Really Odd Start

[llll1l1ll]

Okay, so after spending two and a half hours cleaning my car, I get ready to go for a ride, but my car does not want to run.

See, every now and then I'll start it and the battery, brake lining and anti-lock lights will be lit right on start-up and it'll run; however, it acts like it has low voltage. I simply blip the throttle to 1K and it goes away and runs fine.

This time when I started my car it didn't really want to run at all. When it did it acted like it had a broken rocker arm, to which I was like holy shit! In any case, it was making some horrible noise (think knocking) and was shaking. It was scary.

I immediately turn it off and then tried to start again, but alas it had the same issue. I revved really quick to see if that might solve it, as in the case with the lights issue mentioned earlier.

After trying again for the fifth time, it finally sorted itself out. I gave it a little gas and it seemed to catch up to itself. Then it was running fine. Ran great this morning, too.

Would this be a voltage issue? I know I need an O2 sensor soon; however, perhaps this was a CPS issue? None of the spark plug wires were loose, either. Perhaps I have some clogged injectors? I did notice a heavy fuel smell, though, so I don't think that was the problem. Distributor, rotor and other ignition components are less than a year old.

I was just glad it wasn't a rocker arm!

[llll1l1ll]

Update!

It did it again today and there is a strong fuel smell. Like, sickeningly strong. There was also a small puddle of fuel under the car near the bell housing of the transmission.

I think it might be a fuel leak of sorts - I just don't know where.

[Adrian_Visser]

Update!

It did it again today and there is a strong fuel smell. Like, sickeningly strong. There was also a small puddle of fuel under the car near the bell housing of the transmission.

I think it might be a fuel leak of sorts - I just don't know where.

Well Sherlock you definitely have a fuel leak "of sorts" check the fuel lines at the firewall.

This is probably not really related to your other problems except that the engine running so rough and shaking may have cracked one of the soft fuel lines.

The other problems could very well be your alternator being weak especially if the charge light is on at idle and goes away at higher rpms. Weird things happen when the system voltage is too low.

It helps if you mention what year and model car you have btw. Like alot.

Obviously don't go driving the car until you have this fuel leak sorted out.

[llll1l1ll]

My bad, I actually thought I had it listed under my username. It's an '88 325is.

The thing is, the light only stays illuminated once. Very dimly at that. Then it goes away for the rest of the ride no matter what rpm. It's not a serious issue or anything and never really bothers me, I was really just curious.

My car doesn't normally run shaky and rough, so I don't think a fuel line cracked because of rough running. I think it cracked because it is almost 22 years old.

What really is weird is that it was running on four or five cylinders like it broke a rocker arm. I thought perhaps an injector was stuck or clogged, but the fuel smell tipped me off to something else.