Engine Stumbles....and other things.. Help!!

tallchick · 08-08-2005, 06:41 PM

The frustration...........................
My 91 318i stumbled while driving about 45 mph........It quickly recovered and I drove home with no further problems.
This morning it stumbled at around 65mph while getting on the freeway........opted to take surface streets rather than the freeway........no issues on surface streets . Those speeds ranged from 40-55 MPH.
Is this the crankshaft position sensor acting up??
It drives smooth other than the 2 x it did this , but the last thing I want to do is get on the freeway and have it shut down on me.
The other issue is the day after I got new wheels and tires a truck on the freeway was kind enough to throw a good size rock that I couldnt avoid and totally trashed the new tire and a big gouge in my new rim.
That was immediately replaced but the car has that wobble in it like it needs a alignment, but they say the alignment is on the nose.
Mind you I have already replaced the entire suspension system in this car. I am at al loss ...........and ideas before I put a for sale sign on her??

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Did you replace the suspension before or after the rock incident? You may have a bent a-arm? Also, you might want to rotate tires front to back to eliminate any chance that they are the problem...

As for your stalling problem, check the codes first:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/Mult-Code_Reading/Mult-Code_Reading.htm

and also check for vacuum leaks, particularly around the air intake boot... See the other thread on this for a pic...

-Wayne

-Wayne

tallchick · 08-09-2005, 03:51 AM

Thanks Wayne........I actually repalced the suspension before the rock incident.......they did rotate the tires as you suggested, re - balanced each one to no avail..........they also inspected each arm and there was no damage.......could I have bent the axel???? I am at my wits end on this one!!

blkongry · 08-12-2005, 09:53 AM

Before you pull out the ol' for sale sign, it could just be some water in the gas or some other contaminant. I had this happen in my 4Runner... the thing just chugged and shut down on me... no explanation (a totally unsettling feeling). I just let it sit for a couple hours and it started right up... that was months ago and I haven't had a bit of troubles.

If it is not bad gas, it could be the crank position sensor. You can check it to make sure it is secure, but it also could be a fracture somewhere in the wire. You'll never know until the problem really presents itself.

Vacuum leaks shouldn't cause it to just stumble that bad at a decent RPM... they usually show up in accelerated idle, pulsations, etc. It's good to check all your connections and tubes, though.

I would second Wayne's input of rotating the wheels/tires front to back and see if the problem follows. It could be a bum wheel that you got as a replacement (stranger things have happened).

Before you get too miffed at this stuff happening, just remember it happens to all of us. A while back when I was in NM I caught a big-ol' chunk of tire right into the front of my Toyota. A semi up in front of me somewhere blew a tire and big strands of it were all over the road. The big rig in front of me kicked it up and before I knew it, this huge strip of steel belted rubber was flying at me... BAM.. big dent in the hood, burnout marks up and over the windshield and a dent in the roof. Whattya gonna do?? Poo happens :-/

Rotate those tires and keep an eye on how the car runs. If it studders again, look for a pattern of how long it has been running (is it cold), is it RPM dependant, does it feel like electrical is cutting off, or is it choking somehow. Any insight will help pinpoit the problem.