What's this?

[Prinze]

Hi All,Recently acquired a nice toy from a OM - an E36 318IS Coupe Original manual. Haven't really had much time to enjoy it due to work so will post more about it later. Have a questions, can someone tell me what is the part in the pic attached (circled in red) called? Notice hissing sound coming from it this morning when i started the car and there was a fairly strong petrol smell coming from it. The car has some intermittent idling problem so not sure whether it could have come from it. Appreiate if someone can point me to the right direction.

 

[jarance]

Look like one of the vacuum hose. It look like it is going to the Brake Drum.

Just change the hose as it is not expansive to change.

 

[Volvos525i]

Think it is the vacuum pipe either to brake servo or to other parts of the engine...
The red circle where the pipe is connected since it is torn it produce the hisssiing sound....suction not blowing out side...
If your brake pedal feel hard during apply brake then this pipe is connected to the brake servo the black round on your fire wall...
If applying brake the feel is still normal then this pipe is not connected to the servo it is connected to other parts of the engine...
Just replce this pipe will solve your hisssing sound....my 3 cents...

Looks like the pipe is connected to the engine rocker cover if not mistaken...

 

[Prinze]

Yeah guess no harm changing it. SHould be a straight foward DIY right? Strange thing is that the hose has some sort of petrol smell.