We have a 2001 Silhouette that intermittently runs rough. It can be running just fine, and suddenly the van will sputter and buck, the RPM needle will dance uncontrollably, the battery light flashes on and off, and maybe stall..not always, but its becoming more frequent. Sometimes it will idle rough and stall in the driveway, but not as much. If I let it sit for an hour, it runs fine again for a period of time. It seems to be aggravated mostly when I hit rough pavement. We replaced the crank sensor and cleaned most of the ground terminals...doesnt seem to do the trick.

 

It definately sounds like you have an electrical short. Odds are you have a grounding problem. Start by cleaning battery terminal connections & check body & engine grounds. If not a ground, something electric, but again, probably the ground. As your vehicle warms to operating temperature, the electrical contact breaks due to expansion of heated material. Finally, one other possibility with the same cause being heat, check your fusible link.

Referee