1990 318i Touring - Engine problem when very cold & fros

[Walter]

I know that it'll be impossible for somebody to pinpoint my problem, but I'd appreciate any views.
This problem has happened twice now. The night before last when there was a very hard severe frost, and in the same circumstances nearly two years ago. Other than that I've had no problems with the car .
The symptoms are that the engine will start. It will then begin to falter, and you can see the needle on the rev counter fluctuating. You give it a bit of throttle to try to keep it running. It won't rev sweetly, and it seems that you have to keep blipping the throttle to get some fuel through. Once you managed to get the engine revs up, the engine will settle back down and then begin to falter again. The engine is still running like this now even though the temperature is a lot milder. The last time this happened two years ago, I managed to get the car to my BMW mechanic but sods law arrived and it cured itself before it could be diagnosed.
Is there any part that may be prone to failure or malfunction in such weather conditions ? Thankyou.

[BHadley]

I had the same thing happen to my old e30 few years back, I changed the fuel filter which improved it a lot mechanic told me it sounded like carb icing... The intake getting very cold and swallowing moisture...

Didn't go any further after that..

[Grrrmachine]

Telling us which engine you have would be a good place to start

[Brianmoooore]

Telling us which engine you have would be a good place to start

In a 1990 318i touring, I'd expect to find a M40B18!

Check that the flap in the air flow meter is free to move without binding anywhere.

[Grrrmachine]

oops

[Walter]

Yes ... it's a standard M40 engine injected engine.... Thanks for the replies so far.