I have a 94 525i.

yesterday it stalled out on me at a traffic light when i pushed the accelerator to go. instead of going up my rpm's just went to zero. it wouldnt crank when i kep trying. so about 30 minutes later after we towed it to our house it would crank and seemed fine.

i replaced the fuel filter last night, which seemed clogged and looked like it had never been replaced, but this morning it did the same thing when i got about 30 seconds down the road.

I would appreciate any help, i just dont even know where to start looking for the problem.

Thanks.

Brett

need more details, step by step what happened, what you heard, any recent events, etc.

need more details, step by step what happened, what you heard, any recent events, etc.

I preemptively fixed it, telepathically.

well last week before this happened i noticed a sag in power
a few times when i would push the accelerator. this is when i was already going 40-50mph and wanted to speed up.

also it seems like the car has been a little weak lately.

as far as what happened when it stalled......the first time i had been driving for about 15 minutes from a cold engine start, all gauges looked normal, then when i pushed the gas when the light turned green, the engine just stops. i was also going slightly up a hill if that matters. (auto tranny)

Fuel pump may be going. check it out to see if it's running when the car dies.

Had this happen to may Touring.

Wife would call complaining it would not start....jump in the car to go rescue her and she calls back it's running now, then later it would stop again.

can i test this somehow without getting back on the road? i was thinking that myself, but it sux to be towed at $60 and i wanna make sure before i buy a new pump.

can i test this somehow without getting back on the road? i was thinking that myself, but it sux to be towed at $60 and i wanna make sure before i buy a new pump.

open the access panel to the pump and try running the car for a while, let the car warm up and see if it dies out, then listen to the pump and see if its running.

They sometimes crapout only when the runs for a while, then cool off and let you think everything is okay, so you drive it some more and get stuck again....sneaky bastiges

Crankshaft postition sensor?

Crankshaft postition sensor?

that usually kills the car.

The safety interlock shuts down the pump out right when the CPS signal fails.

But it couldn't hurt to test it with a ohm meter on pins 1 & 2 for 540 ohms +/_ 10%

you mentioned the fuel filter was clogged/old. if so I am sure the injectors were not changed as well and are probably fouled as well.

ok, do you think the injector thing would cause the car to go dead like that?

ok, do you think the injector thing would cause the car to go dead like that?


Naw, it would run like crap if the injectors were too gooped up, but it would run

i was kinda thinking that, because its sounds fine mostly until it started this.

Basically you're going to have to drive it until it dies, then figure out what's wrong.

my problem is it always dies at a traffic light, and i cant really stop to work on it, then when i get it home 20 mins later, it acts fine.

ok, do you think the injector thing would cause the car to go dead like that?

uh yeah. lack of feul is lack of fuel.:rolleyes
shit something as simple as a clogged cat can stall a car.

fill up the car to the top and drive it like that...

an overheating fuel pump will be cooled down by the gas...if the problem shows up with lower fuel only u have the problem...

when its cranking go to the tailpipe and smell for gas....no gas smell = fuel pump...

as for the injectors....not all injectors would get fouled up at exactly the same time and kill the engine...no way...

the fact that it always dies when u step on the gas could indicate something else....

I'm interested in this aswell. this has happened to me on a few occasions. after like 20 mins, I was able to barely get the car away from the curb to be towed, but I had to give it a hell of a lot of gas (MT) and when I did, it smelled like gas on the whole block. after a few hours, I get under the hood, take off the air filter and the afm, put them back on, and blam, she works again. so I have no idea, it does always seem to happen at a stop light or stop & go traffic

funny how this thread shows up when i'm about to replace my fuel pump due to these symptoms. our cars are coming of that age i guess.

yeah sounds like the fuel pump, I just don't understand how taking off the air filter and the afm and then putting them back on fixes it for me.


btw- how much does a new fuel pump cost?

yeah sounds like the fuel pump, I just don't understand how taking off the air filter and the afm and then putting them back on fixes it for me.


btw- how much does a new fuel pump cost?

i've seen cases where you get a leak in the rubber intake, which will open slightly when the engine rocks during acceleration, cause the car to stumble or miss, then it runs again at idle when the leak has sealed up. that might have been your issue which you solved by properly sealing the intake.

with most bosch electric pumps, you can hear them whine if you know where they are (on alfa's they're totally exposed, so they're really easy to hear). figure out where the pump is, and go figure out what it sounds like with the ignition on but the engine' not running.

next time it dies, run over to the pump and listen to hear if it's still running.

but if you haven't replaced your fuel filter i would start there.

Yeah, I just had my fuel filter replaced less than a month ago.

This just happened to me again about 15 minutes ago. I'm not sure if its a leak in the intake because it just keeps happening and I'm pretty damn sure I got the parts locked down. It happens without fail probably every 15 miles i drive now.

So my next question. I got the car running again, but can when looking for codes, will the last code thrown be available, or do I have to run the test while the check engine light is on?

Thanks in advance

+1 for everything everything everyone said, BUT Id say its a fuel issue, if anything.

id say fuel filters/pump. i replaced both my filters and pump about a month ago... i have pics if youd like to see them. i paid about $220 shipped for the pump from bma. very easy fix.

but you can also test it as well, before you remove it. im not sure how much different, if any, than a 540.

I'd like to see some pics if you don't mind.

also can anyone answer my question about the codes?

thanks

I'd like to see some pics if you don't mind.

also can anyone answer my question about the codes?

thanks

for some reason, i cant upload the files. email me for pics: tedwilsoninc@yahoo.com