Need some help Please!

[88bmw325]

OK so here it goes.. I have posted up on other sites and have done lots of searching but have not found an answer. So I picked up a 88 325 auto about a month ago and have nothing but problems with it! I have not even been able to drive it for a full day yet!! Let me give you a little back ground on the car so it may help with my answer. This car can been sitting from what I have been told for about 6 years! When I got it the fuel gauge had about 3/4 tank of gas. I took it all out ASAP! Tank did look a little dirty but i cleaned it as best as I could. Anyways heres what I am dealing with sorry this is gonna be along post. So when i got the car it needed a new tranny so i replaced it and thats all fine and dandy now. I also replaced the fuel pump / fuel filter / ICV / AFM / spark plugs / all fuses in box and all relays work good I also have a new batt in it 875 cold crank 1000 crank. So the car will start up and idle ok to a point around 600-800 rpms. Now when i drive the car either warm or cold it will sputter when taking off untill it gets to higher rpms. (seems to be a little more responsive when warm) I have checked all of the wires and dist and all look ok. Also once I got the tranny in and got her running (well drivable) i put a full tank of 91 in it. I noticed that on that tank I got 83!! miles! I also have a problem to where I will be driving along and all of a sudden the car will not go over 2000 rpms. If i touch the gas once its over 2k rpms it will die sounds like its flooding or there it no gas. When this happens I can put it in neutral and rev the piss out of it and its fine but once its in D it wont go past 2k! Also when this happens my fuel pump makes a HORRIBLE whining noise! It did this once b4 but it was around 3k where it started to act like it had no power and dying. Also with the fuel pump whining issue it will do this every once and awhile even if it is not acting like it has no power and driving some what ok..
So I need some help here to as what I can do to fix these probs:
1. The sputtering of the car
2. The crapy gas milage!
3. The dying after 2k rpms

I was told by a friend the other day that when it dies down and wont run sounds like a weak fuel pump... ? any thoughts?

[StereoInstaller1]

I would love to read that post, but being one giant paragraph hurts my eyes.

Would you please edit it for easier reading?

thanks,
Luke

[Danny]

Check plugs, injectors, O2 sensor.

[jlevie]

The lack of power and whining noise from the fuel pump is consistent with a fuel starvation issue. Since the car sat fro several year, I'll bet on there being a lot of rust in the tank. That rust will starve the pump for fuel, which will show up as a lack of power and misfires when the engine is under load. The rust will also ruin a new pump in short order.

I don't think there's any way that an M20 could burn a tank full of gas in 83 miles. That would be so much gas flooding the cylinders that I doubt the engine would run. A more likely case of such low mileage would be leaks in the tank, which seem likely to me given the history.

[88bmw325]

Check plugs, injectors, O2 sensor.

did that all look ok... well have not checked o2

The lack of power and whining noise from the fuel pump is consistent with a fuel starvation issue. Since the car sat fro several year, I'll bet on there being a lot of rust in the tank. That rust will starve the pump for fuel, which will show up as a lack of power and misfires when the engine is under load. The rust will also ruin a new pump in short order.

I don't think there's any way that an M20 could burn a tank full of gas in 83 miles. That would be so much gas flooding the cylinders that I doubt the engine would run. A more likely case of such low mileage would be leaks in the tank, which seem likely to me given the history.

whats the best way to clean the rust? i dont really wanna pay someone.. like doing things my self ya know.. also i thought about it leaking like you say it might be but i have never seen any puddles under the car EVER! so im not sure where its going since it was pretty much bone dry in 83 miles.. i also think the fuel gauge is gone since i know there is no gas in there and it shows 1/4 tank

[jlevie]

The first task is to determine whether there's a significant amount of rust in the tank. And that's accomplished by removing the passenger side pump and level sensor and trying to stir the sediment with a stick. If there's a layer of sediment in the tank it will be obvious.

If the tank does have a layer of sediment the choices are to replace the tank, or acid clean it and follow that with sealer. In either case the tank has to come out of the car. I've posted before on how to acid clean the tank, try a search.

[88bmw325]

The first task is to determine whether there's a significant amount of rust in the tank. And that's accomplished by removing the passenger side pump and level sensor and trying to stir the sediment with a stick. If there's a layer of sediment in the tank it will be obvious.

If the tank does have a layer of sediment the choices are to replace the tank, or acid clean it and follow that with sealer. In either case the tank has to come out of the car. I've posted before on how to acid clean the tank, try a search.

i have done that b4 and it looks like im playing in sand in there.. i got most of it out but im sure there is more or something... im going to pull the tank tomorrow and see what i can do. ill see if i can find your post