85/535i - Itermittent Starting problems.

["Peter" <petsan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello follow digesters.

My car does not start every time.  Sometimes I can turn the engine over and it
will start with the ignition key on the first try.  Sometimes it'll turn over,
try to catch, sputter and die - no way to get it restarted with the key again.
In those cases I have to push start it, it'll catch and run for a day, or a
week before going back to not starting.  I've experimented with starter fluid,
and it works - every time - but I don't like to use it.   The car will also
start stalling (400rpm idle - or complete stall) in, for example, slower
traffic or on a twisty road; basically any road that requires frequent
acceleration and deceleration with gear changes.  If that happens and the car
stalls, I can not restart it without a push-start.  Btw, almost all of the
time the car idles normally, between 770 and 800 rpm.  DMV says my car is
idling too rich.

I checked:
Air filter - clean and unrestricted;
Idle Control Valve - opens and closes freely with voltage, opens 2/3 the way
with ignition on;
Fuel delivery to the rail - seems highly pressurized (but I did not check the
actual pressure);
Fuel pressure regulator - hose feeding it has a tight seal,  when I  put
another vacuum hose on the FPR and tried blowing air into and out of it, I did
not notice a change in engine speed at idle. - Is this a problem? how is it
supposed to behave?
Battery - disconnected batter overnight, recharged and had it tested - ok.
Fuel pumps and filter - all replaced by previous owner (are these suspects in
a case such as this?)
Oil and filter - New in the last month (still looks fine, and at the proper
level)
Fuse 1 - elect. Fuel pump - ok.
Fuel tank - full.

Please Help!

Peter,
200k 1985 535i 5-spd Dolphin-Grey in Seattle
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