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Thread: Won't stay running

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Shawnee, Kansas
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    21
    My Cars
    1993 BMW 325i

    Won't stay running

    Hey all. 93 325 will start run for a second and die. If i step on gas, I can get it to keep running real rough. I am thinking fuel filter, pump or regulator. It was running great til I tried to start it at lunch. Any help is greatly appreciated. thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    University of Alabama
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    1995 325ic
    check your MAF sensor

    or your intake ducting. It might have a hole in it past the MAF sensor
    Last edited by stradguy93; 08-26-2010 at 06:16 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Shawnee, Kansas
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    My Cars
    1993 BMW 325i
    Actually did find that the boot coming off the maf had a rip. PO taped it together. Found another good boot here in town. Still have same problem. Although I did find a hole in one of the hoses coming out of the bottom of the boot. Will fix that this evening. Thanks for your help.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Queens N.Y.
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    999
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    2000 e39 540i/6 e36 325I
    probly have more then one vacume leak check your pcv hoses one of mine blew up before literaly. i dont know y but sounded like a 22. the car was off and i was towing it from the front in nutrule. the transmission had went. so i had it in nutrule while a budy towed me from the front hitch then bang. we stoped no fluid on the floor. we cept on goin i held the cluch down the rest of the way home. what i should have done from the start.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Shawnee, Kansas
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    My Cars
    1993 BMW 325i
    Ok. Checked for leaks. found a few. Fixed them. Still runs same. Changed fuel pump and relay. Now it will sometimes run 3-4 seconds before dying. But still runs awful rough. I am about to lose patience. Thinking fuel filter or regulator. Acts like it is nor getting enough gas. Any idea's. Thanks.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Atlanta GA
    Posts
    227
    My Cars
    2.8 325is
    is it throwing a check engine light?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Check your ICV. It has a small plastic clip that holds it onto the intake, mine broke a while back and my car would only run when i gave it gas. To get to it you will have to take the throttle body off. You should be able to pull on it a little and see if it's loose or not once you get the throttle body off. If the clip is broken it's no big deal, a new pipe with a clip on it is pretty cheap.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Shawnee, Kansas
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    My Cars
    1993 BMW 325i
    Thanks. Will check the ICV this evening. The check engine light is not on when I can keep the car running. After the car dies, then the light is on. Is that how it should be. Seems to me it should come on while engine in running.

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    1995 325ic
    I know with mine when the icv was off when you reved it up there was enough air going into the ICV to keep the light off when it was running.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    2000 e39 540i/6 e36 325I
    i still think you might have some kind of vacum leak. thats the same way mine was acting when one of my pcv hoses poped. the smaller one that gose to the bottom of the intake manifold

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Shawnee, Kansas
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    1993 BMW 325i
    Thanks for the help. I will try find a loose hose one more time. Where at on the bottom of the manifold are you talking. I could be missing something. Kind of hard to see under the intake. Thanks again.

    SUCCESS. Got her running. The outlet on the backside of the throttle body had popped off. Wish I could have found it before I spent money on new fuel pump. Oh well. Thanks for all the help. I do have one other question though. Is it possible to retrieve the check engine codes without a scanner/code reader? Have read something about turning key to ON position and pressing gas pedal 5 times. Then reading the # of flashes of the cel. Is that right? Thanks again.
    Last edited by kcviking; 08-31-2010 at 01:06 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Des Moines, Iowa
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    1993 BMW 325is
    Yeah, that's correct. Turn the key to the on position and press the gas pedal all the way to floor and let it back up 5 times quickly (under 5 seconds) and it will flash codes at you.

    Before you replace any fuel injection related parts next time, it would be easier to buy a fuel pressure gauge and check the fuel pressure first, though. I got a fuel pressure gauge for 30$. A good diagnostic tool to have laying around for any car.

    By the way, that outlet directly behind the throttle body is a plastic piece that connects to the intake-to-icv vacuum hose. There's supposed to be a clip on the bottom, but they break after getting old. I would feel for the clip still being attached. If it's not, replace it. The plastic part cost me ~6$, and I also ordered new icv-to-intake and icv-to-vanos hoses for another ~6$. While you're replacing the plastic part (assuming that it's broken), you should also clean the icv since you will have it out.
    Last edited by DrinkCoffee; 08-31-2010 at 04:02 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Shawnee, Kansas
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    1993 BMW 325i
    Thanks for the info. Not sure about the clip. Will have to look. Where did you get the clip and hoses from? I will change those out while I am at it.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    1999 323is
    Sorry to revive such an old thread but I’m brand new to the e36 game and never owned a bmw in my life. I have a 99 323is that seems to be doing the same thing, I just can’t figure out where this outlet is you speak about on the throttle body. The car will only run while the gas is fully compressed, and even then it’s rough, and when it isn’t compressed it’ll die.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    NY
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    9,079
    My Cars
    1997 328i
    He probably meant the outlet of the idle control valve, where it plugs into the manifold.
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