I was doing a warm start today but my car just kept going dead. The temp needle was half way between cold and fully warmed up, which is midway on my gauge. It wouldn't even crank and everything would go dead. I thought it was the battery but it measured 12v. While running it measures 14v. After a few dead seconds I would have power, and try again. After I fiddled with the battery terminals i got it to crank and start but then it would die. After a while it finally started and ran like normal, until I turned on the headlights, and then it would die.
It got to the point where it was running ok and I wasn't worried about it dying on the street. I noticed it was idling about 200RPM too low. After the car had fully warmed it was idling normally.
I had recently leaned the AFM by 3 clicks, cleaned the TB, and EGR. Next I will clean the IACV.

The VSV next to the IACV VSV has some frayed wires. The vac line that away from it goes to some vacuum valve that seems to be broken. What does this do:

 

That vac actuator controls a butterfly valve inside the intake plenum, it controls the effective runner length. At higher RPM the intake path is shortened, lower rpm uses a longer runner.
As for as the stalling, you are on the correct path, clean the iac valve. But I would suggest making smaller changes on the maf meter.

Also it sound like you need to look more closely at the battery clamps, cables. Take a DVM and measure the voltage drops from one end of a cable, to the other. As you would logically assume, there should be very little voltage difference. If you have, say 0.4 volts difference, you have a poor connection. So while the engine is running, use your meter to check across the cables. Note, you are interested in the voltage from one end of the cable, to the other, so you do not care what the polarity is, which lead is on what end of the cable. You are only interested in the absolute value.

 

One other question, why do you think it the actuator is broken? I see nothing unusual.

 

I applied vacuum and the actuator wouldn't move. I think it's leaking.
This is some pic off the web btw, not my engine.

 

Yes, it sounds like the diaphram has a hole in it. It would probably not affect the idle.

 

what do you call that part if you want to order it?

 

intake manifold.pdf

This diagram should help.

 

I don't know if the VSV is really working, how can I test it? Does it kick in at a certain RPM or gradually as it rises?

 

It switches at higher rpm, that's way it will not affect the original starting problem.

 

Bad battery cables, bad battery cable connections, bad ground, disconnected cable or ground wire, bad battery [they can ''fail'' in such a mode that they measure ok voltage but cause these problems -- if you elminate all but the battery, then take the battery to a place that can do a deep diagnoses, and replace if necessary].
Sounds like you already figured out this in your first post, which is what I dont understand ....

 

I just want to take care of that butterfly valve. That's like 20hp I'm missing because of that, right?
At what RPM should it come on?

 

I don't understand where "the butterfly valve" is coming into the troubleshooting?