Identify a car part; not sure if it fell off of my car or someone else's

dustygreyfox

I found this in the alleyway near my garage, but not sure if it fell off of the bottom of my car, or someone else's. I have almost zero knowledge of cars or car parts and so do not know what this is. I hope it's not important. It was surrounded by bits of broken black plastic or some other material. My car is a 2005 Pontiac Vibe. It has been very cold in the past week or two, so not sure if that could be why something would fall off, or not. I've been keeping the car in a garage over night, and while at work it's parked in a parking ramp.

Here is a photo of the unidentified car part:

http://www.tiikoni.com/tis/view/?id=a98c8cf

carboy21

Rubber hose linking engine to vacuum pump. or coolant to the radiator. But if you car is still working then its not from your car

dustygreyfox

Yeah, my car worked fine driving 30 min to, and then 30 min from, a place, after the point at which I thought it might have fallen off. Plus my car ran fine in 0 degrees earlier in the evening on a 15 min drive, and then in -9 degrees just now on the 15 minutes back. I think the radiator fluid level looked fine when I checked it, and my heating in my car works. I wish I could know whose car it belongs to - I suppose I could knock on everyones' doors (though there are like 10 or so garages back here), but then they'd all need to somehow get their cars checked, and logistically I don't know how I'd have each person be able to do that (if the checking requires bringing it in to a shop, if they don't see something missing by lifting up their hoods). Hmm.. I hope whoever's it is, figures out they have a problem soon and get it fixed