I had written the list a month or so back about a strange idle problem with
our 87 GL. It would all of a sudden rev up, sometimes to 3k... and if I
stomped (and quickly) on the gas pedal, it would go back to normal.
Sometimes, when we would shift gears... it would still stay revved up,
which made it run kinda wierd indeed!

The nice people on the vanagon list had mentioned it could be one of two
things..
1. The switch on the throttle
2. The idle adjustment valve. (That tube that humms on top of the engine)

Well gang, check this one out. After testing everything, and cleaning the
valve with carb cleaner.. unplugging the idle adj. relay/computer thingy
from behind the taillight... I noticed that some wires were fried in the
harness to the relay/computer thingy behind the tailight. I traced them
with the Bently, and saw they were the steering pump high pressure switch.
It was unplugged, and the other connector from the harness.... gone! <by a
PO I guess, cuz the engine appeared to have once had AC, while the van
doesn't>.

I unclipped the relay computer thingy, started it up... and it runs...
flawlessly. We drove it about 20 miles, and the problem is gone! I guess
that idle valve, and relay are only for the A/C or the Power steering. It
actually runs just find cold too!

I assume it's ok to just keep this thing unplugged. I read another
listmember say they've had theirs off for a couple thousand miles, and it
was working great.

Thanks vanagon list!

Ri
87 Gl Westy.... about ready to head across the country!