Did you go back through the procedure and remove :

1.Connector on the IAC valve.
2.Connector on the temp sensor.
3.No wires in the way?
4.No vacum lines in the way?

On procedure I had the guy mentioned he broke off the electrical connector on the temp sensor.

it wasn't that dirty... pic to follow, but did the carb cleaner and shake thing, now it's basically squeaky clean...

reminents of the o-ring... which is rubber, right? if the o-ring it literally dissolved... that's not good... :o(

But are you talking about the gasket that goes between the IAC valve and the intake manifold?

Did it just tear apart, fall apart, melt or dissolve?

This must be what you are talking about. On my car that's an Audi only item. If you have O-rings those can be gotten at local hardware and auto parts stores.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/12414/05iacvalve.jpg">

slightly confused here...

mating surfaces between the IAC valve and intake manifold. You said there was an O-ring that melted? Dissolved?

Remember my car is a 1997 12v so there may be some differances.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/5393/img_1578.jpg"></center><p>

all this worrying over something that's there in the first place... :o)

You are sure the gasket isn't still on the intake manifold?

Did you ever fell something rubbery?

Just to make sure, something black and rubber like dissolved?

Did you use a contact cleaner?

Look at the can, Does it say "Safe for rubber" "car hoses" anywhere?

i felt around the intake manifold and there was a film of clear rubbery... film. best way to describe it.

the gunk left does not really feel like rubber. unless it's very, very dried rubber. i can't even really scrape it off with my fingernails.

I did spray some wd40 at the seam between the ISV and the intake manifold to free the ISV, but it didn't soak enough to cause the black gunk if it was the gasket. (the gunk looked like it had been there for a while... look at previous paragraph)

Didn't not use contact cleaner. The only thing that I used were carb cleaner (just for the ISV after it was removed) and WD40 for removing the ISV from the intake manifold and the rotary valve inside the ISV.

I installed the ISV back and the engine started fine, but the stalling after a few seconds still occured. I am going to change the spark plugs tomorrow with Bosch platinum 4 tipped... hopefully that'll cure my prob.

PS. the first time the car was started, it was fine. So I did a restart, then the stalling returned.

with the darker color area having a film of rubbery substance.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/5393/beforecleaningiac.1.jpg"></center><p>