Anyone know what this wiring goes to?

I'm in the process of waiting for a new starter brush holder so it's not like I can go start up my car to check and see if something isn't working.
While having the parts disassembled (or actually I think its just bc I was under the hood looking in that general area) I noticed that there's a rusty piece down on the passenger side a little farther back than below the alternator where a green wire is bolted and 2 or 3 red wires appear to start/end and it looks like there should be another bolt but there's only a rusted circle.
Im hoping someone who is familiar with Hondas can identify what the wiring goes to.
The car is a 2005 Acura TSX automatic. It's practically identical to similar year Honda Accord.
I'm thinking it's most likely related to the air conditioning (just bc that wasn't working before the starter went out) but I have no idea honestly.
Any ideas would be nice! And there should def be a bolt right? I realize I need to take that other bolt out and clean all that rust off the entire area but im just trying to figure out what the wiring goes to.

I'm attaching a couple photos showing what Im talking about. Thx!

Pretty sure that's just the way that is. It looks like it shields or holds down whatever those wires are attached to under there.

Below the alternator, on the front of the engine, correct?

That's very likely the thermal protector built into the A/C compressor. It's an input to the HVAC module (along with the pressure switch) for compressor clutch engagement. I blatantly stole this image from RockAuto for reference:



For reference, if you're concerned with air conditioner operation, the thermal protector is waaaaay down on my list of suspects. :lol: I've seen a tripped thermal limiter exactly once. It was an eBay compressor. Compressor clutch failure is far more common.

Omg, yes that's exactly it!! Thank you so so much 4 identifying the part for me! Glad I checked back here to see your response b4 just going out there and tearing it up attempting to get the rust off with a rotary wire brush!!
The car was borrowed by my brother who ended up keeping it for years. He eventually left it sitting for over a year when it needed tires, brakes, steering rack & pinion and was way overdue on routine maintenance. I got it back about a year ago and replaced the battery, brakes, tires & fluids & took it in for recalls. (One for pwr steering hose, other for ECU corrosion) A month later it went into limp mode (U0107)..ended up being the ECU, it was SO corroded..I'll attach a pic. Yes, the recall was for that exact thing, but without a P0606 DTC dealerships weren't supposed 2 replace it.
Anyway, reason im telling you this is just to explain the history of the car in case any of that helps. The A/C wasn't working either when I got the car back but supposedly my brother never noticed an issue with it. My dad actually put the brakes on and did the fluid changes and he tried to recharge the A/C but said it was full.
I'm going to have to handle the A/C issue ASAP bc the car is black with black interior so it gets insanely hot.
I guess I can check the clutch operation even not having the starter brushes yet..just take the bolt off (along with washers and clutch) and make sure it spins freely? If it ends up not being the clutch bearing, what would be your next move in diagnosing the A/C? It blows air, it's just not cold.


Imagine how mad I was when I finally noticed this corrosion! I'd been testing wires on the other side of the ECU but couldn't see the corrosion from that side. Even bought a replacement TAC module because that's where the diagnosis led plus I assumed the ECU was fine since I'd just taken it to the dealership (who mentioned nothing about it).

fr33spirit wrote: I'm going to have to handle the A/C issue ASAP bc the car is black with black interior so it gets insanely hot.
I guess I can check the clutch operation even not having the starter brushes yet..just take the bolt off (along with washers and clutch) and make sure it spins freely? If it ends up not being the clutch bearing, what would be your next move in diagnosing the A/C? It blows air, it's just not cold.

What kind of tooling do you have available? A bidirectional scanner to command the A/C clutch would be ideal, but not required.

Without having the engine running, your testing options are kinda limited. The easiest test to do right now would be to ohm test the compressor clutch itself. Connect one multimeter lead to the clutch control wire, and the other to the compressor case. I don't know the spec, but I do know that these clutches generally draw two to three amps. So, I'd expect to see less than five ohms. Anything more than five ohms is questionable.

This is part of the A/C diagram, for reference. I marked the wire in question: