I too was troubled greatly with the determinant high idle pain. Going down a hill it would all of a sudden go to 2200 rpm speeding me down hill. No fun! Sometimes it would stop itself. Most times I needed to do a quick stop / start to make it run right. Sometimes only for a few minutes and off it goes again! My mechanic finally found something I have not seen in another posting on this issue. TPS. Throttle Position Sensor. Everything else had been done. All kinds of things listed here and more. Nothing worked. Oh it may have not done it all winter but first warmish day it would be back.

This time I think they nailed it. I will keep you posted if the dreaded high idle returns or not. My Saturn is a 2001 SC1. Stick shift. Great and fun car otherwise.

 

post moved b/c did not relate to ects.

car off/on tps reset behavior = bad tps well known and documented throughout saturn online community.

Your mechanic is apparently not well versed in s car operation. Not uncommon. Just usually ends up costing you more depending on how many wrong guesses he makes first.