My car runs perfect... when it runs.

[stupidfreakingcar]

Ok, I have a '92 Chevy Lumina van and I'm convinced it was put on this Earth solely to ruin me.

Shortly after I bought it I put a newer stereo in it to have a cd player. The car worked fine for awhile, but then in the fall it became satan. It started when I was driving it back from school one day, it was going along just wonderfully then I accellerated a bit and BAM! The engine just stops without any warning. I pulled off to the side of the road for a couple minutes then tried to drive it again, it started got a half of a mile down the road and did the same thing again. I pulled over to the side again, waited a little longer then it started but when I shifted it stopped, then I got tired of it and I tried to start it immediately and it wouldn't start at all. Waited a bit more then it made it down the road a little bit more, and stopped. Tried waiting again, but it wouldn't start no matter how long I waited. But it started again for my father, and he left it idling for about 15 minutes and it died again.

So my father tried to figure out what was wrong with it and replaced some piece I can't think of the name of it at the moment, but it was still good so it doesn't matter. Just wasted a hundred dollars for some little computer box or something.

Then one day the windows stopped working too, then the next day it was the car frying the stereo, then the windows worked for a little while after I put the old stereo in again. And then both the windows and the stereo stopped working... along with the dome lights. I figured this had nothing to do with the car stalling though because I discovered that whoever had this car before me decided to "fix" the wiring by rewiring it all and skipping the boxes.

My brother-in-law said that he had a chevy that did that stalling thing too and it turned out to be some crankshaft sensor thing.

I'm very close to just getting rid of the car and getting a new one, but I'm a college student and let's face it... I'm barely able to buy the gas let alone another car.

So any ideas about what it might be?

[Android_Gimpy6456]

Ok, without actually being in the van I can only speculate so here goes. The stalling thing could be a mirade of possibilities, and I won't even start listing them. Now the interior the stereo and the windows sounds like a short which is a VERY BAD thing. Since you said someone monkied with the wireing heres a old trick but works some times, go to your fuses and pull all the fuses that arent fundamental to the operation of the vehicle EX. (pull the fuses that operate the windows and radio and see if it will run ok like it use to if not try the fuse for the interior lighting and crtsy light next try the heater and ac fuses and keep all of them out while doing this dont replace them and pull one at a time and replace it. I know it sounds crazy but if its a short more often than not it will work or at least help. Now if its worse you said he someone replaced a comp. or something. If a computer needs replaced its usually not a good sign. Maybe its getting wet and shorting out? Now this is only one of a thousand things that could be, but without spending money for nothing this is a starting point. NOTE: Do NOT pull a fuse that is essential to the operation of the vehicle if you dont know which ones the are ask around, or find a good mechanic, autozone or NAPA is a good place to start for advice. The guys at NAPA are usually pretty good when it comes to mysteries some even like tring to be stumped and dont just go in everyonce in a while, get on a first name bases, remember they deal with tones of people and dealerships, they might even talked to someone and they know exactly what is wrong and if they know you on a first name bases it will be fresh in there mind when they see you.
Let me know if any of this helps.

[LMP]

3.8 or 3.1?