It's been so long since I've messed with a third gen that I need help, lol.

Some good friends of mine have a 92 GXE that recently got the timing belt and water pump replaced. Car has 177K. After, the car started dying at stops while driving around town. So my suggestions were to check all vacuum hoses and coolant temp sensor (via searching the org), but I shouldve known better with car-illiterate people. So they asked me to work on it after forking over the cash for the timing belt job (and knowing what all I have done to my 4th gens). The time I am able to get to it, it turns damn cold here and the thermostat is bad and never gets up to operating temp and never dies on me. So, I suggest replacing the thermostat and coolant temp sensor (since its a cheap start and based on their description thats what I thought it was based on my 4th gens) I replace these parts, car gets to operating temp and holds it and runs great! 3 days later it starts dieing on them again. So, I'm at a loss here. Suggestions?

Thanks,
Matt

 

Im just throwing this out there but have you checked to see if the alternator is good? I had the same issue awhile ago and if i stopped and kept the rpms around 3000 i could keep the car alive but once i let off it would die, and it ended up being the alternator

 

No, hadn't checked that. symptoms wouldn't have made me think alternator.