94 Chrysler LHS cuts out momentarily then runs great: related starting issues

[Rodsrod]

I have a '94 LHS with 124000 miles. Car starts and runs for a few minutes and cuts out. I can usually start it right away and it may run fine with no issues. Usually though, as i drive the engine cut out while driving for just a second and then recovers and continue with no problems until the next time it does the same thing. Speedo and tach take a dive and seem to be total loss of ignition but usually only for a second or so. Whenever longer stalls - recover without doing anything - Failures do not record codes and radio and heater fan not effected during failure. Any ideas out there????

[cindydial23]

Many answers found on the Internet for this problem description recommend replacing various sensors, including speed, cam etc. Maybe so. But before doing that, I recommend you replace the IGNITION SWITCH. For the 1994 LHS the ignition switch is Autozone part number LS700 and costs $31.00. What is happening is there are several contacts inside the switch and one of more contacts has become worn and pitted. Voltage passes through these contacts to the LHS transmission computer (and elsewhere.) The pitted contacts are occasionally (or what you might call "randomly") starving the computer of voltage and causing the computer to momentary, without warning shutdown. The computer thinks you have turned the ignition OFF!
At highway speeds your symptoms are:
* Car seems to turn off for about 1 second.
* Car makes loud "bang" sound that makes you think you've thrown a rod or something. You wonder how engine can survive whatever is happening.
* Car slows dramatically and suddenly and you jolt forward against your seat belt.
* Dash console shuts down for the duration of the episode -- speedometer, tach, everything goes to zero.
* The event scares the living crap out of you. Drivers on road behind you think you're some sort of nut.
* Car then "restarts" and dash console comes alive -- speedometer, tach and everything else shoots up to correct readings.
* Car then continues as normal until next episode.