I've got a strange problem with my car, which is compounded by it being overseas with me. Not so easy to find a mechanic who knows an Oldsmobile. In fact, you aren't even going to find an Olds over here.

Anyway, it'* been going on for 3yrs now, with no let-up. High idle, surging, etc while driving. I've replaced the IAC (twice-no junk), TPS, computer, cleaned the MAF, spliced on new plug ends to both the IAC and TPS, bought a scanner for my OBD1.5, etc. IAC would set at 35, then surge to 110-115, 68, etc, upping the rpms while driving. Turn the car off, then back on and everything resets to normal again. It was also high revving at startup, and the same off/on again reset it.

This morning I swapped out my computer again and the car ran beautifully for several drives, about 50 miles total. Started the car at the end of the workday and back up to 2200rpm immediately. Turned it off, turned it on and runs beautifully. No surging, and I monitored it with the scanner. All systems working normally. Smooth and correct.

So, what the heck would cause the idle to scream at first startup, and require a restart to work normally? Fact is, I think I'm going to start replacing everything until I find the problem, as I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it.

Does anybody have any ideas about the startup problem?

you clean all the carbon out of the throttle body butterfly and iac seat? sometimes a intermittent vacuum leak will make it run like that too

Thanks Justin,

Still trying to find a source for throttle body cleaner over here. They MUST have it, but car repair is a locked-tight business in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Nothing like the states where Autozone has everything available on shelves (also can't get aerosols shipped).

Checked for possible vacuum leaks several times, cleaned out the IAC seat, etc. Thought about engine grounds, but even on a lift I haven't found them

I mean, why the heck would the motor run perfectly, but only after I start it a second time? Strange stuff.

Well, regardless, I just got several new parts in and more on the way. If I find the problem, I'll be sure to post it up for the forum.

In a related sidenote, I had the car shipped here from Moscow. I got a call from the shipper an hour before they arrived telling me the battery was dead. An hour later they arrive with the car on a flatbed, but running at 2400rpm, for a frikkin' hour! Could smell the hot/burn odor from the engine compartment. One of the pitfalls of not finding/fixing the problem before I transferred.

Said I would post up if I found the problem, so here it is. Since I've replaced just about every sensor on the engine, its been difficult to know exactly what fixed it, but I haven't had one bit of a problem with idling since I replaced the harnesses on both the TPS and IAC.

The high idle, etc went away with the new TPS pigtail, but I replaced the IAC pigtail shortly thereafter, so since the problem was somewhat intermittent to begin with, one or the other may have been the main culprit.

Since then, I've done the UIM and LIM, throttle body cleaning (as JW suggested), etc.

Now my rear main seal is leaking, lol. Arghh.

thanks for updating so people can use the info in the future