E30 random stall

[WhiteLotusElise]

Sometimes my 1990 325i (automatic) randomly stalls out when I'm driving. All the power stays on but the engine just shuts off. There are no precursor symptoms... It's just random. I can even throw it in neutral, turns the key off, and fire it right back up while I'm coasting. Anyone ever experience this? What could it be?

Thanks,
Chris

[jlevie]

Does the CEL turn on when this happens? If so I'd suspect a problem with DME power/ground (bad main relay, bad fusible link, loss of START signal to the DME) first.

[WhiteLotusElise]

Does the CEL turn on when this happens? If so I'd suspect a problem with DME power/ground (bad main relay, bad fusible link, loss of START signal to the DME) first.

I'll sift through that this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Farwest92]

Might want to check the fusible link in the secondary battery cable.
Mine did the same thing for three weeks before I found it.
Looks good on the outside, corroded on the inside.
I picked up a 50 amp replacement at Autozone and soldered the element to the original terminals.
I hope that helps.

[WhiteLotusElise]

Might want to check the fusible link in the secondary battery cable.
Mine did the same thing for three weeks before I found it.
Looks good on the outside, corroded on the inside.
I picked up a 50 amp replacement at Autozone and soldered the element to the original terminals.
I hope that helps.

I'll check that out today. Is there a specific fusible link I need to pick up to replace it?

[jlevie]

The fusible link is rated at 80a, but I know that a 60a fuse will work.

[roguetoaster]

Could also be an alternator issue (worn brushes, faulty resistor), ought to throw a CEL but worth a look.