low idle/stall when first starting

[Preston Brown <pbrown@econ.yale.edu>]

Hello everyone:

I've been having ongoing trouble with my 86 5000CST for the last couple of
months.  It is NOT related to the idle stabilizer valve, which is only
about 6 months old and has just been cleaned.  My oxygen sensor was just
replaced as well.

When the car is first started, the idle is really low, and it will often
stall.  You have to stay on the gas.  After about 10 minutes of driving,
it will idle and not stall, but the idle is still "borderline" I.e. I can
see it bouncing down almost to the point where I think it might stall
every couple of seconds.

Anyone have any suggestions on where I can go to troubleshoot this?  The
mechanics I have seen are more or less stumped, but they may just suck
(time to find a new mechanic?)  One suggested, actually INSURED me that it
was the idle stabilizer control RELAY, which is under the dash.  I took it
out, opened it up; nothing is burned or bad looking in there, I don't see
how it could be bad, and I don't know how he could decide is was either.
A new one is $135 bucks or so; I'm not buying one unless I KNOW it is the
problem.

Help!

---
 -Preston Brown
  preston.brown@yale.edu