http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r286/TalonRacerTSI/?action=view&current=IMG_3165.jpg

I found it dangling in my air box not connected to anything. the guy i bought it from was a retard and gumped the car back together after an accident. My car idles funny. I know it has to do with vacuum, just....where done the gold part go? it looks like an actuator of some kind. PLZ HELP!!!

my guess is its the VFAD vac assembly. i have a K&N ver2 and all that i can see in your picture is exactly what i have mounted to the back of my heat shield plate.

It's part of the system that opens and closes the variable intake tract actuator.

No big deal if it's not connected, but it's vacuum operated, make sure the vac source is closed/capped - it comes off below and behind the throttle body, you'll see a little black nipple pointing down.

It will screw with your idle if open.....

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OP: you may have a vacuum leak that needs to be capped. Picture of the engine bay around the manifold would help.

but where does the actuator (gold) connect? the throttle body?

Don't worry about reconnecting it...most of us here have removed it to begin with. There is an open vacuum nipple near where you found it, just cap it off and you will be fine.

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You can buy the vacuum caps at advanced auto or autozone for about 3-4 dollars for a pack.