95 Sable Wagon Stalling

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

I have a 95 Mercury Sable Wagon with the 3.8L that I bought used with over 200k miles on it. The car starts and then stalls once it reaches operating temperature. After the car stalls it wont start again until it cools down. After it stalls there is no spark. It has all new plugs and plug wires. Also, when it is running and you close the hood the engine sputters and sounds like it is going to die. Can anyone shed some light on what my problem may be? Thanks.

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[87linkin 10+ year member]

iac sensor

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

As in Idler Air Control? The sensor or the actual valve itself?

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

you better hope thats what it is, and not lack of compression....

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

Well, the IAC was replaced before I bought the car about 3 months ago. Whatever it is, when it happens it shuts down the ignition system because after it stalls there wont be any spark.

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

Replaced the ignition coil and the ignition control module, no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

take it to autostone and get codes checked? Its a sable, what do you expect?

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

take it to autostone and get codes checked? Its a sable, what do you expect?

The check engine light doesnt come on, thus the computer wont store and error code if it doesnt know that

something is wrong. My next guess is the crank position sensor.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

The check engine light doesnt come on, thus the computer wont store and error code if it doesnt know that something is wrong. My next guess is the crank position sensor.

just because the light isnt on doesnt mean there aernt codes, you really ned to get it scanned. Just throwing parts at it you will spend a bunch of money. It could be anything. Usaully when a crank sensor goes bad the car wont start at all.

edit- the check engine light moreso reflects emissions problems anyways

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

how do you know it doesnt have spark after its warm? What diagnostics did you do? Do you have the orgional cat on it?

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

how do you know it doesnt have spark after its warm? What diagnostics did you do? Do you have the orgional cat on it?

After the car stalls I put a spark tester on and tried turning it over, nothing. The spark tester is confirmed working. The original cat is on it.

 

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

Get a compression test done. You can sometimes borrow(or rent) the test kits from O'Reillys' or Autozone's. It's an older car, so a vacuum leak is likely, especially if you shut the hood, and it sputters. There are several methods to checking for vacuum leaks. Check the EGR Valve, and PCV valve. The EGR valve you can get for around $50-$70, and the PCV valve will only cost around $5.

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

Get a compression test done. You can sometimes borrow(or rent) the test kits from O'Reillys' or Autozone's. It's an older car, so a vacuum leak is likely, especially if you shut the hood, and it sputters. There are several methods to checking for vacuum leaks. Check the EGR Valve, and PCV valve. The EGR valve you can get for around $50-$70, and the PCV valve will only cost around $5.

If there was a vacuum leak there would still be spark after the car stalled, after the car stalls there is NO SPARK.

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

Check to see If you have injector pulse as well. No Spark NO injector pulse. Do you have a rpm gauge if so. Is that moving like going up in rpms when you are trying to crank it. Possible crank sensor bad. If no signal from that you wont get any spark. Possible computer went on it. Seen alot of computers good in fords.... Also Yes you can have codes with out a check engine light on. Your ford has. Key on engine off codes. Key on engine running codes. Pending codes. Memory codes. Some codes just dont set a MIL request. SO yes you can have codes. And Im sure you do have codes. Another things. Back probe the 5 volt reference wire on anything really MAF senor. IAC they all have the 5 volt reference wire to them. Check and see that you DO have this voltage.

Uggg what else. Check them out see what happens still take it to a shop get the codes checked out. My guess a bad crank sensor or pcm.

Edit I think Im off on what Codes like KOER KOEO. But Im sure you still have codes. Some codes need the ignition cycles drive cycle to even set. You cant get vehicle to run so you might not have yet got to that point for them to set the MIL light on but you still have the codes.

 

[DonCorleone 10+ year member]

I got it figured out, bad distributor. Car runs fine now. Thanks for everyones help.