I figure from the many members we have on here I should be able to get some usable feedback on here.

About 6 months ago my sisters 95 (OBD1) 318i Convertible automatic transmission developed a horrible oil leak. Since I was away at school and my dad was traveling they took it to a shop to be repaired. Shortly there after the car started dieing on her. The oil leak was caused by a bad oil filter console seal or something along those lines.

The car runs and idles smoothly, the car dieing is intermittant and hard to reproduce (unless your trying to get somewhere).
Since then it has been in and out of different shops for the last 5 months. The reason I want to fix it is because she is going to buy a new car and I can have it.

The different shops have tried the following; adjusting the immobilizer chip in the ignition, dash cluster replaced, checking the fuel pump, crankshaft position sensor and fuel filter.

The car drives perfect till it dies. Following it dieing it won't always start back up for along time. The car may run for hours and then die or minutes.

What should I try to check? The car is at my parents house(5 hrs away) when I go to visit I am going to check it out a bit and maybe bring it back with me to work on.

Thanks everyone.

Sounds like the Flex Capacitor

I believe that was replaced as well.

Does it throw a code? My daughters wouldn't start, never died however, without a foot on the accelerator. Dirty IAC.

Before the oil leak was fixed I received this code:


1234 Speedometer "A" Signal This code is generated when the engine is under load, over 2500 RPM and no discernable speedometer signal can be detected for more than 10 seconds.  Check the wiring harness, and also the instrument console.


I believed that to be the reason the dash cluster would work intermitantly, haven't been near the car lately to check. I'm assuming the multiple shops it's been to (for free) would have check the codes as they have all been German car shops.

Call the guys at Bavauto.com 1 800 535 2002, I have been dealing with them for years and I always found them to be very helpful.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

318's had a bad solder joint in the cluster on some versions, it would create intermittent gauge operation. The sender I believe is just a proximity switch on the rear diff cover. It gets covered in slime/particulates and causes that code as well. 2 minute remove and clean of that to be sure.

Would that cause the car to stop running though? I can live without a speedo, I do in the 914 lol.