Is this a Variable Inductor?

[wirysage]

Hi,
I was helping my mate get his Toyota Soarer power windows working and while we were testing his switch we lost a little plastic piece shaped like an 'L', which went up inside the bottom of this electronic component.

Here are some pictures of the component and the hole at the bottom, which the plastic piece used to rest in.

After some research I'm thinking this thing is a variable inductor/coil because it seems to have a spring inside, which the plastic 'L' piece pushed against.

Now the window motor and switch work just fine without this 'L' piece for some reason. So what exactly did the 'L' piece do by pushing on the inductor's spring? Considering it works now without it pushing down on the spring just fine.

Here is some info on spring loaded variable inductors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductor#Variable_inductor

 

[(*steve*)]

Looks more like a solenoid

 

[wirysage]

Looks more like a solenoid

So why would a solenoid need a plastic 'L' piece going up inside it? From what I could see it had nothing to 'push or pull' on. It simply rested against a bare plastic surface.

 

[davenn]

yup definately looks more like a solenoid

so is there metal inside the plastic rod ?

show us a pic of the "plastic" bit

Dave

 

[(*steve*)]

Or is there a (movable) metal slug inside the coil