weird problem!

I was on my way home from work just now and my car started jerking a little. A few seconds later the check engine light came on, then went off after a couple minutes. It kept doing this all the way home.

First off, how exactly can I check the codes using a jumper wire? I read somewhere how a long time ago, but I can't seem to find the info now.

Second, what do you all think it could be? A bad O2 doesn't usually cause the car to studder does it?

I'm about at wits end with this car! I figured out how to check for codes.. and I'm in the middle of a whole bunch of stuff it's putting out and my kid comes and breaks my concentration. Even before he did that it didn't seem to be putting out regular codes. It spit out like a 5 digit code without stopping it seemed like.

So I turn the key off to try again, and of course.. all the codes are GONE! It gave me 111 and 111 and stopped. So I drive it again thinking maybe the CE light would come back and no dice. Still has the same symptoms though. While hard accelerating it just seems to lose alot of power and feels like it's bogging down.

The exhaust even smells different now. It used to have sort of a rich smell, but now it's different, almost like an "overburnt" smell.

Anyhow, I'm done. I am going to get rid of this life sucking POS asap! If anyone is interested feel free to PM me. This car would probably make a perfect donor car for a 5.0 swap.

I'm almost leaning toward the dizzy being bad AGAIN. If so, this car MUST be destroying them somehow. Because this would make the 8 or 9th one since in a years time!

I tried a KOER test and it's not acting right either. I hook up my jumper wire, started the car. The first time I did this, the idle went up and held for a few seconds, then settled back down. I got a code 4 (for 8cyl correct?) and that was it. It just sat there and idled forever and no other codes. I tried repeating this a few times and now it won't even idle up or spit out the code 4. While all this is going on, I can hear a "clunk" noise from time to time that sounds like it's coming from under the dash or something(maybe in the engine bay, and no it's not the CCRM cycling either)

I have my EGR system capped and all my smog equipment removed, so the codes for those items should at least show up! But i'm getting nothing. This is super frustrating.

I can drive my car and it won't actually shut off as is usual for a bad dist. sensor. And EVERY time my PIP went bad, it never ONCE threw a CEL! Not once. So whatever is causing my problems today threw the CEL and also made the exhaust smell different. If I let it idle for a minute it starts loping like it has a cam. It drove fine to work and while on my way home I felt it doing something wierd. Almost like it was running low on fuel, but I put some gas in it and still have the same issue.

Like I said, I'm getting to the point now where I'm fixing on this car more than I'm enjoying it. My last 95 was rock solid reliable. I could drive it anywhere I wanted without issue. This car is just a basket case.