that'd be hugely helpful, thank you!! The more I'm thinking it through, the more I think you are 100% correct. Nothing else was touched, changed or disturbed about the car other than this firewall area (well, "between the double firewalls") in front of the passenger side. Perhaps they even used some sealant of some sort where a ground should be.

I'll still pull the idle control knob next to the fuse box; if for no other reason than to lower idle temporarily. driving home through the snowstorm last night I found that the high idle caused the ABS to fire every time I approached a traffic light and the car wanted to go too fast, I wanted to slow it down.... wasn't exactly thrilling. I sincerely hope you're in a sunny area, perhaps one that just beat my football team.

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Cantabridgian

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1987 300TD Black/Palomino 120k on donor engine (thank you CS), 305k on everything else

MISSED 1985 300CD Blue/Palomino 250k lovely but had to part with it; now wife has Jetta TDI, you know how it goes