Just a quick question on the AMM...

I have an '89 245 with 215,000, auto tranny, 28MPG, etc.

This morning, the car started up fine, I went to the gas station and shut it off to pump.

When I tried to start it up again, the check engine light flickered on and it took three tries to get the engine to turn over... it sort of stumbled until I got to around 20MPH, made it back to school ok. I took it to the local sears to have a quick $10 battery/alternator/etc. check done, they said the battery is fully charged and the alternator is working perfectly. It took 5 tries to get the car started back up again in the garage, and I went home to try and solve this mystery myself. So far...

I -think- it's the AMM. The computer spits out the 1-2-1 code, and I can't find anything else that might cause this problem. I've checked all fluids, the air filter, the air intake for blockage, etc. All the obvious stuff.

The car is also idling at a higher rate than usual, sometimes it comes back down after a minute, sometimes it stays up.

Driving on the highway, it feels like the car is fighting itself - as soon as I let off the gas, it slows down quickly and has to work harder than usual to get back up to speed.

If it is the AMM, is there any further troubleshooting I can perform before I pay a mechanic $50/hr. to reach the same conclusion? Also, is there a cleaning procedure or some sort of repair that might save this AMM? I have little to no money for a new one, I'm in school and need to be driving to gigs/home. If there's anything anyone knows that might help, I appreciate it!

Thanks,
-Matt