Help! 3.4L engine on my 95 Monte will not idle when in cold weather, idle improves as engine gains temp, but initially, will not idle at all. RPM's will rev to 4 grand and then drop to 500. Sometimes will stall or will continue fluctuating. Took to mechanic - they say that the manifold intake GASKET is bad- before i replace, does anyone have any other suggestions??? Replacement of gasket upwards of $450, so any other options would be appreciated!

Sorry buddy, it looks like your screwed! The exact same thing thing happened to my 98 LS Monte. If your engine is in otherwise good condition, its worth the $450. A faulty intake gasket is very common with newer monte carlos and causes numerous problems. If I were you I would take the shot to the wallet and fix it. It made my monte run like a champ

This is easy to replace yourself..
Remove the intake, replcae 30.00 gasket, and replace..
Go buy the chiltons guide for your car..
1 hour, tops it will take.

I took the hit to the pocket book and got the gaskets fixed. Car works great! In response to the previous post, the job took a trusted, certified mechanic 4.5 hours of labor. Granted I had the upper and lower gaskets replaced, but not a one hour quick change. I was able to get it done for around $260 parts and labor. DEFINITELY WORHT IT!!!