BMW Repair: car starts but dies, air flow sensor, air flow meter

Question
I am trying to find out exactly what a part is.  I have a 1984 325e  I think I may know the problem but not sure of the name of the part.  What is happening is that after I changed the air filter, I started the car but when i did it would just die on me.  Then I tried it again and it stayed but when i reved the engine and then let the gas go, it just died.  I am wondering if it could be the Air flow sensor that is attached above the air filter box and I just messed it up when I was changing the filter or there is another part that is attached to that and also attached to the engine.  I thought it was the idle control vavle but it is not.  Please help!

Thank you,
Jon

Answer
Jon,
 This does sound like symptoms of a bad "Air Flow Meter".  That is the box attached to the air filter housing.  It sounds like you aren't getting good connection when you plugged the wiring back in.  I would clean it with some contact cleaner (electrical contact cleaner, not eye-wear contact cleaner) and that should solve the problem, unless the connector is bad.

 Good luck,
 Josh