E53 3.0 died while driving
 

Earlier today, I went to pick up my kid from space camp. As I made my way out of the queue and through the parking lot, my vehicle died (it was so gradual I didn't notice) my dash lights went in and out, so I put on my hazards, put the car in park and started the car back up and had zero "issues" on the way home.

What should I be on the look out for?

Thanks in advance!

Often times the ICV wears out or gets dirty and doesn't work well. I had this problem and it went away after cleaning it, though I didn't see major buildup. To get to the ICV you have to take apart the whole intake tract as well, so inspect all the hoses for leaks and cracks which could also cause the problem.



Checking codes with a BMW reader is also very important. Do you have a way to check codes?

I would check the fuel pressure.
If you were at about 1/3 of a tank of gas, I'd suggest looking up Andrew Wynn's post on the 99 cent Oring in the fuel pump siphon. He lists a procedure to check the status of the left and right side fuel levels by opening up the diagnostics on the gauge cluster.
This happened to me and it was the O ring. Fairly easy repair but really annoying if you are at a rest stop 30 miles from home with two small grandkids heading for the beach. The short term solution to that situation is to always keep over half a tank of gas until you change the o ring.

i would say check fuel pressure before you start throwing parts at the car.

Year? How many miles? Daily driver? How new are regular maintenance items? Any codes?

I appreciate everyone responding. The tank was anywhere between 80 to 90% full. Some general information:

It is my daily driver, but my round trip commute is 22 miles Monday-Friday.

The 2006 3.0i has just crossed 80,000 miles

I only pump 93 octane.

I take really good care of my vehicles and all maintenance is up to date. My previous car was a beautifully maintained Porsche 911 (997.1)

Zero codes on the dash, but I have not scanned it with any professional scanners.

I drove about 100 miles today with zero issues.

I have about 30% in the tank now. I will continue to monitor and thanks again for all the input from all of you.

Then clean the ICV...

22 miles is not a lot to charge an old battery. How old is the battery?

Hey brother, I actually just replaced the battery with an OEM battery about a month ago. Starts and drives really well. I am going to order the Torx40 bit to clean the ICV this weekend. Drove to work no problem. I'm on a quarter tank of gas. Thanks again to all for replying.