# Mystery plastic container on Toyota Rav4? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** rav4, toyota\ **Created:** [November 22, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617 "2016-11-22T15:47:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cole\_s\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Cole\_s\_Law](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cole_s_Law)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/1 "2016-11-22T15:47:22Z")
Hello all. I’ll freely admit this question is more academic in nature than a pressing maintenance concern, but I’m too curious for my own good. I drive a 2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport. A couple days ago, I had the misfortune of hitting a deer out in rural Kansas (though I suppose the deer was less fortunate than I was). While assessing the driveability of my newly-rearranged front end, I noticed a cracked plastic container dangling down under the car (circled in the attached photo. figuring out what it did or held seemed kind of important, but I just couldn’t make sense of it. Here’s what I know about it: -It has a single hole, roughly quarter sized, at the top. -It looks to hold about a quart, but was dry on the inside. -It would have originally been behind the driver’s side headlight, or near there. -It is not a coolant overflow, wiper fluid, or brake fluid reservoir. I’ve looked at engine diagrams online, with no luck. Any ideas? ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/5/52ddd05a5b0e627d435b392f84f7ebe9acfd0b17.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/2 "2016-11-22T15:55:00Z")
I assume you are going to have a body shop repair this vehicle so the part will be listed on the final invoice and you will know exactly what it is. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/3 "2016-11-22T16:43:52Z")
perhaps it belonged to the deer??? 😁😂 ---
**Author:** ![Cole\_s\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Cole\_s\_Law](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cole_s_Law)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/4 "2016-11-22T17:52:08Z")
@eddo I hope the deer doesn’t ask for it back! 😃 @VOLVO_V70 True. I admit this is more curiosity than necessity based, but I’ve also got a feeling the list of replaced parts will be long. It’s something I’m mulling over while I wait for the estimate. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/5 "2016-11-22T19:03:12Z")
Vacuum reservoir. Edit: NOT…Nevada 545 (below) is surely right. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/6 "2016-11-22T19:11:23Z")
That is the air cleaner intake resonator. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/7 "2016-11-22T21:02:19Z")
I think that’s where he stashes his moonshine. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/8 "2016-11-22T22:49:42Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > That is the air cleaner intake resonator. Yup! ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/b/b2403c8215590c0cf76c8c7363e833bf2fce5209.jpg) It probably ain’t broke, so it might not end up on the parts list. ---
**Author:** ![Cole\_s\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Cole\_s\_Law](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cole_s_Law)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/9 "2016-11-23T00:18:24Z")
Now there’s an idea! ---
**Author:** ![Cole\_s\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Cole\_s\_Law](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cole_s_Law)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/10 "2016-11-23T00:19:29Z")
Aha-perfect! That’s the diagram I was looking for! I wasn’t expecting it to be part of the air intake system, so I wouldn’t have found it. Thanks all-I’m going to go read up on what exactly that thing does. I can check my one new thing learned off my list for the day. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mystery-plastic-container-on-toyota-rav4/96617/11 "2016-11-23T03:17:56Z")
Not sure what that part does on your car, but on my Corolla there’s a weird banana-shaped gadget, an offshoot of the air intake path. It’s purpose is to hold a supply of filtered air all ready to go into the engine on rapid accelerations. Without it, accelerations might be slowed a bit due to the time it takes the air filter to filter a bolus of air. And it probably smooths the air flow enough that it improves the accuracy of the intake air flow measurement sensor. My guess anyway.