Car Starts revs then shuts off
 

Hello, and this is my first post, but I have come to united bimmer for all my BMW E36 needs and this is by far the best knowledge base for a BMW.

Now for my little problem (i hope you guys can help)

I have a 1993 325i E36 BMW 4 door sedan 5-speed. I pull up to a stoplight and my car stalls, i try turning it back on and it wont start. After pushing it to a parking spot and viewing Dudesky's article on cleaning your ICV, i took a shot and did it myself(not too difficult), but now, the car starts, revs, but shuts down after i take my foot off the gas.

do you think its a bad ICV?

Hmm, have you considered a bad battery or alternator?

After you let the car sit for a while, the battery usually gets a little charge back, but not enough for any real work. Have you experienced any other electrical crap going on... ie, lights dimmed, radio turning off?

When the car stalled and you tried to start it again, was there a clicking sound?

Welcome to the forum... and umm, what's up with your name?

Dough

Ummm yeah.

I was going to say probably the battery. When did you last get it checked/changed.

Just because you are having problems doesn't necessarily mean it's a POS.

How long have you had your BMW?

did you check your spark plugs also? Make sure they have the correct gap, etc.

Check for a vacuum leak (loose or cracked hoses) is where I'd start from the symtoms given.

wow Thanks for the quick info, I believe the battery is good "its the bmw battery with the "green" light which means its good.

my car was idling strage the past month or so. Everytime at a stop light it would rev up and down between 500-1500, then settle. I think this may be ICV issue, but please note, I cleaned it and I once i put all the materials back, one of the ICV hoses fell off...OMFG, so anyway that may be it, i have to check on it tomorrow and put it back together, but the ICV is a pain to get to.

Dough, when I tried to start the car, it wanted to turn but failed, I read a similar problem with Dudesky, however, i have not noticed any problems with the electrical or battery

K, then scratch my idea out.... check out ur ICV valve. Make sure all is good, then try what c1apton mentioned, ie, vacume tubes ect. assuming it still doesn't work. But I hope when the other members come around, you'll get other ideas. I'm not a mechanic and don't have alot of experience with the E36.

Dough

Ok cant wait!

That's why you drive an e46, much better, and less problems.

POS_BMW (I cring when I type that...) ^^ That's not one of the helping members I spoke of ...even though he makes a good point...but even I've had problems with my E46... but that's not what this topic is about.

No offense BMWLotAttendant....:)

Dough

hey, dont mock e36 Mr. Camry...

anyway, it wont be your battery b/c the car actually starts, but let me ask you this, if you give it gas, will it still turn off? and is it totally random, if may be a sensor or some kinda electrical problem if its random

could dirty injectors, also cause something like that?

dirty injectors probably wouldnt cause the car to shut off, my guess is something is wrong w/your air:fuel ratio, which could be many, many things, like c1apton said, vaccum system may have a leak(if you are too lazy to check all the hoses, take it to a shop and they will put some colored dust in there or something and see where it comes out) it could be a number of sensors, TPS sensor, MAF sensor, could be a number of relays, like the fuel pump relay.. etc etc

yeah on my truck I think it is the MAF sensor, kinda sucks...

may seem stupid, but i swear this is the answer so many times, check the fuses.

after that, look into MAF, your ICV again, and the vaccuum lines.