My 97 GTP has a problem with something we are all stumped for. It is as if the engine stalls and I have to put it in Neutral and turn the car back on. But my engine turns itself off at all random times, not only during a shift. Plus this is an automatic so I can't point the finger at myself. Sometimes it turns off while resting at a red light, other times just doing 40-50 mph down a main road. What really stumps me is that the battery does not die because radio and lights are all still on when this happens. Plus, there has never been an 'engine service' light or any warning at all to tel me that there is a problem.

Does anyone have a thought of what could be causing this?

I'm going to say fuel pump resistor. HercMan has a link to a quick fix on his website that should fix your problem until you have a chance to get a new resistor. I'm pretty sure that's your problem but wait for some of the more experienced guys to step in and confirm that. Welcome to the site!

If it was the FP resistor it wouldn't start at all anymore. My guess is the crankshaft position sensor.

CHECK YOU WIRING HARNESS!

This similar problem just happened to me.

If you look at your coil packs, there is a plug that goes into the bracket, it's like a smaller PCM plug, it's about 2.5" wide and needs a socket to remove it.

That harness also plugs into kind of a thick plug near the top of the engine. I don't know what it goes to off hand.

Anyway, that harness runs down the pulley side of the engine to the camshaft position sensor, crankshaft position sensor, and oil pressure sensor.

Check that harness, it may be rubbing against the ACC belt between the A/C compressor and Alternator, just under the coil bracket.

I thought one of the symptoms is that it would start right back up after dying... oh well I'm sure you're right Herc. It's amazing how much you can learn on this site. HemskyJr- good luck with your car, hope everything works out.

thanks for everything guys. I'm gonna check out that wiring harness first because most signs point to some small little elecrtical glitch.

If it is the Crankshaft Position Sensor, how would it know to only turn off the engine but let all other electics to keep working? and for it to do that, what would be that indication that it recieves and gives it the purpose to shut me off like this?

check the connections on your battery

It doesn't turnt he engine off, without the CPS, the engine doesn't know when to SPARK.

It doesn't have a gear driven distributer like a 350, it's all electronic. Engine can't see when to spark, engine won't spark.

As far as the car is concerned, the engine is running until it looses that CPS signal, then then everything works like normal, just doesn't have a spark or injector pulse.

One symptom of a bad cps is erratic rpm fluctuation just before stall.

It cant be the spark or anything mechanical because the ride is still smooth and then i watch my RPMs just decide to go from wherever they were to 0 and i have no engine running.

Spark on these cars ISN'T mechanical at ALL!

It's all electronic, from sensing when to spark, to triggering the spark, to retarding the spark for knock, everything about the ignition system is electronic.

Start simple, BATT connections, check all the harness, even have your BATT checked to make sure its good, I had a car once that did that same thing, got a full charge on the BATT, however when I went to get it checked there was a dead cell in it and thats what caused it. Is your SES light on on the dash?

Crankshaft position sensor. That's where I'd start.

If it was the batt you'd have electrcal gremlins.

Second that .Chico(pops)

I have no flashing lights on my dash at all, no engine service light, no oil check, no nothing. Thanks everyone for your input.