I have a 97 T&C lxi 3.8L with 111,000 miles.
It just had a tune up about 3 months ago. It typically runs great. 3 days ago I started it and it barley was holding idle while chugging. Step on the gas and it would nearly die or would die. I left it alone for 2 hours and on the second start it fired up like nothing was wrong (though the service engine light came on). The code turned out to be a P0171 engine lean bank 1. I continued to drive it that day. That evening I started it up again to have the exact same thing happen (in a semi remote location). It sputtered and didnt start. A BMW technician who just happened to be standing close by when this happened said it sounded like it wasn't getting any gas. He then proceeded to take a rock (I didn't have a hammer) and beat the bottom of my gas tank while i tried repeatedly to start it:blink: . On about the 9-10 try, it fired up like nothing was wrong and I drove home. The BMW Tech said it being something about the contact points on the fuel pump and that I needed a new pump. The next morning I crawled under the van to see what appears to be a ground type clip wire hanging from close to the fuel filter. I clipped it back on to where it appears to have belonged, and I'm wondering what to do? Anybody think that may have been it? There's no lights on right now. Do I still need a fuel pump? Something else maybe?
It just had a tune up about 3 months ago. It typically runs great. 3 days ago I started it and it barley was holding idle while chugging. Step on the gas and it would nearly die or would die. I left it alone for 2 hours and on the second start it fired up like nothing was wrong (though the service engine light came on). The code turned out to be a P0171 engine lean bank 1. I continued to drive it that day. That evening I started it up again to have the exact same thing happen (in a semi remote location). It sputtered and didnt start. A BMW technician who just happened to be standing close by when this happened said it sounded like it wasn't getting any gas. He then proceeded to take a rock (I didn't have a hammer) and beat the bottom of my gas tank while i tried repeatedly to start it:blink: . On about the 9-10 try, it fired up like nothing was wrong and I drove home. The BMW Tech said it being something about the contact points on the fuel pump and that I needed a new pump. The next morning I crawled under the van to see what appears to be a ground type clip wire hanging from close to the fuel filter. I clipped it back on to where it appears to have belonged, and I'm wondering what to do? Anybody think that may have been it? There's no lights on right now. Do I still need a fuel pump? Something else maybe?