On 10/13/97 I posted a note ("Idle Stabilizer fix?") requesting information on the sudden racing idle problem. I received several replies and suggestions but the most helpful was from Jim Davis who refered to his earler note to the vanagon list and suggested I might have a defective voltage stabilizer in my idle stabilizer control module. That was exactly the problem. I replaced the voltage stabilizer ($2.75) and my regulated idle returned. I also have a second component in the idle stabilizer that is somewhat scorched but I couldn't identify it and it didn't look too bad so I left it alone. I hope this unknown component is not the reason for the blown voltage stabilizer. If it fails again, I will certainly let the Vanagon list know. I am including part of Jim's note to me because it describes the situation precisely. Thanks Jim, Ed McLean '86 Westi North Carolina
This is part of Jim's note to me: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// It might be your idle stabilizer control module. A while back I wrote the following: ======================================================== Recently I related the story of my 87 Syncro suddenly developing a +4,400 RPM idle. I traced this to the Idle Control Module located forward of the right/rear taillight. The dealer said list was $208. I called several wreckers and was quoted from $80 to $20 for this item. I bought the $20 one and it arrived yesterday. Meanwhile I was pursuing repairing the bad module. Inside the module I discovered two components that were suspect. The first one, a voltage stabilizer transistor was definitely fried. I found (from my 88 Vanagon module) a company logo: SGS in tall narrow letters pushed up against eachother & other numbers were BD 438 and 9 741. I found that an ECG or NTE 185 was a replacement component for it. The other component was a rectifier diode that had some signs of being overheated but was not overtly fried as the other component had been. The diode had the numbers GP15G-7001 and GI 8641. I thingk the GI is for General Instruments. Well, found that it could be replaced with an NTE 125 or ECG 125. Yesterday, I installed the two new components and the bottom line is that after poping the module back in, my van idles normally again! :) Cost? NTE185: $2.25 NTE125: $.88 Total: $3.13 + tax Compared to dealer list, I saved about $205. - that's 98.5% less!! :) :) :) So now I've gone from needing a new module to having a spare for future use. :) Jim Davis 87 GL Syncro 88 GL Wolfsburg //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// |
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