[ChevyTech]

It sounds like an IAC problem to me.

The IAC (Idle Air Control) controls the air passing through a throttle pate bypass passage.

The IAC (and computer) control the idle speed.
The IAC (and computer) is what gives the engine a “fast idle” speed when started cold.
The IAC also supplies more air to compensate for the extra load when the A/C is on. If you have A/C and turn it on while listening carefully you should be able to here the IAC controlling the idle as the A/C clutch engages and disengages.

IAC passages can get plugged up with carbon or muck. The IAC units get erratic as they get old and stick. Use care when cleaning the IAC. The IAC should not be cleaned with carburetor cleaner or other harsh chemicals. If the chemicals get down inside the IAC, it will damage it.

To clean the IAC, you should remove it, and use a wet rag to wipe the tip of the plunger, while holding it with the plunger pointing DOWN. Be careful, the IAC will break easily. It is aluminum. Clean the passages in the TBI unit while you have the IAC removed.

I do not suggest unscrewing the pintle (plunger). If you don’t get in back in far enough, the IAC can get damaged if the “pintle” (plunger) bottoms out in the TBI, when you screw the IAC back in.

Usually the IAC does not go bad electrically, but it is common for them to stick and stop moving.

The IAC is a stepper motor and uses short pulses of electricity on the wires to move its position.

If the IAC sticks as does not move as it should for each pulse, the IAC count will get off because the computer does not know the actual position of the IAC, but the ECM tracks the commands it has sent to the IAC and assumes it has moved every time it has been sent a pulse.

Questions:
When the engine is started, does the engine have a fast idle that slows down as it runs? The IAC (idle air control) is what gives the fast idle speed when started cold.

Does the engine start well without the gas pedal being pushed down at all?