Engine cut out during shift, now no start

[6A LDY]

I have an 88 325ix that's a project currently and I recently went through and adjusted the valve timing, changed spark plug wires, and fixed a bunch of exhaust leaks. Before all of this the car would start and run rough and loudly because of the exhaust leaks.

After I finished up I started it and it sounded much better and idled much smoother. I backed it out of the driveway and put it in first and then it sounded like the engine coughed 3 times and then cut out. After that I tried to restart it but no dice. Any ideas or suggestions on where to look/ what to do would be very greatly appreciated thanks

[6A LDY]

If it makes a difference I added some sea foam to the gas before starting and saw some white smoke coming off of/ out of the exhaust manifolds.

I backed the car out about 30 feet and went to put it in first and it sounded like the engine choked 3 times then died

[E30 Wagen]

Check idle control valve.

[e30^2]

Seafoam is awesome. I would also do the intake hoses as well. But, like E30 Wagen said, check the ICV. Clean it with electrical cleaner. There's a YouTube video on how to clean an E30 ICV. Also clean the AFM. Check fuel. make sure you are getting fuel. Also, check the ignition coil for spark. Pull the main lead from the ignition coil to the distributor cap grab a screwdriver with a rubber handle, get rubber gloves, insert screwdriver (metal part) in the end of the lead wire you pulled off the distributor cap, hold on to the wire with one hand and the screwdriver handle with the other hand, have someone turn the ignition and touch any metal on the car with the screwdriver. Make sure you don't touch the car. If you get spark then the ignition coil is ok.
Or, pull out one of the spark plug wires from one of the spark plugs, grab an extra spark plug that's laying around,attach the extra spark plug to the spark plug wire and rest the spark plug on the valve cover, have someone start the car. if you get spark then your coil and distributor cap is working.
Once you eliminate spark, you can test fuel. I think you can pull out the fuel line, have someone start the car and see if fuel comes out. If it does, you're getting fuel.
Make sure there are no vacuum leaks on the intake lines and intake boot.

I'm in your position right now. My 84 325e won't start. I think it's my distributor cap because I have fuel and spark. I ordered on for 19 bucks. I'm just waiting for it to come in the mail.

Let me know if you get her started and how you got it started. Good luck!

[Cabriolet]

i would bet the valves were not adjusted correctly. i would put that as the first recheck. if they are too tight, and the engine then warms up they will get tighter. if they were very tight you may have bent valves.
do a compression test.

[6A LDY]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I really appreciate it

update:

I checked the resistance across the pins of the ICV and it was within spec, and the ICV was humming/vibrating while the key was turned to the ON position. I cleaned it as best as I could as well.

I tried to test if I am getting spark at the plugs but the battery died while testing. It was at 12.2V and I'm charging it up now.

Next thing I'm going to do is replace the fuel filter (have an extra one) and then test the spark again. Does anyone know how/where to pull the fuel line to test for flow into the injector rail? I can't find the line underneath the intake manifold

[dnguyen1963]

You could get a lot of crap for posting this question, but I will be nice. Go look for the injectors, the bar on top of those injectors are the fuel rail. At the ends of the fuel rail are the lines going in and out of the rail. You can't miss it. It is a 5/8" fuel hose.

[6A LDY]

I've tried searching the same topic before I posted this and got a lot of the same answers as in this thread. The fact that this car has not run in 3+ months is what made me post the question in the first place, its not like I've been driving it and it died randomly, its been a long time since it saw the street and the fact that it got out of the driveway was a big accomplishment for me.

Thanks for the reply though I know how frequently people post questions like this and I appreciate your patience

[6A LDY]

Update:

So I guess a lot of things went wrong at the same time. I tested and found the fuel pump relay was dead, old fuel filter was clogged, fuel pump is dying, 3 bad spark plugs, 1 loose ground, clogged breather hose, and vacuum leak from loose aluminum fittings on intake manifold. Still waiting on some pieces to put it back together and try to fire it up. Also readjusted valve timing for good measure

[mazzo]

Wow you've got a lot to be done. Keep it up and keep us posted :)

[6A LDY]

Update:
Good news and bad news.

Good news is that replacing everything ( mainly fuel pump relay) besides the fuel pump and sealing leaks fixed the problem. I was able to get it started and make 3 or 4 laps around my neighborhood.

Bad news is that it died 1/3 of a mile from my house so I had to push it back by myself and have to start the troubleshooting over again!

I would gladly do it again though for that feeling of actually getting to drive it around for just a few minutes. I realized love and insanity are almost the same thing when it comes to cars

[6A LDY]

update:

went around looking for loose hoses/fittings, the aluminum fittings on the hose from the icv to the intake manifold and the one directly on the other side of the intake keep slipping around, looks like the sealant didnt hold, any advice for what to use to hold it?

played around and tested with the fuel pump/ relay wiring and jumped it to find that the fuel pump is still chugging along. Tried to start it and it turned over for a few seconds then fired up as if it needed to draw fuel. I dont know if my relay came loose last night or what, but it seemed fuel starved. Im going to look more into the FPR and injectors to see if I can figure it out.

For anyone who has a no start reading this, look through this diagnostic guide and you should be able to get it fixed. http://blog.bavauto.com/3562/no-start-1989-325i-e30/

Thanks for the help and patience everyone! :)