BMW Air Valve Failure Causing Engine Stalls, Fix Needed

I had almost identical issues with my 1997 BMW 3 Series last month. The symptoms were exactly like yours, stalling, jerking, and that annoying check engine light. The secondary air pump was acting up too. Got it checked at my regular mechanic, and you're right about the air valve. The hose connection from the pump to the valve was pretty worn out and had a small tear. This was causing air leaks and messing with the whole system. The good news is it wasn't a major repair, just needed to replace the hose and clean the valve area. This is actually a common issue with BMWs from that era. It's not super serious if you catch it early, but leaving it unfixed could lead to bigger problems with the emissions system. After the repair, my car's been running smooth, no more jerking or stalling. Just make sure whoever fixes it uses genuine BMW parts for the replacement. That's what worked for me.

Hey, thanks so much for sharing your experience! That's really helpful, sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. My car's been running great since fixing that air valve issue too. Quick question, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the repair? And has everything stayed working properly since then, or have you noticed any other quirks?

Hey there! Glad to hear you got your air valve sorted too! Yeah, about the costs, I paid 175 € for the whole job. That covered replacing the hose connection from the pump to the valve, which was definitely the culprit. Honestly, it was money well spent considering how much smoother the car runs now. Everything's been working perfectly since the repair, no more jerking, stalling, or that annoying check engine light. It's been about six weeks now, and the car's running like a dream. The mechanic did a thorough job cleaning the valve area too, which probably helped prevent any future issues. Just keeping an eye on things, but so far, no quirks or problems at all. The secondary air pump's working exactly as it should now, no more of that weird running-too-long or not-working-at-all business. Really glad I got it fixed when I did, before it could cause any bigger problems with the emissions system.

Thanks for the update! It's a relief to hear about your successful repair too. Just wanted to share how my repair went, took it to a new mechanic last week who actually specializes in German cars. They found the same issue, torn hose and dirty valve area. Paid a bit more than you, around 200 for parts and labor, but totally worth it. My BMW's running like new now, no more jerking or stalling. The check engine light finally stopped haunting me! The mechanic also gave the whole system a good clean, which probably explains why everything's working so smoothly. Funny how such a small part can cause so much trouble, right? Really glad I asked here and got your advice. Saved me from going back to that first mechanic who couldn't figure it out. Think I've found my new go-to repair shop too, they really knew their stuff!