Reasons Behind Your BMW’s Engine Stalling

Every time you get into your car, you trust that your vehicle will function properly without any failures. You might notice small annoyances like the air conditioner not working properly or the volume control being a bit finicky, but otherwise you trust that every time you turn your car on it will start and every time you turn your car off it’ll be ready to drive again when you are. That trust means that when your engine stalls, it can be incredibly overwhelming.

There isn’t much that is more disturbing while driving your BMW than the engine suddenly stalling out while you’re driving. In some cases, it can even be dangerous, as it can happen in the middle of a crowded road, leaving you no way to get off the highway safely. There are a handful of reasons why your engine could stall even though everything else seems to be running just fine. It is important to understand that the most effective way to determine the issue and rectify it is to bring your vehicle in as soon as you notice something is wrong. Our team of professionals can help properly diagnose the problem, hopefully before your vehicle ever actually stalls on you.

Problems in the Fuel System

A problem with the fuel quality, your fuel supply, or your fuel injector could contribute to a fuel system problem resulting in your car stalling. If you have bad fuel in your tank, your combustion process in the engine won’t work efficiently. If there is water or contaminants found in your fuel it can result in a misfire.

A misfire takes place when your spark plug can’t properly fire and the fuel inside your engine isn’t able to burn. This can result in an engine stall. If your vehicle has an issue with the fuel pump, that means the engine doesn’t have enough fuel and it won’t be able to produce enough combustion to properly power the vehicle. If your engine has too much fuel, it floods the engine. That makes your spark plugs are too wet, meaning they can’t ignite the fuel in your cylinder so the engine receives no power.

Internal Timing Issues

You could also have an issue with the engine timing. A timing belt or chain is responsible for synchronizing the various parts of your engine so that everything runs smoothly. However, there are situations where there is a problem with the variable valve timing and its causes your engine to face one of the issues mentioned above, typically too little fuel or too much fuel. If your timing belt or chain skips, it can also cause your engine to stall.

Air Supply Problems

Air is very important for your engine. If your engine doesn’t have enough air, it won’t work properly. In order to achieve proper combustion your engine actually needs one part gasoline for every 15 parts air. If something is blocking the airflow in your engine, it can quickly cause stalling issues. Thankfully, this is generally an easy fix.

Ignition Switch Failure or Electrical Problems

One of the first symptoms of ignition switch failure is actually the stalling of your engine. It seems simple and potentially unrelated, but your engine could otherwise be working just fine while you are on the road and yet it stalls out of nowhere. You might be able to restart it a short while later with seemingly no problems. Your ignition switch has 3 different positions, and each position activates a different components within your vehicle. The second position turns on the power to your ignition and your fuel systems. If you have the start of ignition switch failure it could cut off this power while your vehicle is still operating and it will cause your engine to stall.

Electrical problems can also cause issues with engine stalling. Modern vehicles have electrical components and modules that oversee everything on the vehicle. Communication between all of these modules uses wiring. Even with the advanced technology that vehicles have today engines could still stall simply because some of the wires aren’t communicating. Issues like these require a trained technician to inspect and diagnose. There are specialized tools required for communication problems with electrical components.

If you need help with regular maintenance on your vehicle, call us at Ultimate Bimmer Service. We are located conveniently to both Carrolton and Dallas, TX, so come by or call to make an appointment today!

* BMW M2 Engine image credit goes to: teddyleung.