Car starts and dies...

[our guile]

Driving home from the beach yesterday I pulled into the grocery store parking lot, and my car (1988 325is auto) felt like she downshifted and then the lights on the cluster came on (oil, parking break, etc.) and she died.

I shut everything off, restarted her, and the engine would start and then die. I unhooked the battery, and the problem persisted when I re-hooked it. I thought it was a fuel problem, but she runs if I give her gas and rev the engine.

I was able to drive her home like this, so I don't think it's a fuel problem. Could it be the battery? The alternator?

My google-fu shows that I need to check for vacuum leaks, but assuming that checks out what else could it be?

[dnguyen1963]

Well, did you check for vacuum leaks? There is no point of going forward until you can rule that out.

[dirtbag30]

ive got ten bucks on a vacuum leak.

[jlevie]

The obvious first suspect would be intake leaks. A smoke test will find them.

[our guile]

Haven't had a chance yet to look for vacuum leaks, so hopefully it's that simple. I'll provide an update when I do.

Thanks everybody.

[///M42 sport]

same thing just happened to my 318is. Out of the blue. No issues earlier today but started on my drive home tonight. I thought it might be due to it being -10 outside. might not be i guess.

[jalopi]

due to it being -10 outside.

Fuck, and I thought we had it bad in MD

[Roblang]

What about ICV??

[///M42 sport]

I noticed this morning after a couple mins of steady gas it finally started to idle by itself.