First, I wanted to thank all those that responded to my battery or starter problem. It was the battery. I had it replaced today. Thanks again!!

Here is the problem now. When I was testing for starter problems, I noticed a broken hose. It appears to run behind the oil separator. Beyond this, I cannot trace it. My first thought was it was vacuum hose. But I use the original plastic hoses that came with the car and just change the rubber ends when they deteriorate. This hose is clearly all rubber. At first I thought that it was a hose that a mechanic accidentally dropped in the engine and didn't clean up, but after grabbing and pulling on it, I discovered that it is definitely attached to something. Furthermore, noticed that after I stop the engine and open the hood, I can hear a strong hissing sound coming from this location. I spent hours looking in my Bentley manual for what this might be and unless I overlooked something-I can't find out what this hose is. The car starts and runs like a dream. But what is it and how can I fix this?