several seconds and then suddenly drops a good bit and stays there (all of this while in idle). Is that normal? If not any ideas what is faulty and causing it to happen? My buddy is a mechanic and claims at least he has whatever diagnostic thing they hook up to it so maybe he can help me out.

 

when i start my 03 it revs up higher than "normal warm idle" on it's own for about 5-8 seconds then drops to normal idle. it does this every time i do a cold start. it is normal...

is that what yours is doing?

 

Yes...good to hear that it is normal it freaked me out the first time I noticed it.