thanks for your reply, it was really helpful and informative.

i'll have to do some checking of some things for sure and pick up a multi-meter and a bentley this weekend. it doesn't seem too cold-natured, but maybe it is, i have a van that is very extreme in that regard and so it's hard to gauge compared.

i do have a vacuum leak in my recirc switch or actuator (that's still up for debate). it hisses when the button is out, but if i reach back there and tap the recir door it closes and stops hissing so i think that's the switch, not the well hidden actuator. that's all probably for another thread. but i'll definitely at least push the recirc button in for now till i get the o2 sensor code sorted.

everything you describe makes sense from the drive i took tonight

thanks
michael