Urgent help needed for CPS

Radio Joe
11-22-2004, 11:40 AM
Hi Everyone.

I dont post here much but I visit and lurk from time to time. I am having a problem with my 96 3.8 5spd car.

A while back my car started jerking while crusising the highway. It would jerk one single time and that was it. Then I got a SES light. Checked it out and the scanner said CPS was bad. I did a tune up on the car (plugs, wires, fuel filter and oil change) and the problem disappeared for about 2 weeks, then came back.

This morning on my way to work I missed a street so I turned around in someones driveway. When I started back forward I accidentally stalled it. Start it back up and away I went.... about 30 seconds later the car started jerking and misfireing. I took my foot off the gas and the car seemed to idle fine. If I gave it any gas it would spit and sputter and not go. I pulled to the side of the road and it died. I got out and wiggled the wires going to the crank sensor and it started up again (im guessing dirty crank sensor) so back into the car and off I went again... everything seemed fine. After about 1 or 2 miles I came to a stop. When i took off from the stop the car is now misfiring under load. If I am cruising the expressway and am only on the gas a little its okay, but when I give it any more gas it is sputtering really bad. The SES light is on again. I made it to work luckily

I am taking the car to the local autoparts store to have the codes scanned and I am going to buy a new crank sensor. But if this problem was the crank sensor alone, the car would die again wouldnt it? I am guessing that I now have 2 problems to look at and they both misteriously appeared at the same time.

I need some thoughts on this. Could it be only the crank sensor or also a coil pack or something? The car is my dailey driver so I have to get it running again ASAP. Any thoughts are appreciated.

GreenDemon
11-23-2004, 09:42 PM
Ignition problems (coil(s), plugs, wires) could also be an issue. They will usually start going bad under load or high rpms. An inspection would definitely be a good idea. Make sure you don't have any gouged wires, burn marks around coil packs, etc.

Radio Joe
11-24-2004, 04:54 PM
Thanks for the info. I figured because it was all new it wouldnt be bad.... But the coil packs arent new.. Coil for #3 and #6 had a secondary resistance of 18M Ohms... supposed to be 5k-6.5k ohms.

Of course I found it after the parts store was closed for the night, but I changed it out the next mornign and all is well.

Thanks again