Re: V12? (archive)

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I just posted a similar mystery problem on the 7-series board regarding my 1992 750il. I have the same stalling issue although, mine being an automatic, I don't see the problem when clutching. I was referred by another poster to your posting, which I found very, very interesting (my mechanic has had me going down the intak gasket path as well... do these guys all go to school together? Is there a board for mechanics where they share "diagnosis that the customer will pay for" secrets?).

Not knowing the history of your car and being new to the 8 board, can you comment on whether your findings apply to the 12 or to the 8 or to both? Thanks.

I would like to share some diagnostic education I received recently from a friend.

Over the past several months my car has been acting weird in the mornings. When I started the car it was idling very rough and was always attempting to stall out. I live about 1/2 mile from the freeway on-ramp and would baby myself onto the freeway (my normal warm-up time is about 1 minute before I would get going slowly until the car warmed up fully). The funny thing was when I was driving on the freeway (and operational temperature was reached) the car seemed fine until I would shift. Once I engaged the clutch the car would immediately die. You could start it immediately and from that point on (and for the rest of the day regardless of how many times you stopped and started the car from then on) it was absolutely fine. Once I figured out the pattern (allowing the car to fully warm up in the garage would not alleviate the problem of dying on the freeway later) I would warm up the car, and then stop and restart the engine. From that point on all was OK. I was of the impression that I had a cold-temperature intake gasket leak that cured itself when things warmed up. I attributed the stalling to something related to the measures the EML was taking to prevent the engine from stalling.

While I was at BMW purchasing intake gaskets (my extra intakes are on their way to Extrude Hone and will need the gaskets replaced when they are installed) I was discussing how I was looking forward to my self-diagnosed problem going away when I made the swap. The parts guy said that the problem sounded more like a sensor rather than a gasket leak. He suggested I have the service technicians diagnose one of the EML sensors when I have the car in next week for maintenance. I asked him to show me the sensor and when it goes on the car. I decided I could try the swap myself and kill two birds with one stone (save shop-rate dollars and get some therapy at the same time by visiting my cave). The cost of the sensor was $30.00 (as opposed to ~$360.00 for discounted intake gaskets), and the way I look at it, even if the sensor was not the problem it was still less expensive then any therapist out there. :-)

I put the sensor (p/n: 12-62-1-288-158) in last Thursday and waited until today before I declared success. The engine runs smooth when started and no longer stalls out without being cycled.

Not that they would EVER do something like this - but any dealer or mechanic could have told me that the intake gaskets were replaced, and I would have believed them. Hell�I would have been HAPPY that I was correct in my diagnosis.

If anyone ever has problems that present like I described, spend the $30.00 before going to a shop.

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