Urgent!!!! HELP!!!!

[535ipower]

540i died on the high way, as soon as we merged the car had no power but was picking up speed slowly. But before we could reach the next exit the car started to slow down until it could barely move. now its parked on some rest stop thing and im waiting for my friend to pick me up so we can go back to the car. The car had a cat that was making some noise as in it was like loose and throwing a 1213 code, so i figured it would be the cat that wasbroken could the cat have somehow become clogged? a dying fuel pump wouldnt throw a 1213 would it? because if it was dying than it would throw codes for both banks right? HELP ME!!! i plan on going back to the car disconecting the battery and seeing if that fixes it if not im going to saw out the catalytic converter. and see it that helps. Any input appreciated, sorry for the grammar but im kinda trying to get tools and things together to go and im kinda p-off but mostly frustrated...

[sfgearhead]

Check fuel pump. See if you can hear it running, and running smoothly.

Try checking for fuel pressure by squeezing fuel lines before and after fuel filter, and at engine.

A failing cat should affect one side, but not both sides. I think you'd still have some power. It's rare for them to just clog suddenly, unless your car was running way rich for a long time, and you should have seen a code for that first.

I'm not sure what 1213 code is.

When you get back you should update your info to show a 540 not a 535 to avoid confusion, but for now good luck.

[530V8]

+1 on the fuel pump. My fuel pump die two weeks ago cruising on the freeway, but did not any code.

[5senses]

HuH... 535i car but thread reads 540??? yeah i read about changing but hey if u think your 535i is a 540 then check the engine...lol

[T444E]

HuH... 535i car but thread reads 540??? yeah i read about changing but hey if u think your 535i is a 540 then check the engine...lol

I direct you to this thread:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1307781

[5senses]

Oh.. tell pops my bad!! V8 issue huh? check the fuel lines attached to the fuel pump... has the fuel filter(s) been changed?

[535ipower]

Check fuel pump. See if you can hear it running, and running smoothly.

Try checking for fuel pressure by squeezing fuel lines before and after fuel filter, and at engine.

A failing cat should affect one side, but not both sides. I think you'd still have some power. It's rare for them to just clog suddenly, unless your car was running way rich for a long time, and you should have seen a code for that first.

I'm not sure what 1213 code is.

When you get back you should update your info to show a 540 not a 535 to avoid confusion, but for now good luck.

Well i just came back from the place where the car is at and am going back later tonight. The car has been runing without the 2 o2 sensors for 3 days because it was running like crap when they were in, and one of the cats like i said was dying out already. When i take out the cats tonight i will turn on the car and if it is still runing like crap i should check for fuel pressure by squeezing the lines right? The car still has some power but not enough to reach more than 30mph. and i was afraid of the cat melting down and clogging it up and blowing a head gasket because of too much back pressure. The other reason i think its the cats is because at idle the car will only rev to about 3k rpms and wont go further and the cat was still hot even after sitting for like 2 hours. I apologize again for my grammar right now:(

[5senses]

Are cats needed in Mass.? if not cut em both, put on new o2 sensors and see what happens...

[jehu]

When my fuel pump died last week it would surge then nothing... I got it to start a few times but then it just wouldn't start anymore.. I did the stomp test and had no codes so I would say dead fuel pump is probably not your problem.. maybe the ECU is tweaked from the clogged cat..

1213 is O2 sensor..too lean/too rich control stop,(whatever that means)

http://www.bmw4life.com/stompTest.htm

I have a pair of used 540 O2 sensors you could try.. I'm in Southern NH near Nashua and free right now if you want to go give them a shot.

[535ipower]

I am gonna try to get it running, if i can make it home ill buy those sensor off of ya :) thanks for the help but if all fails AAA gets a call but thanks anyway.

Update: Got a saws all and a converter my friend had and ripped out the whole exhaust, then turned on the car and bam orgasmic sound :drool: smooth idle and i got all the power back. The drivers side converter is bad and will shake like a can full of rocks. The 25 min drive back how to where the car was was amazing my friend says he wants a v8 now :) Thank you guys for all your help and hope this helps someone in the future with th same problem.

Cliff note: clogged cat will make the car underivable and could happen suddenly.

[sfgearhead]

Cliff note: clogged cat will make the car underivable and could happen suddenly.

It didn't happen suddenly. You drove it without an o2 sensor for 3 days, likely dumping tons of fuel into it. Now you need to figure out why it was running so poorly to begin with, or you'll just plug another set. Good luck

[535ipower]

My guess is it was running rich to begin with in which it killed the cat, because the check engine light turned on like a week before it started to run bad and then i removed the sensors killing the cat even more. But it is only the left cat thats clogged so im thinking the o2 sensor was making the car run rich first of all. Why are m60's so fun... Lets start the hunt to find out what was wrong first of all yay :)