Engine dies while driving.....

[E30QUEST]

I was driving my new E30 325i today and all of a sudden,after a kick down,i lost power steering and check engine light came on.Fortunately for me i was one block away from home.The first thing that came into my mind is timing belt failure since right after i tried to restart it it wouldn't.I only tried to get fired again once just in case if it was the belt.I looked under the car,nothing.Looked under the hood,again nothing unusual.Then i said to myself let me try to start it again which i was able to get the engine going right away and drove home.On the first attempt of starting it did like i was out of gas.
It puzzled me as to why the engine died while driving and after i got it running again there was no check engine light.
Anybody ever lived a similar situation?If so what was the problem?

[vr2jetta]

Do a stomp check and see what the code was, go from there.

[E30QUEST]

I have no CeL NOW.

[vr2jetta]

There should be the code stored in the DME. Do the test and see what comes up.

[jlevie]

The most likely candidates would be the fuel system, timing reference sensors, or a bad main relay.

[vr2jetta]

The most likely candidates would be the fuel system, timing reference sensors, or a bad main relay.

Just out of curiousity, where is the 'main' relay. Would that be the DME relay? My repair manuals dont have a listing for a main relay.

[jlevie]

The main relay and DME relay are the same thing.

[vr2jetta]

The main relay and DME relay are the same thing.

Nice. I just ordered a new one and wanted to make sure. $18 from FAP.

http://fap99.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1990-BMW-3--5i--/--L6--494cc--.5l--Gas--Fi--m--0--15---Electrical&yearid=1990%40%401990&makeid=BMW%40%40BMW%40%40X&engineid=1011700%40%40325I++%2F+L6-2494cc+2.5L+GAS+FI++(M20)+152%40%40325I&catid=Electrical%40%40Electrical&subcatid=DME+Relay@@DME+Relay&mode=PA

[bejbis]

The first thing that came into my mind is timing belt failure since right after i tried to restart it it wouldn't.I only tried to get fired again once just in case if it was the belt.

just a quick one, if it did pop a belt, and didnt cause any damage yet, trying to start it without a TB would cause damage.

[E30QUEST]

It happened again except this time the car wasn't driven but stationary.I had to use my other car to jump-start it and it fired right up.I think my battery is bad.It seems like,this time,the starter didnt get enough power to start the car since it didn't crank at all until i got the jump.

[vr2jetta]

Bad battery leads? Grounds?

[E30QC]

clean your posts, and do a voltage test, when the cars not running key off, then with the car running, will be able to see a hike in vltage if your alternators charging that suckker..

[E30QUEST]

The car left me stranded last night for about an hour on a deserted area of dirty newark.Tried to restart it but only cranked.After about an hour the car starts with no problem then i proceed to go home,after about two miles of driving the engine died again but this time my wife has already come to my rescue with the 330i.I jump-started it,it fired right up.Got home,turned the engine off,restarted it again no problem.This morning it started perfectly until i dropped my son at the day care where it wouldn't start afterward.I let it sit for approximately 20 minutes then the engine start with no problem.
What can be the cause of that intermittent problem?

[xxx-Lost-Soul-xxx]

have you done a fuel pressure test?

[StereoInstaller1]

The car left me stranded last night for about an hour on a deserted area of dirty newark.Tried to restart it but only cranked.After about an hour the car starts with no problem then i proceed to go home,after about two miles of driving the engine died again but this time my wife has already come to my rescue with the 330i.I jump-started it,it fired right up.Got home,turned the engine off,restarted it again no problem.This morning it started perfectly until i dropped my son at the day care where it wouldn't start afterward.I let it sit for approximately 20 minutes then the engine start with no problem.
What can be the cause of that intermittent problem?

Everything you are describing sounds EXACTLY like a bad main relay.

Do you know where it is, and where to buy another? They are a specific type of generic relay, nothing odd, but has to be specific type...which looks just like any other relay, but is different!