90 lesabre dies while driving

[cool_69aa]

HELP!!! i have a 1990 buick le sabre that will die on occasion while driving. sometimes i can go 50 miles, sometimes i can go 20 feet. it always instantly restarts. it does "cut out" before stalling, and somtimes if i floor it, it will sometimes stay running, sometimes it will pop and die. if i put it in neutral, it will still die, its just like you turned the key off. again, it ALWAYS starts right away after it dies. now, here is a list of stuff i have recently replaced!
crank sensor, cam sensor, maf sensor, fuel filter, coil, checked injectors for a short. so far, nothing has changed it for better or worse. i do have a snap on scanner and its setting the code for no cam reference signal, however i was told that it should run fine with that particular code. this code still shows after i clear them, and after putting in new cam sensor. only other codes were for speed sensor signal and torque converter.
any help would be much appreciated as our toyota vans engine is giving out and we will need this car while its in shop.

[HotZ28]

When you replaced the cam sensor, did you check the condition of the cam gear magnet (interrupter). If it is broken or missing you will have an unstable idle & hesitation, or an occasional stall. How about the wiring connector for the ICM, any loose pins or corrosion?

[toddman67]

I had several of the same issues with my 92 88 3.8. All said and done, cleaning the throttle body real good, repairing vacuum lines and shielding the 02 sensor from the ignition wire seemed to do the trick.
You never mentioned fuel pressure test. 37-42 lbs. 44-46lbs with regulator vacuum hose pinched off. NO gas on vacuum side of regulator? Check with scanner if the temp sender is operating correctly putting the system into open loop and confirm 02 sensor values, TPS values. Check IAC valve and clean or repalce, check EGR valve and seat (if applicable) and check the seal around the PCV valve asm.
Hope this helps.

[cool_69aa]

ok, when i replaced cam sensor, it had a magnet on it? is this the one your referring to? the icm is what im thinking of replacing next, i would have replaced it instead of coils, but my brother had a nos coil in a box of new igntion stuff he has, but he didnt have an icm. i did not notice any loose pins or corrosion, but i will check closer. here in Mn corrosion is a huge problem....
now to toddmans suggestions, i will try to get a fuel pressure test done. i dont have any way of testing it, and the scanner does not tell me what its running at. i will check the other issues you mentioned today.
thanks

[cool_69aa]

Originally Posted by toddman67

I had several of the same issues with my 92 88 3.8. All said and done, cleaning the throttle body real good, repairing vacuum lines and shielding the 02 sensor from the ignition wire seemed to do the trick.
You never mentioned fuel pressure test. 37-42 lbs. 44-46lbs with regulator vacuum hose pinched off. NO gas on vacuum side of regulator? Check with scanner if the temp sender is operating correctly putting the system into open loop and confirm 02 sensor values, TPS values. Check IAC valve and clean or repalce, check EGR valve and seat (if applicable) and check the seal around the PCV valve asm.
Hope this helps.

one reason i didnt pursue the fuel pressure test further before is because it will die if it starts hesitating and you put it in neutral and rev it up, a lot of times it will still rev up for a second and then just die like you turned off key. i figured if it was fuel pump it would "catch up" if you put it in neutral and not die? also a lot of times when it dies is when your decelerating, if you run it hard, it seems to run better.
ONE thing i failed to mention in post is that it DOES seem to die more when its COLD than when its warmed up.

[pastordad]

I have a 89 Buick that is doing the same thing and i changed the same things... I have a code 42Code Electronic Spark Timing (EST) Circuit I am not sure where that leaves me? Any luck with yours? Thanks