Weird non-problem...

flooded and dried out would be my first guess.

or maybe condensation that dried out

Muck or rust in the fule tank that got stirred up by your filling and enthusiastic drive?

Used to be common on Golf/Sciroccos when the fuel filler neck inevitably rusted.

It has cut out while driving once or twice in several months. I've even got a new fuel filter ready to put in but not got round to it yet.

I was also wondering if the fuel pump could have lost it's prime by parking it with its tail in the air (I don't usually). After trying to start it last night it was left on a flat road instead for today.

It wasn't started briefly then stopped?

No - they're self priming.

No, I pulled up after a long run, reversed up the drive and left it.

I've been using it today with not a hiccup.

Can I ask why you asked that? My 325 wouldn't start tonight and the only thing unusual I'd done was start it briefly earlier in the day.

Regards

Some of the range are notorious for that. They flood when you attempt a re-start. Floor the throttle and churn until they do start - it will and then run badly for a few minutes. I first found it when visiting and parked on a drive with gates. I opened the gates, started the car, moved onto the road then stopped it while I closed the gates. Wouldn't start afterwards. You really need to run it until the temp gauge begins to move to assure a normal start after stopping.

Thanks for that. I thought it felt like it was flooded so left it for a while and did exactly as you said and eventually it started. Have you thought of charging for tech support?

Heh heh. If only.

My local specialist - AMC in Tooting - who are very very good, hadn't heard of this. They had my car in for something that I couldn't be bothered doing myself and kept it overnight. And moved it off the ramp or whatever before closing for the night. Only to find it wouldn't start the next morning. And wanted to charge me for new plugs. ;-)

There's a very good Yahoo group for the E39 which has most of these sort of tips. It's moderated to avoid spam and flames, etc. Address below. There might well be a similar one for your model.

Thus spake "Dave Plowman (News)" ( snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:

This is apparently a vulnerability in Vauxhalls too, maybe just Astras (and with the same cure). Although mine has never failed to restart, I sometimes find that it runs unevenly for a short time, maybe on just 3 pots, if I've started the car just to get it out of the garage, and restarted it later.

multitudes:

It could well be a Motronic issue.

I had a Volvo 480 [shudder] that was exactly like that.