Here's a stumper--I'm looking for suggestions.

I have a '95 850 that will run like a dream for twenty minutes, then shut itself off. The car has around 90k miles.

It will NOT restart, until I've waited maybe 45 minutes, and then it starts up like clockwork all over again, and runs beautifully.

This problem just popped up recently, and has recreated itself a few times now. This is only relaying a message from a couple of other guys who have looked at it--not positive if there is spark, fuel, both, or what. I haven't even gotten around to looking at it myself, between 100 other projects I've got going.

Anyone heard of this kind of thing before? I'm temporarily stumped by this one.

Does this happen while driving or while the car is sitting. IIRC it is supposed to "time out" and shut off after idling for a period of time. It should restart promptly, however.

Chris:

If it happens just like you said, I would remove or cool in place the crankshaft sensor and re-start the car. I knew of a particular car that wouldn't start until the sensor cool off.

Iiiinnnnteresting. I haven't tried that (actually I never touched the thing today, like I had planned to).

I'll try exactly that next time it does that. It would make perfect sense. Also I have to run the codes and see waht else might be up.

Thanks.

Cranks but doesn't start or doesn't crank? Assuming it cranks, are there any codes? Does it have spark, fuel pressure (using guage, not guessing) and if yes to both, do the injectors pulse by using a noid light?

Nothing "common" comes to mind as is without at least a few more details. Checking the distributor cap wouldn't hurt although they usually last much longer w/o problems.

Good suggestions. I didn't get the chance to look at it like I should/would have usually. Tomorrow I'll start it and let it run for a while where I can see and hear it, then I'll post back again with the scoop.

The EXACT same thing happened to a 91 Ford Taurus and a 96 Pontiac GrandAm that I had, and it was the catalytic converter to blame. I tried replacing a countless number of things on the Taurus (It happened the first time on this car) and finally a friend of mine who is a foreign auto machanic found that the cat was almost completly plugged (Thus creating too much back-pressure). When it happened on the grand am I just replaced the cat and they have bothed worked perfectly from then on.

Did the cat problem cause the car to suddenly shut off, or was it more gradual (if you were able to hear it stall)?

The bad converters that I've had in the past have caused problems when hot. In fact, only when hot. I'll check it out in more detail.