I have a 2001 330xi with about 99330 miles on it. It has been running great. I went to the gym this evening, parked the car, came back a couple of hours later, and then it wouldn't start. Rather, it would start. It turned over just fine. But then it would immediately putter out. The engine wouldn't even get up to idle speed. The car doesn't shake violently or anything. Turning the key just repeats that process. There were no signs of anything running poorly. The oil felt fine. Unfortunately, I'm still pretty new to car mechanics so I'm not sure how to trouble shoot from here. Should I find a fuel line and see if gas is coming through?
Never had that happen to my '01 330xi. Great car. However, these things are too complicated to figure out for most people, even a more experience person like me that has rebuilt engines (in the old days). It could be a fuel problem, but the fuel pump is in the fuel tank under the rear seat and is hard to change. More likely it's an electrical problem (camshaft or crankshaft sensor), or idle control or throttle motor or something. You should get it towed to a shop with a GT1 that can diagnose it. www.bimrs.org, a dealer or shop with good recommendations from local bmw owners.
I'm afraid it's one of those electronic mysteries... With cars as electronic as yours, I think the only solution is to have it towed to your repair shop and have them read the codes. It could be a bad sender. How cold did it get while the car was sitting, and how long did it sit?
Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate them. My mechanic brother figured it out once I had him take a look. Turns out I'm an idiot. I tripped the security system and it prevented the car from starting, heh. After resetting it, everything ran perfectly. At least I don't have a looming repair, now!
Glad to hear it was something simple My other suggestion I am going to share as delicately as I can - because so few people do it, and they sometimes react defensively to the suggestion - it might be a worthwhile investment to peruse the car's manual. Just a thought. Glad the problem was easily resolved.
Yeah, that's definitely a good idea. I had done so cover to cover when I bought it but that was some time ago. It would behoove me to do so in the future when I'm stumped.
