New E30 M42 owner has stalling problems

[G-Man]

Gang,

I need some help diagnosing an M42 engine stalling problem. I'm a long time BMW owner, over 20 years of numerous 2002, tii and E3 ownership. I've been searching for an E30 with M42 motor for some time and I saw this ad in the LA Craigslist that appealed to me.

FOR SALE: 1991 BMW 318i 4-Door Sedan. $1500 OBO, new paint job, leatherette interior, Brand new Black paint (some minor scratches), impecable black interior, CD player, new speakers, STICK SHIFT

IMPORTANT: THE CAR DOES NOT RUN AND WILL BE SOLD AS IS!!! THE CAR DOES NOT START, AND WHEN IT DOES, THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AT RANDOM TIMES. AIRCONDITIONING BROKEN. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO 3 GERMAN CAR SHOPS AND BMW SPECIALISTS AND NONE KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. LOW MILEAGE (115,000). NEW TIRES, RECENT REPAIRS, NEW BELTS, NEW HOSES, NEW RELAYS, ETC.

Jack Fahuna owner of JFPRO BMW service in Van Nuys, my friend Pierre, (91 318is owner) and I went to the owners house weekend before last to check out the car. We brought along a spare battery and put it in the car and cranked it right over, the owners were speechless that it started right up. We drove it around, I liked it and I offered the owner $1200 which they accepted. PO threw all kinds of money at the car, the stack of receipts was incredible. To try to fix the stalling problem, a new fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pump relays, was installed. PO said when they had it, car would stall and sometimes it would start immediately and sometimes take several minutes to restart. We put a new battery in the car and had zero problems until yesterday. (had it for 9 days without any stalling problems). Yesterday AM, I had the same stalling problems as the previous owners did. The PO took it in numerous times to the dealer (Rusnak BMW) and independent shops and the problem would never duplicate while in for maintenance.

I am now the owner of a 91 318i 4 door, previous one owner with only 118K on the car. It's black with a black interior and 5 speed. Any ideas of why it stalling while driving down the road or at a stop light? Tank is 2/3's full. When it dies while driving, it's sudden and when I down shift immediately after it stalls, it will start but that's like doing a high speed push start and dumping the clutch. I am now scared to drive this car until I can get a better handle on what to look for in diagnosing the stalling problem.

After buying it last week, the shocks/struts were original and needed replacing so some Bilstein HD went in along with new control arms and bushings. It has the original steel wheels with hubcaps, they have got to go, Bottle caps would look much better than the current setup. but I'm keeping my eye out for 15" & 16" wheels. It will need H1/H4 lights as well. the sealed beams will have to go as well. I've seen E30 owners putting in elipsoid lights, is this a retrofit from another BMW or would I have to just buy them? I'll worry about the AC later, if it gets to 80 where I live, it's a warm day (N Santa Barbara county).

Woo-Hoo, this car is so cool. It revs so freely up to 6500, what a blast to drive (when it's not stalling).

Gordon
91 318i
74 2002tii, 5 speed, limited slip
73 Bavaria, 5 speed, Weber's, Bilstein's (for sale)145K miles
70 2800, Euro spec, 95K original KM's
96 4Runner, parts hauler

[e304me]

there is a small wire that goes from the battery to upfront. check the connections at either end

[FredK]

Congrats on your new purchase! Bummer about the stalling problem though!

There are many lighting options available for the E30. 1989+ vehicles had optional US spec (9005/9006) ellipsoid headlights. You can usually find a used set for around $100. There are also Hella non-ellipsoid H4 lights for around the same price.

You can also install European ellipsoids, which use H4/H1 bulbs. These run around $160 - 175. Two of the more expensive options are European smoked ellipsoids and Cibie CSRs. These usually go for $300+ on the used market.

My favorite wheels are basketweaves. Even though they're only 14" in diameter, they look fairly sporty. These are the wheels that came on the sport package vehicles. You can usually snap a set up in decent condition for around $150 or so. Try to get the centercaps at the same time. Centercaps are pretty expensive to procure alone, with most sets running between $60 - 100 depending on condition.

A random electrical problem like the one you describe is certainly a bear to track down. I'm not very experienced with tracking these gremlins down, and it certainly sounds like many parts were thrown at the problem without much success.

In the time that you've owned the car, has it rained outside? Do you store the car outside? Did the previous owners store the car outside? Rodents chewing on wires can cause weird, inexplicable problems. That'd would be my wild-assed guess.