# Something fell from underneath my car **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** subaru\ **Created:** [November 28, 2018, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769 "2018-11-28T04:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jarrett\_Douma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Jarrett\_Douma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jarrett_Douma)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/1 "2018-11-28T04:14:37Z")
I just got my oil changed today and when I got back to my house I shut the door to my car and heard a piece of metal fall onto the floor. This little guy was next to the passenger side front tire underneath my car. Any ideas what this is? ![car%20part](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/5/537c346b023bd04ac468da161c2ce066d58c1b20.jpeg) ---
**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 28, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/2 "2018-11-28T04:17:44Z")
Looks like a clip from the air cleaner housing. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/3 "2018-11-28T04:19:17Z")
I can’t tell the size but assume it’s an inch or two. It would be a retaining clip I think for something. Someone would have to take a look see to figure out where it came from so just hang onto it until you go back. You never know what people mess with on a car. ---
**Author:** ![Jarrett\_Douma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Jarrett\_Douma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jarrett_Douma)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/4 "2018-11-28T04:19:19Z")
Is this an easy fix? Like could I do it myself? ---
**Author:** ![Jarrett\_Douma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Jarrett\_Douma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jarrett_Douma)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 4:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/5 "2018-11-28T04:20:13Z")
It is about two inches long and a half inch think ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 4:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/6 "2018-11-28T04:20:39Z")
Have you ever replaced the air filter? There should be a missing clip somewhere. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2018, 4:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/7 "2018-11-28T04:26:56Z")
Yeah that’s a good guess. They probably checked the air filter when they did the oil change and didn’t get the clips back. You can check it yourself or take it back to them and have them do it. You really don’t want a loose air filter cover. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/8 "2018-11-28T11:47:17Z")
Yes, you probably could do it yourself. See if there are pictures of the air cleaner in your owners manual showing the location of the clips or see if there is a YouTube video of your car. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/9 "2018-11-28T15:17:32Z")
I’m 99.9% sure it’s a clip that holds your air filter housing closed. They checked your air filter to see if they could sell you a new one. If you can’t figure out how to get it back on, take it to the shop and have them reinstall it. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/10 "2018-11-28T15:21:04Z")
There may be other such clips between the oil change place and your home, so make sure all of them are in place when you or they reinstall this one. If some are missing, they are probably available from a dealer and certainly from a wrecking yard. ---
**Author:** ![Jarrett\_Douma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Jarrett\_Douma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jarrett_Douma)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/11 "2018-11-28T17:27:19Z")
It was just an air filter housing clip. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![cravinbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b38774/32.png) [@cravinbob](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cravinbob)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/12 "2018-12-01T21:56:40Z")
That is a clip that holds a plastic shroud over the alternator cooling/pulley fins on a Ford but likely other vehicle makes have it as well. It is a safety device to protect the hands when engine is running and alternator is mounted on top in front of engine. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-fell-from-underneath-my-car/129769/15 "2018-12-01T23:30:04Z")
Yell at customers and they tend to go away. Of course they aren’t customers but look at some of the old posts and see how many folks don’t come here anymore. Getting more like an NPR coffee klatch.