1990 E34 535i engine problem?

Hey guys, I've run into a problem with my 535i. The other day I was driving it normally and then out of no where the engine cut out and started sounding like diesel engine..? And after that the car would no longer accelerate normally it would lunge forward and then cut out and do the same process every time i got past 1,500 rpm on the tach. Does anyone have a clue what this could be ? I'm very new to this and stumped any help would be greatly appreciated I want my car back!

Hi there,

You've gotta check your tranny fluid levels and make sure they are ok. If you don't have a dipstick, you're best off doing this at a workshop.

Also check your engine oil levels and make sure those are ok.

Do the stomp test and see if there are any useful error codes. Youtube for the stomp test, many easy to follow videos on that there.

Unplug your engine's coolant temperature sensor and see if this problem goes away. If it does, then replace the sensor.

Clean your throttle position sensor...it should be located next to the throttle body, or just below it. Cleans its connection too. Then plug that back and see if it helps.

Check your intake hoses for any cracks or any vacuum leaks. Tighten all intake hose connections.

Download the E34 Bentley manual (google for the download links) and read through the engine troubleshooting guides to see if you can narrow down the problems.

Please read through the maintenance sticky thread at the top of these forums for more exhaustive information.

I'm sorry to be so general in this reply but your symptoms are not straightforward to diagnose (at least for the E34) and require a thorough check. Oddly enough, we've had a few of such cases in the past 2 days too.

Scratch my earlier post. This probably has nothing to do with tranny fluid. Regardless, take your car in for an undercarriage inspection to clear it of all leaks etc.

I think your problem may likely be a bad throttle position sensor. Once many moons ago, my engine just bloody cut out while i was about to negotiate a turn at high speed. The steering stiffened bigtime, but I managed to brake and turn sufficiently to avoid harm. The engine cut out once or twice again when I made U turns. The problem was the throttle position sensor.

Unplug the sensor, clean it and the connection with contact cleaner, blow dry, dab dielectric grease onto both and plug it back in. Then drive the car and see if the problem is fixed. Pull out your error codes and see if anything is reflected. After cleaning the tps (the sensor I just referred to), delete the error codes then drive and see if the problem is fixed.

If the problem gets fixed.....i would suggest that you have the sensor replaced anyway for safety reasons. Its cheap....like only $50 oem, and can be done easily by yourself in about 5-15 minutes.

You just made my ****ing day man thank you so much ahahaha you don't know how long i was looking for answers like those

Originally Posted by pdurand

You just made my ****ing day man thank you so much ahahaha you don't know how long i was looking for answers like those

Please try my suggestion and let us know the outcome.