Infuriating Hacks

So I'm trying to diagnose a cold idle problem on my QV. It bobs between 500-700 until quite warmed up, and at a stop light can oscillate so low that it just cuts off. Searching the forum led me to investigate the hoses on the AAV. Which I've just done, and found... this. (pic.)

Yes, that's a braided hose. Connected with electrical tape, to what appears to me to be the kind of 1/4" hose I'd use to repair my bathroom sink. Held to the AAV with 2 zip ties. The inside of the hose has completely collapsed, I'm guessing because bathroom sink hose isn't built to stand up to engine temps. go figure. Even the clamp was barely able to hold it on. I'm guessing that's why the vacuum is so screwy.

To whomever did this : Why did you do this?!

Look, I get it. OEM parts can be expensive. Sometimes you go with the $.68 washer from Lowe's instead of the $39 Ferrari Washer. It's a couple millimeters bigger in diameter, but will work fine. But using 1.5" sheetmetal screws on the door panels, instead of the #4 trim screams that could be reused? Putting NO washers back on the sway bar, instead of re-using the washers? Using 7 completely different screws (pretty sure 2 of them were drywall screws) to attach the front fenders louvers... why did you go to the "can o' screws on the shelf", instead of using the screws that came on the car?

This hose isn't $200. Only a moron would have come up with this freaking hacked up solution instead of replacing the hose with the correct hose.

Seriously. I'm not a mechanic. I'm a freaking graphic designer. I spend my day driving a freaking mouse, retouching stuff in photoshop and editing video. And even I can look at stuff like this and go WHAT THE ****?

So new owners, here's your lesson: It's great to turn your own wrench. It's rewarding, and can save you a ton of $. But don't frack it up for someone else to fix. If you take a part off the car, put a correct part back on the car. And if your mechanic can't do that for you, find a new mechanic. And if you're a mechanic that does crap like this, please retire. Or work at some fast-food place that I don't eat.

Sigh. Sorry, I just need to vent.

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I pulled the hose off this afternoon, and after more close inspection it appears my angry post-cocktail rant was a bit short-sighted... at the very least, it doesn't appear to be bathroom sink hose. I couldn't quite see this, when it was still on the car and wrapped with 4 inches of electrical tape. But whatever it is, it's fully under the steel braiding from end-to-end.

Nonetheless, both ends were completely collapsed on the inside - clearly the airflow was nearly zilch.

Took a quick trip to PepBoys and approached the nice girl at the counter. "I need a hose this long, here's the width." Of course, I got the "What's it for?" question. I know she's just being helpful, so that she could look up the correct part in her computer. I didn't want to go through that whole "it's a Ferrari" reaction you'll get at the parts store. So I just kind of said vaguely, "It's ... for an idle control valve."

She emphatically told me they didn't have this interesting steel wrapped hose in stock - and I told her I quite honestly didn't want another one of THESE hoses. She gave me that look of "This guy has no idea what he wants, but I'll play along and sell him a hose." Five minutes later, she returns with a fine black nondescript hose for $5.88. 20 Minutes later, the hose is installed. Nice tight fit. Cold idle is now dead-on at 1000rpm with no weird oscillation.

Woot. On to the next project.