# Detached Clip/Wire Under Hood - Is it Important? (pictures)

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/detached-clip-wire-under-hood-is-it-important-pictures/89321>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, batteries\
**Created:** [March 16, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detached-clip-wire-under-hood-is-it-important-pictures/89321 "2015-03-16T02:33:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![6079](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/8797f3/32.png) [@6079](https://community.cartalk.com/u/6079)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detached-clip-wire-under-hood-is-it-important-pictures/89321/1 "2015-03-16T02:33:06Z")

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I’m very ignorant about car repair, so I attached a couple pictures showing a “clip” (the gray headed wire at the bottom of the picture that is not attached to anything). My car recently died, I suspect due to a drained battery, and I hadn’t noticed this before, but it may be standing out to me more now as I look for problems. I just wanted to ask if anyone knew the purpose of this “clip.”

Further info: it’s a 92 Chevy Lumina and the battery is underneath the area pictured. I’ve tried to jump it, but can only get it to crank a couple times before failing.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detached-clip-wire-under-hood-is-it-important-pictures/89321/2 "2015-03-16T05:26:42Z")

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If you can find no matching connector, I’d say it’s for an option you don’t have, e.g., fog lights. If you have a voltmeter or test light, you could check for voltage there with the car OFF, RUNNING, and with headlights ON for clues. I assume you’re putting in a new battery.

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**Author:** ![califcamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/41988e/32.png) [@califcamper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/califcamper)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 7:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detached-clip-wire-under-hood-is-it-important-pictures/89321/3 "2015-03-16T07:14:50Z")

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seriously doubt that wire is anything and doubt it would drain battery. What I would check though are all wires, positive (red) and negative and see if any are lose, or look for corrosion where main cables go into battery. I have found a lot of time, especially if its a side terminal, that I could actually move the cable with my hand, and would need tightened. Also, if there is no crank sound at all, just turn key and nothing, or maybe a little click sound, then that could be the starter. Usually easy way to tell if its a battery, is if it jumps with cables from another car (jumper cables).

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**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 7:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detached-clip-wire-under-hood-is-it-important-pictures/89321/4 "2015-03-16T07:21:37Z")

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I suspect that is the fuel pump test connector. Its used at the factory to power up the fuel pump and you can also put a test light on it to see if there is power to the fuel pump. Nothing to worry about but you do need to have a shop figure out what happened to make your car stall.