Yeah... for like the past week, everytime i start the car (1994 530i auto) my engine pretty much shakes reallly rough for a few minutes and then its fine. Im no mechanic... and i know it can be a number of different problems, but what do you guys think? thanks

It maybe your PCV plate on the back of your intake manifold. Just a thought.

hm what about 02 sensor? My mpg on the OBC is showing average 15.4 .. =/ maybe its running rich? i have no idea right now

I'm no where near a mechanic, but mine has been doing that since i bought it. We've replaced the radiator, o2 sensor, waterpump, thermostat, and it hasn't changed. We're pretty sure that it might have an issue with my idle control valve... there were a couple other things they mentioned it could be, because it also has an issue starting sometimes (no, not the starter it self) anyway, I have no idea if this has helped... but i thought I'd mention it because my car does the same thing almost every time.

hm im not sure why youd replace cooling parts over a shaky motor, but i guess its not a bad thing since eventually you would have had to anyway haha

anyway any other ideas guys?

im ready to take my 92' 525i out back and shoot it. i had a real odd idel for about 2 days. car would not idle would go between 900-2000 rpm and the check engine light came on. i disconnected the mass air flow meter drove it a bit reconnected it and the prob. went a way. but now the car miss at idle every time i start it for the first 30 sec. and some times it back fires at start. any one have any ideas at all.

if your check eng light came on, why not do a stomp test to see what code comes back?

hm im not sure why youd replace cooling parts over a shaky motor, but i guess its not a bad thing since eventually you would have had to anyway haha

anyway any other ideas guys?

Oh, no... They NEEDED replacing, lol.... The radiator was leaking like a siv, fixed. then it continued to over heat, even when idling, replaced water pump, fixed. also replaced oxygen sensor (to fix rough idle, hopefully) and thermostat to make sure it wasn't just reading wrong. I was just saying that because mine still idles like that even though we replaced the o2 sensor.

EDIT: does your car ever stall out on you for no reason, or almost stall (as in the engine slows down enough to make you think for a second there that it's going to just stall out copmpletly)? Not when you're shifting up/down gears or anything, but when you switch from reverse to drive/1st and your car's still? Again, this is something mine does, and like I said we think it might (might) be an idle control valve, or a fuel level sensor or something like that, I can't quite remember if that's the correct name fo that last one...

YES! i thought it was an electrical problem actually.. but in the course of about 2 months it has stalled between park and drive two or three times (auto).. all the lights on the dash turn on and the car just dies.. my car has been running great for so long and now this stuff =(

i love my car i like the way it drives better than any of the new cars we have at my house but these random problems now (i guess not random.. it IS 13 yrs old)

yeah same with me. sometimes it runs hard then gets softer. but i remember one time the idle was somewhere at 2 to 3k.

sounds like the EXACT same problem as mine. Have them run a test and see which code you get... or try the idle control valve... hmm... actually, PM Fidhle007 and ask him. He's the one working on my car and knows the other 2 possibilities with my car, that way you can check those 3 first and save some time (maybe). mine's 14..... i think at a certain point whether it's age or abuse these cars gain a big attitude problem... unfortunately, just like a 14 year old, you still love them somehow......

no the RPMS dont go anywhere odd while its idling.. its just rough