Originally Posted by dhvaughan

i'm having trouble following the description of the problem but here's a shot in the dark -

in order to start and idle without pressing the gas pedal, the IAC has to function properly to move air around the closed throttle plate. so if it won't start or idle with no pressure on the gas pedal, but it does start and run if you crack open the throttle, then its an IAC malfunction.

now, in order for the IAC to work properly, the battery must be full charged. a low battery will fail to operate the IAC and its not the IAC's fault at all. so don't replace a $40 IAC because of a bad battery.

if you suspect you have a bad battery, have a part store do a load test and replace if necessary. and like zman said, clean all the terminals first.