Marc, I had a lot of idle problems with my 88 GL with the 2.1L WBX.
Found that the crankcase breather vent hose - right on top of the engine
- was rotted. It was not obvious just looking at it, but when I grabed
hold of it it just came apart in my hands. it had rotted on the bottom
where the oil is mostly. i got a shor piece of radiator hose to go
there. It has worked fine. radiator hose won't last for ever, so I know
I have to change it out for an oil resitant hose.

Hope this helps.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Marc Perdue wrote:
> What a great resource this list is!  Thanks for all the suggestions!  Here's
> what I've done and the results:
>
> 1) Checked the idle stabilizer valve.  It was vibrating normally.  Took it
> out and cleaned it thoroughly with carb cleaner.  It was pretty dirty.
>
> 2) Pulled the idle control unit, disconnected and reconnected it several
> times to clean the contacts and re-installed it.
>
> Results: Well, the temp. outside was not as cold as it usually is in the
> mornings when I start the van, 40 degrees F, so the results may not be
> totally conclusive.  The van started slowly, per usual, but idled at 1000
> RPMs and didn't skip as much.  After a couple of minutes, the idle was
> smoother, but the same speed.  I didn't take it for a drive, but pressed the
> gas a few times to see if the idle would change.  It did, increased to 1200.
>
> So, before I replace the coolant temp sensor, the oxygen sensor, and/or the
> idle control unit, I thought I would pass on a couple of things I observed
> while doing this work.  First, the vacuum hose going to the fuel pressure
> regulator looked like it was in pretty rough shape, though it was hard to
> tell the actual condition of the hose because it's wrapped in some kind of
> cloth cover.  This confirms my suspicion that the dealer didn't do a good
> job of checking the hoses.  Could a leaky vacuum hose to the regulator cause
> these symptoms?
>
> The oxygen sensor looks to be a fairly well sealed unit.  I was kind of
> surprised at this because people had suggested that it had gotten wet and
> had caused my problem a few weeks ago wherein my van stalled several times
> when it was really rainy.  How would one go about sealing the point where
> the wires enter the O2 sensor?  Silicone caulk?
>
> About six months ago, I had to replace a section of the exhaust pipe, the J
> pipe just before the cat. converter.  The joint between the pipe and the Y
> in front of it seemed to be leaking exhaust.  Could this interfere with the
> readings of the O2 sensor and cause the symptoms I'm seeing?
>
> Regarding hose quality, there's a kind of fat hose below the one that
> connects to the idle stabilizer valve that connects to, what, the throttle
> body, the AFM?  It's all squished and cracked.  What is this?  I know, I
> could be more specific, but I'm just getting into learning my way around the
> engine compartment of this vehicle, thanks to my crappy dealer service.
>
> Regarding the grounds my dealer "checked" . . . they don't look like they've
> been touched.  I'll have to come back to that one . . .
>
> Thanks all,
> Marc Perdue
>
> Marc Perdue wrote:
>
>
>>'87 Westy, 2.1l, automatic
>>
>>So, thermostat's replaced and grounds and hoses supposedly checked, but
>>here're the symptoms I'm seeing:
>>
>>Cold start:  Van acts like the battery's weak when I start it (it's
>>not).  Turns over quick at first, then slower, then finally jumps to
>>life.  Idles up and down at a low idle, sounds like plugs are misfiring,
>>until the engine warms up a little, about a minute or so.  Most cars
>>I've ever owned/worked on idle high at first to warm the engine up, or
>>something.  What is the cold idle speed supposed to be on a Vanagon?
>>
>>Once warm:  Idles around 900-1000 RPMs, idle smooths out, puts out a lot
>>more stuff out the exhaust, particularly when it's cold out.  Gas
>>mileage has dropped from 16-17 down to 14 MPG.
>>
>>Drive for 20-30 minutes into town to work:  When I'm ready to park it, I
>>put it in Park (yes, automatic), and the idle jumps up to 1400-1800 RPMs
>>for a few seconds then settles down to 1000-1200 RPMs.
>>
>>I was trying to keep track of all the suggestions that have been made
>>here recently since the cold weather hit and everybody seemed to all of
>>a sudden have idle issues.  Unfortunately, there were so many different
>>suggestions of things to check for, I figured I better ask again.
>>
>>Thanks for any and all help,
>>Marc Perdue
>
>