1985 BMW 528e cutting out

[frederickscott]

Good day to all. I am looking for a solution - my 528e started to lose power going up a hill and ending up not making it (over the hill).

I've got the car at home. When I start it, it will go into reverse fine. Once I put it into gear, the car will shut. I tried two more times with the same effect.

Afterward, I was still starting it and it kept on cutting out once into gear (Drive).

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Shawn D.]

I see this is your first post -- welcome!

To have a fruitful time here (or on any auto site where you're seeking fixes), you need to tell us what you have and have not checked, and the maintenance status of the car. Do some work before asking us to do work for you. When were the fuel and air filters last replaced? What's the running fuel pressure? What's the condition of the spark plugs/wires/cap/rotor?

[BillL]

Go back to basics, fuel, air, ignition. Now, just a guess, but the fact that it runs and will not even accept a small load, you might check fuel pressure first.

A few more details on the behavior will help others help you.

If in neutral, will it rev up? Is it a brisk acceleration? Does it stumble or just die with throttle?

[Shawn D.]

If in neutral, will it rev up?

IMPORTANT: Do not do this unless the engine has been off for a few minutes, and only do it after starting in park or neutral and not going into a drive gear first. Otherwise, the transmission can be damaged due to the infamous "clutch pack A failure." There's plenty of info on the whys & wherefores available on this site and elsewhere.

[frederickscott]

The fuel and air filters were changed on schedule, but I will look at them.

I do not know the running fuel pressure and I need to check the plugs/wires/cap/rotor.

Thanks for the input.

[frederickscott]

In answer to Bill's question: yes it does rev up when in neutral.

[tn535i]

It's hard to know from the descriptions if it is cutting out or losing power. Very different things. When it seems to loose power and want to die does it keep running if shifted to N ?

Heed the warning/advice from above. Revving the engine too much at the wrong times in P or N can damage the forward clutch. If you put it in N on flat surface with no brakes applied and the car tries to creep forward it is already leaking at the internal seal and generating problems.

[frederickscott]

Yes, the car will cut out when you go from P to D.

Sometimes, it is able to rev and drive short distances, but eventually cuts out.

Spark plugs have been changed, fuel drained. Also, having an issue with the gas seeming to be adulterated.

Any thoughts?