unconnected vac line

[jgilbs]

hey all, i just purchased a 92 eddie bauer and i am kinda new to car repair, so i have a question for ya:
in my engine compartment, on the right side, directly behind the coolant and washer resivor, there is a kind of wheel-shaped device with some hoses sticking out of it(Sorry for the bad description - i told you i was new at this) and on that device there is a hose sticking out that is not connected to anything. on the nozzle is printed "VAC." i was just wondering - is this the cruise servo? if so, is the VAC line supposed to be connected? or is it just an intake, exhause port for the cruise control solenoid? i am wondering because my cruise control does not work, and i am wondering if this is the cause. thanks for the help.

 

[MrShorty]

If I've followed your description correctly, yes that is the cruise control servo. And there should be some vacuum line going from the engine vacuum tree to the cruis control servo. If there isn't another vacuum line going to the servo, that could very well be it, and the reason your cruise isn't working.

 

[Opera House]

This could be

the cause of the bad gas mileage too! You should hear a lot of air rushing at idle. This hose should plug into a vacuum tree on the upper drivers side toward the back of the engine. There should be a couple of hoses all going together. If the speed control went bad, maybe they just capped it off. Otherwise, the thing to suspect is the vacuum modulator leaking on the transmission. This causes transmission fluid to be sucked up into the engine. Check your transmission dipstick level. Transmission fluid softens the hoses and they have been known to fall off from this. Over time this will clog your cat. So maybe your two posts are related.

 

[jgilbs]

wrong part?

maybe i didnt do a good job describing the part. there are two cylindrical things behind the resivours. one is closer to the firewall, and one is directly behind the resivour. the one im describing is DIRECTLY behind the coolant resivour. there is no sound of air rushing when the engine is at idle. also, the other device has tubes going to the engine, so i dont know which is which. i dont have a digital camera to take a pic, but maybe ill try to find a pic of an engine compartment similar to mine and highlight what im talkin about