My '97 ES has just started this problem on my way to georgia last week. It's close to a 700mi trip. it was fine for 500miles or so with the cruise set at 75mph-85mph. Then all of the sudden the car stuttered really bad and shut my cruise off. So I reset it and it was fine for a while then it stuttered again. Then it started doing it really bad. It didn't matter if I was on the gas pedal or not. Every time it stuttered the check engine light came on. So I hooked my code scanner up while I was driving and it said "intermitent crankshaft signal loss". I just replaced the distributor on this car, so I figured maybe I got a bad one, so I changed that still did it. then I put a new crankshaft position senson on it, after a few hours of getting that set just right the car now runs decent for the most part but has a little stutter at high RPMs, 4500rpm+. could this be because I don't have the crankshaft sensor set just right? I know your suppose to use a ocscillascope(spelling???) but I just sorta eyes things up. could this be the problem? thanks, puTTs

 

Here's what I found about the cps Putts.
That was from someone that replaced theirs. Did you experience the same?

 

There's no dot that I'm aware of? Do you know how big of a gap there is suppose to be on it? I could make something to stick on the end that would work. Thanks, puTTs.

 

It was sheared off when you started the car then, unless you mean that there wasn't one to begin with. I think that the dot is more of an indicator that it was put on correctly. There shouldn't be too big of a gap considering that the flexplate shears some of it off.

 

Mine never had any dot it's just he plastic housing on the end of it. I'll take the sensor back to autozone today and get one with a dot on it. Thanks for the help, puTTs.

 

Do you have a CEL at all?

 

CEL? Check engine light? It would blink on everytime the car stuttered. I just got another sensor from autozone and this one has the felt bad to set the clearance. So I did that and things seem to be fixed. The car ran fine here in ohio for the most part, but it was 60f here. It was the down in tenn/georgia when it would do it in the heat. After talking to a few people about this sensor I guess the heat and high rpm (2800) for so long is what over heated the old warn out sensor. It pretty common I guess. Things seem to be fine now, but I'll see next week when I head back down to georgia. I'm keeping my fingers crossed . Thanks for the help, puTTs.

 

Well I just took it on a 60miles drive at 75-80mph and the car still does it. It's like completely loses all electrical or something just for a split second. I'll drive for 10 miles fine then it will start doing it then stop, be fine for 10 more. It's so random I'm starting to thing maybe a wiring harness somewhere? It will almost always do it if I get on the pedal hard and have the rpms over 4000 ish. Could it be the throttle position sensor maybe? Or map sensor? It takes a little bit of driving to make it do it, everything has to be good and warm. thanks puTTs

 

Also is there a chance that the computer or ignition module is going on it? I figured maybe a connector or wiring harness. But I've inspected them all, wiggled them all while it's idling and nothing seems to do it. The computer is original with almost 180,000miles. I seen that advance/autozone have reman ones for $240ish wouldl that be a safe bet to try or are there other things first? Thanks, puTTs

 

Well I was going to go to a dealership and have them hook it up to there diagnostic computer to see what is going on. Car didn't even make it out of the driveway, it's idling very ruff and when I hit the gas it drops to about 200rpm chugging. I'm thinking fuel pump? Is there a way to check the pressure? The pump is kicking on and sounds normal I think, but the car will not go. It gets worse and worse the more we run it. Thanks, puTTs.