Car starts but dies instantly - stranded - help!!

[trapical]

So i recently picked up a 87 325e. Took it for a drive today and came to a stop in a parking lot. When I started it back up it goes to 1400rpms then dies right away. Hitting the gas makes it die faster .

I'm stranded without my tools or any idea of what it could be.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[trapical]

I Let it sit for 10 minutes then tried again. It started up and I puttered home.
Worried to drive this thing again.

[trapical]

If anyone in Southern California ( South Orange County / SD ) knows their stuff or knows of a good BMW mechanic that'd be willing to help me diagnose this, I'd be willing to pay.
This is my DD and only vehicle and I have nobody around to assist me if this thing dies again.

Things I've done so far:

- Valve adjustment
- ICV Clean
- multiple hose replacement
- Oil pressure switch

Currently waiting on in mail:

- o2 Sensor
- Air intake boot


Current problems:

- Car runs rich and drinks gas like no tomorrow.
- smoke out of exhaust. Was dark when It wasn't holding in the parking lot.
- Pulled my dipstick, oil smells mixed with gasoline.

[DesktopDave]

I'd check for all the oldies but goodies - massive vac leak, jump the fuel pump relay socket, test the position & reference senders for proper resistance. If it's an automatic, test the shifter interlock switch too.

[trapical]

I'd check for all the oldies but goodies - massive vac leak, jump the fuel pump relay socket, test the position & reference senders for proper resistance. If it's an automatic, test the shifter interlock switch too.

I personally wouldn't know how to do any of those
First car, first painful money-pit learning experience.
The car is a manual.

Thanks for the reply btw. Every bit means a lot to me.

[trapical]

Found a BMW mechanic in town with raving reviews. Gave him a call and he's having me drop this heap off tomorrow for a free full inspection and diagnosis.
Fingers crossed this isn't incredibly major ( with my luck it probably is ); I'm not trying to go back to cycling 14 miles for work haha.

[McGyver]

sounds like a mixture of vacuum leaks and a fuel pumps that are just about to completely give up.

If you have space/time, I suggest you learn to work on it yourself so you can save money when things go wrong. You'll also gain confidence knowing that you can fix whatever breaks. The instead of thinking "oh shit, im suck, how much is this gonna cost and what's wrong with my car" the next time you get stranded, you'll think "well i guess the fuel pump finally died. I guess its time to replace it."

[exhaust]

If it is the fuel pump, it's really not a hard job to replace it. It's right under your rear seats and is a mix of plugs and Phillips head screws. Should take you less than an hour and a half first time. (There is a gasket that can be tedious)

[trapical]

sounds like a mixture of vacuum leaks and a fuel pumps that are just about to completely give up.

If you have space/time, I suggest you learn to work on it yourself so you can save money when things go wrong. You'll also gain confidence knowing that you can fix whatever breaks. The instead of thinking "oh shit, im suck, how much is this gonna cost and what's wrong with my car" the next time you get stranded, you'll think "well i guess the fuel pump finally died. I guess its time to replace it."

Well I'm not new to turning a wrench, I'm just new to turning wrenches on cars. I've had no problem doing the work on it that I've already done, but that was only because I knew what the problems were haha. Since I'm still extremely new to cars ( keep in mind this is my first one ) It's hard for me to diagnose issues like this on the fly. The point of me seeing this mechanic is just so I can have someone that knows their stuff point me in the right direction. Trust me, I'm a broke flying-solo college student, so the last thing I can afford is for someone to work on my car for me haha.

[trapical]

If it is the fuel pump, it's really not a hard job to replace it. It's right under your rear seats and is a mix of plugs and Phillips head screws. Should take you less than an hour and a half first time. (There is a gasket that can be tedious)

Yeah I'm familiar with that section. I had to replace the fuel level sensor when I first got the car.

[McGyver]

Well I'm not new to turning a wrench, I'm just new to turning wrenches on cars. I've had no problem doing the work on it that I've already done, but that was only because I knew what the problems were haha. Since I'm still extremely new to cars ( keep in mind this is my first one ) It's hard for me to diagnose issues like this on the fly. The point of me seeing this mechanic is just so I can have someone that knows their stuff point me in the right direction. Trust me, I'm a broke flying-solo college student, so the last thing I can afford is for someone to work on my car for me haha.

No worries, you've got this. I was also there at one point. Just read as much as you can and go for it!

[trapical]

Well I met with the owner/mechanic of the shop I had my car towed to; It certainly didn't go anything like I'd expected.
Right off the bat he mentioned he wasn't too happy to be working on "such an old vehicle," and that I'd "be better off selling it and buying something much newer."

We hadn't even looked at my car and I was already getting slammed for wanting to fix it. Unprofessional communication aside, I was kind of surprised to hear this from a BMW specific mom-&-pop shop that prides themselves on being such "extreme enthusiasts of BMW automotives."

After him throwing numbers of $15,000-20,000 to "get it in proper good running order and physical shape" without even actually looking at the thing I was way over it.
What was a completely different conversation over the phone the day before was just a public shaming the next day in person. After all that he told me he'd call me in a few hours; Never did, hung up on my 2 phone calls, and I noticed he moved my car into a red curb/fire hydrant spot and never into the lot of his shop which was nearly empty. I guess my car was too much of an eyesore to be seen anywhere near the 2 lamborghinis parked inside his shop's garage haha.

I ended up pushing the thing 4 blocks to another shop that my father recommended. They aren't BMW specific, but they're at least honest and friendly people, so I guess I'll see what happens now... I literally just need an upfront diagnosis so I can go on my merry way with my project :p

[McGyver]

Well fuck, sounds like a terrible place and it's a good thing you didn't get work done on it there. The worst thing in the world is to have a mechanic working on your car when he doesn't want to work on it. That's when you pay extra for parts you don't need and he brakes shit.

Good luck with the next shop!

[trapical]

Well fuck, sounds like a terrible place and it's a good thing you didn't get work done on it there. The worst thing in the world is to have a mechanic working on your car when he doesn't want to work on it. That's when you pay extra for parts you don't need and he brakes shit.

Good luck with the next shop!

Yeah the guy ended up calling me today and I just told him that I felt like he wasn't feeling it at all and that I didn't want to pay someone to work on my car unless they'd pour their heart and soul into their work like I'd do for any of my customers. He tried to convince me to come back, but $500 just for a diagnosis just left me laughing. Since this is my first time dealing with auto shops I'm not too familiar with rates, but $500 just to find the problem and not fix a single thing seems steep, but I may be wrong.