Intermittent Miss Above 2,000 RPM Will Not Stop

1997 DODGE STRATUS
160 MILES
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LOWERALABAMA
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Please help I am perplexed. A few months ago my 97 Dodge Stratus, 2.0 liter, 5 speed manual transmission, began missing intermittently while driving on the interstate. My local mechanic suspected the fuel pump so $600 later with a new fuel pump and new fuel filter the car was still hiccupping. This miss was ever so often but began to be more consistent as I continued to drive the car. The car cranks without fail, idles like a purring kitten, and runs fine until I reach the rpm range above 2,000. It feels almost as if the car is shutting off and turning right back in the blink of an eye. You can see the rpm needle drop, the engine light goes off, but the car continues to run. The skip seems to be more consistent once you reach 5th gear and go above the 2,000 rpm range. When I shift through the gears and go as high as 3,000 rpm it does not seem to skip at all or nearly as bad. The skip does not have the classic feel like a bad set of plugs.
To date the following parts have been changed out:
• Fuel Pump
• Fuel Filter
• Crank Position Sensor
• Camshaft Position Sensor
• Ignition Coil*
• Computer*
• Plugs
• Plug Wires
• TCM Relay
• Fuel Pump Relay
• 40 amp ignition switch fuse
• 20 amp ignition/starter fuse
• Ignition Tumbler

*The ignition coil and computer came from another 97 Dodge Stratus that I own and previously parked in the back yard due to high mileage. I pulled these 2 parts from this car because it was running fine when I parked it other than it needed tires, brakes, cv joints and a clutch.

I have an Innova 3140b scan tool which I used to run a code search on and this is what I keep coming up with:

P1391: Intermittent Loss of CMP or CKP
Fuel Sys 1 CL
Fuel Sys 2 NA
Calc Load % 5.9
ECT (F’) 192
STFT B1 (%) -3.1
LTFT B1 (%) 0.0
Map (in Hg) 5.0
Eng RPM 2400
Veh Speed MPH 62

P0351: Ignition Coil A Primary/Secondary Circuit

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Jul 8, 2012 at 8:37 PM
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HMAC300
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check your connection at the cam& cranks sensors, they may not be making a good connection. also check your connection at pcm.you might also check your automatic shutdown relay. I'd also check the "A" coil for a crack on spark plug tower or near where it bolts up. If you took the coil from an older car then that would be highly suspect, regardless of how well it ran when you put it up.
Jul 8, 2012 at 10:34 PM
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LOWERALABAMA
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Thanks "hmac300". I am ordering a new OEM ignition coil just to be sure. I have wiggled the wires while running from the pcm and both position sensors and did not receive any form of fluctuation or miss when I did so. Did the breakdown under the code P1391 show you anything that looked suspect? Thanks for your time.
Jul 8, 2012 at 11:37 PM
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HMAC300
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i really think it's got to be a poor connection at cmor crank sensor . or a bad ground to one of them. But it could also be the wrong cleanceto crank or cam or both. but try the coil first. you might see the coil sparking allover at night if it's leaking. just don't look at it in the light.
Jul 8, 2012 at 11:44 PM
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LOWERALABAMA
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Thanks "hmac300". I will check the coil and relay once it gets dark. Will keep you posted.
Jul 8, 2012 at 11:56 PM
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LOWERALABAMA
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"hmac300". I ordered a new A coil. I checked out the old A coil last night in the complete darkness and no visible sparks whatsoever. No visible sparks anywhere around the engine. Will be picking up a new ASD relay from AZ tomorrow afternoon and giving that one a try also. Keep you posted. Thanks.
Jul 10, 2012 at 1:18 AM
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LOWERALABAMA
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"hmac300" I did as you suggested. I unhooded the negative battery cable and allowed the computer to drain the memory. I replaced a couple of the relays including the ASD. I installed the new A coil. I put the Innova scan tool on the car and it showed "no" DCTs. I cranked the car and reved the engine up to around 2800 rpms and the engine started fluxuating. I notice while sitting in park not only did the engine rpm fluxuate down but also up while holding the throttle in the same position. At this time the engine did not throw any DCTs. I turned the car off and checked all of the connections on the various electrical parts I had replaced. I recranked the engine and allowed it to idle for about 5 minutes. When I got back in the car I noticed the service engine light was on. I put the Innova scan tool back on the car and pulled the DCT "P1391" as before but now the DCT "P0351" is now gone. This is probably due to the new A coil. I wiggled all of the wires attached to the replacement parts but did not notice the engine fluctuating. Anymore suggestions that you can offer would be very helpful. This has been one aggrivating diagnosis issue. Thanks for your time.
Jul 13, 2012 at 10:59 PM
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HMAC300
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that code is an intermittent loss of crank or cam sensor. these directions are going to be screwed up you TEST TC 157B  INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CMP OR CKP

NOTE: For connector terminal ID, see CONNECTOR IDENTIFICATION Directory. For wiring diagram, see WIRING DIAGRAMS  2.0L article.

1. Turn ignition off. Disconnect Powertrain Control Module (PCM) connector. Inspect PCM connector for pushed out terminals or damage. Repair PCM connector as necessary. Perform TEST VER 2A. If PCM
connector is okay, go to next step.
2. Disconnect CMP sensor connector. Inspect CMP sensor connector for pushed out terminals or damage. Repair CMP sensor connector as necessary. Perform TEST VER 2A. If CMP sensor is okay, go to next
step.
3. Disconnect CKP sensor connector. Inspect CKP sensor connector for pushed out terminals or damage. Repair CKP sensor connector as necessary. Perform TEST VER 2A. If CKP sensor is okay, go to next
step.
4. Reconnect CMP and CKP sensor connectors. Start engine and wait 30 seconds. Using scan tool, read trouble codes. If INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CMP OR CKP DTC is set, go to next step. If
INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CMP OR CKP DTC is not set, go to TEST TC 157C.
5. If CMP sensor was just replaced, turn ignition off. Replace CKP sensor. Perform TEST VER 2A. If CMP sensor was not just replaced, turn engine off. Replace CMP sensor. Using scan tool, erase trouble
codes. Repeat steps 4) and 5).
NOTE: For connector terminal ID, see CONNECTOR IDENTIFICATION Directory. For wiring diagram, see WIRING DIAGRAMS  2.0L article.

1. Turn ignition off. Disconnect Powertrain Control Module (PCM) connector. Inspect PCM connector for pushed out terminals or damage. Repair PCM connector as necessary. Perform TEST VER 2A. If PCM
connector is okay, go to next step.
2. Disconnect CMP sensor connector. Inspect CMP sensor connector for pushed out terminals or damage. Repair CMP sensor connector as necessary. Perform TEST VER 2A. If CMP sensor is okay, go to next
step.
3. Disconnect CKP sensor connector. Inspect CKP sensor connector for pushed out terminals or damage. Repair CKP sensor connector as necessary. Perform TEST VER 2A. If CKP sensor is okay, go to next
step.
4. Reconnect CMP and CKP sensor connectors. Start engine and wait 30 seconds. Using scan tool, read trouble codes. If INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CMP OR CKP DTC is set, go to next step. If
INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CMP OR CKP DTC is not set, go to TEST TC 157C.
5. If CMP sensor was just replaced, turn ignition off. Replace CKP sensor. Perform TEST VER 2A. If CMP sensor was not just replaced, turn engine off. Replace CMP sensor. Using scan tool, erase trouble
codes. Repeat steps 4) and 5).

hope this helps you better........

Jul 13, 2012 at 11:19 PM