2000 LS engine cuts out when accelerating

I hope someone has an idea here. I have a 2000 LS with the V6 automatic. Lately I've experienced the engine cut out when accelerating, it doesn't always stall but on a couple instances the engine has quit and will not restart unless I stop the car and remove the key. When I reinsert the key it will start up and off I go patiently waiting for another engine cut out. Has anyone had this problem of engine cut out? Any thoughts or knowledge of a definite problem will be greatly appreciated.

I hope someone has an idea here. I have a 2000 LS with the V6 automatic. Lately I've experienced the engine cut out when accelerating, it doesn't always stall but on a couple instances the engine has quit and will not restart unless I stop the car and remove the key. When I reinsert the key it will start up and off I go patiently waiting for another engine cut out. Has anyone had this problem of engine cut out? Any thoughts or knowledge of a definite problem will be greatly appreciated.
There are several possibilities but I'd start with a bad fuel pump. Is the check engine light coming on? If so, go to your local AutoZone and they can pull the code for you to let you know what it is.

No engin light is on at all nor has it been thats why this is a mystery to me and it happens randomly, not all the time.

I hope someone has an idea here. I have a 2000 LS with the V6 automatic. Lately I've experienced the engine cut out when accelerating, it doesn't always stall but on a couple instances the engine has quit and will not restart unless I stop the car and remove the key. When I reinsert the key it will start up and off I go patiently waiting for another engine cut out. Has anyone had this problem of engine cut out? Any thoughts or knowledge of a definite problem will be greatly appreciated.
Just prior to the stall, does the engine sputter at all, or does it just stall like the key was turned off?

When the car stalls, do you shift to neutral or park before trying to restart? If so, what happens, starter cranks but the engine won't start, or no crank? If not, what happens if you safely stop the car, shift to park or neutral, then turn the key back to Start without removing the key?

Also, when the car stalls, do various lights on the instrument cluster come on, or is it as if you lose the electrical?

If the issue is the starter doesn't crank the engine over unless the key is removed and reinserted, that seems like something other than fuel pump, maybe the ignition switch or key cylinder switch.

-Rod

Well, I haven't had any similar problems with my LS or my wife's, but have seen numerous automotive issues with other cars.

Since you mention though that the car does sputter just prior to stalling, and the dash lights come on, this is probably not an issue wtih the ignition or key cylinder switch. It does sound more like a fuel starvation issue, or possibly a sensor issue that leads to the stalling.

I'm not coming up with any logical reason you would need to physically pull the key out and reinsert to get it started. An issue with the PATS system would not cause stalling or the sputtering. An issue with the fuel pump should not cause the key to be removed and reinserted, and usually would not allow the car to restart without a "cool down" period.

Unfortunately, I'm not being very helpful here. Your next best bet may be to find a scan tool with record features that will allow you to trigger the record and some amount of samples prior to the trigger event. You can then go back and monitor fuel injector pulse width, fuel pressure, system voltage, MAP voltage, and engine speed when the stall occured. This may guide you in the direction of fuel, ignition, system electrical, etc.

Sorry to get your hopes up. :(

-Rod

GOT IT!!!! Thanks to all that posted an attempt, I got my car back from the dealer. It was the crank position sensor. Keep these problems in mind if it happens to you. Thanks again.

Great, thank you for the follow-up post!

-Rod

Got screwed is what I got, screwed out of $400.00, it wasn't the crank postion sensor. We got it back, it seem good, we parked it in the garage and went out of town for the weekend. The wife drove it to work the following Monday. The thing killed on her, same problem as before. I picked it up and delivered it back to the dealer, they got it right in. They called and said we have finally found the problem. We flashed your computer (Lincoln had a recall for that) and we found a bad sensor in the tranny, $200.00 more dollors please. Your car is fixed...BS! I dove it Friday, died on me the same way I have discribed in the beginning, had to pull over and remove the key to clear the computer like before. Drove it Saturday, died twice the same way. Monday is gona be a lot of fun for them when I show up, $600.00 in parts and I'm no closer to having it fixed than the day I dropped it off! Anyone have an idea why this thing is killing...maybe?

Oh and by the way, 2000 Lincoln LS for sale, 107,000 miles, I'll sell it for what I owe on it!

It sounds like this occurs fairly regularly. I'd suggest you express to the dealer in a way that lets them know that you are frustrated, but not quite ready to bad mouth them to everyone you know, that the car is no better and you would like them to provide you with a loaner car while they keep the car and fix it. You've paid them $600 and they have not fixed the issue. The least they could do is provide you with a loaner while they drive the car with their scan tool connected to record critical parameters when the issues exhibits itself.

If the critical parameters do not show anything out of the ordinary, then ask them to perform a cylinder decarbonization process on their own dime (would probably run around $150).

If they claim they don't owe you this, blah, blah, blah, then ask them to justify why they were so certain the expensive CKP sensor was going to fix it (something should have guided them that way) and why the PCM re-flash should have taken care of it.

-Rod

I'm actually in a similar boat to you. My 2004 V8 is covered under warranty, but has a vibration when cold. It feels like a misfire to me, but none of the computers claim any misfires. I've had it to the local dealer, which has a good reputation, 5 times now, and they've been unable to fix it. Since the car is still under factory warranty, I even contacted Lincoln myself and they sent a field service engineer out to experience my complaint. They agreed that it was not normal and suggested that it may be due to carbon in the combustion chamber. The vibration is really only noticeable when the engine is cold.

The dealer performed a cylinder de-carbonization and put a bottle of BG 44K in the fuel tank. For two weeks the vibration was completely gone, but this weekend it started back up again just like it was before.

I'm about ready to trade the car off for something different too. I love the car, but it bothers me that I know something is wrong with it and no one seems to be able to fix it.

FWIW, since there were no instances of misfires in the PCM, the dealer would not replace the coils. So I bought 8 new coils and new OEM spark plugs and installed them myself. It had absolutely no effect.

-Rod

Shorod we think alike, I no longer have a Lincoln LS problem as of yesterday. The dealer is the proud owner of the car. I traded it in, now it's their problem and they gave me book value so I had no complaints about trading. My wife is now driving a mitsubishi montero. Like you I hated to do it, the car has great lines and was great when it was in it's prime but the last few months have proven to be to much of a headache and to expensive, to keep throwing money at it didn't make much sense. I was happy to see that during the dealer road test it drove and ran perfect. The funny thing was that the airbag light has been on for the last 6 months (the typical wiring harness under the drivers seat was bad like in all LS's). Yesterday for whatever reason the light wasn't on and didn't come on either. I couldn't belive it now it's gone, i feel so relived. Thanks for all your insight shorod.