2000 Buick Regal, 3.8L, Non-SC, 140k miles.


In the last 2-3 months, the engine has died twice while driving...1 time @ 50mph, another time @ 30mph. There were no unusual noises when the engine died. After the engine died, it easily restarted like nothing was wrong. The car is a daily driver and has started and has run fine except for the 2 instances indicated above.


Based on the similarity of my symptom to the symptoms of others that I've read in this forum, I suspect that the crankshaft position sensor may be intermittently bad.


Are there any tests to prove that the crankshaft position sensor is bad? It is only $35 @ AutoZone, so I will likely replace it anyway. Where is the sensor located? Is it a simple Remove & Replace or are there other things in the way that make it a pita to R&R? Is there any special adjustment (i.e. shims, alignment, etc.) that need to be made when replacing the CPS? Thank you.