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.

 

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.

 

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