Please Help! CAR WON'T START!

[jrioux]

I came out from work today to find that my car just wouldn't start. It will fire then die right away. It will run very rough if you give it gas when you start it, and you have to keep the pedal down. Could it possibly be bad gas? Any comments would be helpful, Thanks.

[bimmere46]

Could be:
bad gas
fuel filter
failed sensor

the list goes on and on.

[ropposch]

One Item that will cause the very symptom that you discribe is the "Idle speed control valve" This valve redirects air around the throttle valve. On my M Roadster it is mounted on the underside of the intake manifold. In my situation the vacuum hose that connects that unit to the underside of the air duct, just before the throttle body, came loose. Just as you described, my engine would fire, then immediately die. If I kept reving the motor it would continue to run, but very roughly.

Just thought this would be something you might not want to rule out.

Good luck,

Louis Ropposch

[termignoni]

Check your air filter...if it's clogged, your car will start but will die shortly after from lack of air. Just a thought.

[Dudesky_E36]

I would guess it's a fuel delivery issue. Unless the hoses on your ICV got disconnected, I wouldn't suspect it just yet. That valve is normally open at startup. Rather, you could have a faulty oxygen sensor, which is really what prompts the engine management system to control the idle while the car is still cold.

[jersy]

I had the same problem this week. It spit out a 112 code which is cam reference sensor. Replaced it and all is fine now. But I would also check the o2 sensors. They have been causing CEl for me on trips over 150 miles nonstop. If they trip the light, and it's still on when you start up everything will be screwey and could cause the same issues.