i know i've read of something similar before but i couldn't find the particular thread, so here goes. I've got an 01 GSR and tonight it was driving fine, but when i got into the drive thru, the idle was just under 1500 and it was pulsing... so on the way home i had to rev to at least 2k to get it to go smoothly without jerking me around and making me look like an insanely bad driver in a stick! Other than that though my car drives fine...

 

The idle control valve... so I herd...

 

Sounds like a vacuum leak to me. Double check all vacuum connections to make sure there isn't a leak somewhere.

 

allready checked vacuum lines did that when i got home and parked. However something I found funny is last nite I cranked it up and it never would do it again for me.

new update, i took it for a drive this afternoon and the pulsing part of the idle is mostly gone but it still takes a long time for the idle to go down to normal after pushing in the clutch... like it will go down to around normal idle, then bounce back to just under 1500 and sit there for a few seconds then finally return and stay around the normal idle. the overall driving of the car seems fine, but the idle is definitely not right! and i double checked the vacuum lines and there really is no evidence of a vacuum leak.

 

If all of your vacum lines are in check. Check your coolant level as well, this is a determining factor for your problem. You can also clean your IAC valve with brake clean to make sure your idle is in check, make sure you clamp the coolant feed and return lines going to the IACV so you don't get air in the system.

 

could be a spark plug? Thats what happens to my integra when my spark plugs come loose.

 

wouldn't inadequate coolant levels cause a spike or at least a noticeable fluctuation in the temp though cuz my temp guage has hardly moved since the day i got the car...

 

Yes, but it would do that when it's even low by a little. Like say if you check your car in the morning the coolant level should be at the full mark on the reserve tank. It would cause an idle surge if your coolant is low even if there's enough to not cause the engine to over heat. Also when you have air bubbles in the coolant system then it could cause the surge.

 

i'll check it in the morning, cuz it's dark now. however, i drove it twice today and it almost seemed like it was keeping the cold idle instead of dropping after it warmed up... like i said earlier it would go down then back up for a good few seconds then back down finally to normal idle

 

If the temp gauge stays on cold even after you warm up you might have an issue with your thermostat. The temp gauge on my LS wouldn't go to operating temperature even after I've had the car running for 20 minutes. I replaced my thermostat with an OEM one and haven't had the problem since.