when driving will sometimes just die?

1997 BUICK REGAL

120,000 MILES • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC

TOMMY GOUGE

MEMBER
1 POST

i have a 1997 supercharged regal that when driving will sometimes just die. sometimes it will start right back up and continue running the rest of the trip. other times you will be setting for about 5 minutes or so, then will start. the engine turns over and acts like it tries to start but will not. any ideas on what to start checking would be greatly appreciated. thank you

Mar 22, 2008 at 1:30 AM

SQM

✓Experienced Mechanic
6,383 POSTS

Hello,

It sounds like there might be an issue with the crankshaft position sensor.
The crank position sensor is located toward the bottom of the engine next to the crank pulley. It measures the revolution of the engine and sends that signal to the ECM. Over time with heat and vibration from the engine it can lose its internal calibration. This will lead to incorrect data sent to the ECM. That can trigger an engine to shut down.
This can happen at any random time, and it may or may not trigger the check engine light.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-crankshaft-sensor
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/crankshaft-angle-sensor-replacement

I have attached diagrams for your reference.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you.

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