[Landshark]

normally, i would agree, but.....

i had my plugs and the #1 coil replaced (i would get cylinder #1 misfire code), and no change in the symptoms.

the only time it would misfire is when it was cold (and i mean, "sitting all day in below 30deg weather cold"), and the idle was goofy. it would stay at 1500rpms for much longer than it does now after the cleaning. when i drove it out of the lot Friday after sitting in the cold, it did sputter a little, but definitely not like it used to (and no code, either). like i said, i think the ECU was still working things out. now, a few days later, its much smoother, so the final test will be tomorrow, when it sits in the lot all day while i'm at work.

i should also mention that the "notchy" gas pedal (feels like there's only 3 positions on the pedal, as opposed to an "analog" feel) was gone this morning. i got that in pretty much all weather for the first minute of driving.

again, i only had this problem in the winter and within the first 5 minutes of driving on a cold start without warming the car up for a few minutes.

for anyone else with the same symptoms, try this before removing the throttlebody and IAC valve:

find the big hose that goes from the rear of the plastic housing that connects to the TB (it is held in place at the rear by a clip that is part of the black plastic housing.)
follow the hose under the TB to where it connects to the IAC valve. if you can disconnect it from the IAC (long-nose pliers might help to get the sqeeze-clamp off), you can then spray some cleaner into the IAC without removing the whole mess. might be worth a try, before taking everything apart for a proper cleaning. i used Valvoline Synthetic Carb, Choke and Throttlebody Cleaner, FWIW.