I finally might have the problem solved. Pulled into my driveway and noticed the tach gone and TCS OFF light was on so I decided to check the code BEFORE shutting the engine off. Sure enough, P0336 Crankshaft Position Sensor out of range. I think i read somewhere that this code will clear after the next startup if it passes 4 consecutive tests which would be why I have never seen this code.

Same thing is happening with my '00 - car is in the shop for the 3rd time right now because the car would never act up for the mechanics.

HOWEVER, I figure out exactly when/how it would act up so I took it back in to them - the car must be cold and must have been sitting for several hours! The car only dies (or occasionally the tach drops to zero but the car still runs) when it has not been cranked overnight or during the day while I'm at work. I drive 3 to 5 miles and it dies and will take about 2 or 3 minutes before it will restart. Once its restarted it won't die again until it's been sitting for a long time.

So I've been driving a mile or two and then pulling off the road, turning the car off, sitting for a couple of minutes, then restarting it and it won't just die on me. Weird, huh?

Well, I left it overnight at the shop and the mechanic drove it yesterday morning and the tach quit and the trac light came on, but the car kept running. He got no reading, but thought it might be either the cam sensor or crank sensor. I left it overnight again and, sure enough, when the mechanic drove it this morning it died! He had it hooked up and it was diagnosed as being the ignition control module.

Unfortunately, they want $450 to install a $129 part ... I don't think so.