.......does that sound like what you found??

 

Another possibility:

I've heard that the cars are shipped from the factory with some pad thing in the springs. They are supposed to be removed at the VPC, but a few people have mentioned they were forgotten and left in when they picked up their cars, only to fall out on their own later.

It's hard to judge by the size, but could this be the critter?

 

The size is about an inch in diameter.

Umberto, the way I found this thing is exactly as you described, except for the fact I live in Southern California and snow is almost an impossiblity and not part of my equation...

However my mud flaps are not loose, and I really think Tarzan has located the part at least from the drawing.... I looked yesterday at the car, and just can't figure out how to get to see the point where the part number he identified is actually located...

All I can say further to describe the part is it is thin rubber/plastic. It does not support much 'shape' being as much plastic as rubber, and therefor it does not flex well. Would have thought a plug near a location in a car that will obviously flex due to the road would be made of softer more pliant rubber than this little semi-ridged part.

Will keep looking at it until I can pin-point the spot and see one way other the other if that is the part.

 

The "bushing" fit into the suspension at the factory isn't the part that fell out. I'm sure of this cause I have seen the "bushings" myself, they are yellow and quite thick.

Also if someone were to have driven off with these "bushings" not removed, the ride would be horrible as my MA told me the first time I went to my MINI dealer.

I think it is the plug (Part #4) you mentioned before.