My BMW 325is won't start.

The clutch pedal gives absolutely no resistance.  

When I turn the ignition switch the car just chugs, lurches forward, and dies.

This all happened without warning.

Any ideas?

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 07 Dec 2005 09:01 PST

Sounds like you need to check your On Board Diagnostics system to find
out what?s ailing your Beemer. If you have a BMW with an OBD I engine
management system, then you can read the fault codes from your BMW as
follows.

1. Turn the ignition key on and fully depress the accelerator five
times within a five second period.
2. After this, the check engine light will go through a sequence of:
staying on for five seconds, go off, stay on for 2.5 seconds, go off
for 2.5 seconds.
3. After this the fault code will flash. 

The BMW fault code is a four-digit number, however your BMW may
display more than one fault code. In this case each code will be
separated by a 2.5 second pause. After all codes have been displayed
there will be a .5 second flash and the light will stay off. The table
below lists some of the fault codes that could be displayed.

Jot down the codes and compare them against this chart. That should
tell you exactly what the problem is.

ULTIMATE BMW KNOWLEDGE BASE
http://www.ultimate-bmw.com/bmw_knowledgebase/bmw_obd_and_fault_codes.htm

Please let me know if this results in identifying your problem.

Tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by mrbandrews-ga on 07 Dec 2005 10:33 PST

I got fault code 1215:  Mass air flow sensor.  

I found this info online: "The mass air flow sensor measures the
amount of air that is currently being drawn into the engine.  A big
hole in one of your fuel injection intake boots may cause the car to
stall and generate this code."
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/Mult-Code_Reading/Mult-Code_Reading.htm

The 325i has an M42 engine.

By the way, when i checked the fault codes, they never stopped
flashing.  I sat and watched it flash 1215 over and over, maybe 15
times.  After about 5 minutes I gave up and turned the car off.  Do
you think there is any likelihood that if i watched longer I would see
another fault code, and then the light would go off?

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 07 Dec 2005 10:51 PST

If you have a 1996-1999 model then you probably have an OBD II system,
which requires a scanner to interface with the codes. One way to tell
if you have an OBD II system is that you will have an OBD interface
port somewhere near the driver's seat - often under the dash as shown
here on one model:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/mult-OBDII/pic1.JPG

If this is the case then you'll need to buy or borrow a scanner or
take the car to someone who can read it for you.

tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 07 Dec 2005 10:52 PST

I should have said "...1996 or later model..."

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 07 Dec 2005 11:03 PST

Depeding on where you live and your local store's policies AutoZone
will often read (or loan you a reader) for the ODB II codes for free.

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Clarification of Question by mrbandrews-ga on 07 Dec 2005 11:17 PST

Let's see, this is a 1992 so I guess that means it is OBD-I.  I
succesfully retrieved the error code 1215 but am wondering why it kept
repeating over and over and over, when the instructions say it should
stop flashing when complete.

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 07 Dec 2005 15:48 PST

I don't know, but I suspect your mass air flow problem is unrelated to
your clutch problem. 1215 can indciate something as minor as a loose
air hose on your intake, breather or vacuum hose, or on some models
even a loose gas cap. That wouldn't affect your clutch I wouldn't
think. Maybe someone else here will be able to help you.

tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by mrbandrews-ga on 07 Dec 2005 17:09 PST

Thanks for all of the help, guys.  I was gone for a few hours there
(rode my bike to an appointment) but now am back.

I took the car out of gear and it did start.  I had to force the gear
shift pretty hard to get it into neutral.  Now it seems to run OK. 
Perhaps the error code was indeed generated by something minor as
tutuzdad suggested.

For the clutch, I guess I will need to get it towed in.  Do you think
a normal mechanic will know how to deal with this, or will I need to
go to a BMW mechanic?

Thanks again for all of the help.

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 07 Dec 2005 17:50 PST

I'd certainly call them first. At the very least the mechanic should
be familiar with BMW's (but probably doesn't necessarily have to be a
foreign car specialist). I'd make sure I asked about that before I
dropped the car off with him. If he isn't familiar he'll probably tell
you so right up front.

tutuzdad-ga

Most vehicles nowdays have hydraulic actuated clutches. Sounds to me
like either the master cylinder or the slave cylinder has a problem.

Good job, Redhoss. Sure sounds to me also like the clutch simply does
not work. That is exactly what your symptoms indicate, a car that is
in gear and the clutch is not depressed will act just as you
described. I know because like most folks of my generation, I have
accidentally attempted to start older cars in gear and it does exactly
what you described.

Does your interlock prevent the motor from starting if the clutch is
not depressed?  Doesn't seem so  since the car bucks and dies when you
engage the starter.  If not, put on parking brake so the car doesn't
take off by itself, and shove the gear shifter into neutral, then see
if it will start.

IF it starts, shut it off and have it towed in, unless you can fix it.
 You can damage transmision if you pull it into gear with clutch
engaged, plus you might ram into something as the car takes off.

Forgot to say, if it is the clutch, you have more than one problem.
But, with the clutch showing no resistance, and acting as you
described, it does not seem to be possible for that to be linked to
engine failure code:

Unless there is some sort of tie-in with computer that disables the
clutch with an engine failure, but never heard of that before.