thank you rick. replacing the thermostat seems to have solved my problem of a high idle, and strange shifting when coming to a stop. the ex was running very warm and these problems only started ocurring after the high temps. changing the thermostat was a PITA, as you need to remove the throttle body and intake tube, and i found that unhooking the alternator cable and pulling it out of the way made it easier. i still think $30 for a thermostat is pretty high, but at least it fixed it. also, if you dont mind a little spillage of antifreeze, you do not have to drain the coolant out, but keep a rag handy for the spillage that occurs. it took me an hour and a half, but this was my first time changing the thing.
-Matt
