[lauramcburney]

I have a 1999 LHS (what a beauty!!), but I have the following ongoing problem:

Last summer, my car started shutting off. No rhyme no reason. A couple of times it shut off while I was driving on the highway! I had to quickly put it into neutral and restart while coasting.

At other times it will shut off while I'm sitting there at a light.

At other times, while I'm driving the tachometer will suddenly fall, or jump up. When this happens there is either no real difference in the performance of the car, or it will jerk suddenly (what I refer to as the funky chicken). One time it jerked so violently that it felt like I had whiplash.

I have had this car into the shop many times, even once leaving it there for three weeks, but they couldn't duplicate the problem. The warning lights never come on and there is NEVER any way of determining when it will happen. Usually it starts right back up, but last month my husband had a hard time getting it started.

What is also strange is that it can go for a couple of weeks with no problems, then it will jerk and stall for a couple of days, etc.

Any suggestions? This car is really taken car of and has 170K on it.

Finally, does anyone else have problems with the front passenger side dash splitting along where the airbag is? I have had this patched once, but it has shown it's ugly head again and now looks like someone took a knife to it. It is OBVIOUSLY a defect, but my experience with Chrysler is that they turn a blind eye to any problems with their cars.

Any advice appreciated...

LHS (it doesn't get any better).

[mb-lhs]

With 170K on the odometer, i wouldn't doubt that maybe the crank sensor is going bad. It would account for the tach misbehaving, and the car shutting down. If the computer loses signal from either the cam or crank sensors it will shut down the engine to prevent damage.

As for the dash crack, I haven't had any problems with my 01' as of yet. Hopefully I won't either. Unless you have an extended warranty i woudn't expect chrysler to do anything about it.

EDIT: I just noticed your location... Is that 170K Kilometers? If so you are about ready for a new timing belt as well.

[psirix]

I have a 1st gen ('95) LHS and I was experiencing the same issue with it randomly stalling and stuff for the past 5-6 months. Turned out to be the crank sensor. My car wouldn't generate any codes either, and no "mechanic" could regenerate the problem.

[toddler771]

I had a similar problem with my 99 LHS stalling and the tach/speedo going bizerk. Of course it died when I was alone at midnight in Florida's alligator alley... long story short, it turned out to be a computer chip/sensor that needed replaced (~$100) and I was on my way. More recently I had a new starter installed due to some electrical and stalling problems but the source ended up being a bad window relay that's tied in to a bunch of other stuff. Good luck.

[lauramcburney]

Well thanks guys....after telling my husband what you guys had said he went to a new mechanic and told him what you all suggested. The mechanic said that it sounded about right because he had come across the same problem once before with an Intrepid.
So after nearly a year of fearfull driving (and yes tears too after shutting off late at night in the middle of no where, and my all time favorite the middle of a mega lane superhighway running through our city)...it's fixed!! I didn't want to celebrate too early but it has been over a month now and there hasn't been a single hic up. The best part is that it cost only about $150 CAD.
This car had previously been in the mechanics shop three times before, and once I had a courtesy car for nearly three weeks, but still they couldn't fix it!
A thousand thanks!!!!!

[mb-lhs]

awesome

glad we could help