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Car won’t start after bad stall 1.4FSI

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2026 4:57 pm
by spotter_sam
ImageGood afternoon

My friend has a 2006 polo 1.4fsi and is learning to drive on it. It’s been driving absolutely fine until he stalled it quite badly and it now won’t start.

I’ve checked for spark and there is some but on one cylinder it’s a bit weak but I’m not too worried about that as surely it would start or at least try and misfire. I can smell fuel with the spark plugs out and I can hear the pump priming with ignition. I’ve scanned for codes and I’ve attached a screenshot of the codes. The NOX code was there before so I highly doubt it’s that. Also the P0321 code I’m not sure about as the rpm gauge moves and shows a strong starting rpm, I’ve also checked to make sure the crankshaft speed sensor is plugged in and it is.

What’s worrying me is the engine turning over sounds like there’s no compression. It sounds the same turning over with the spark plugs out and in. I believe these engines are timing chain. I can’t hear any tapping of knocking when turning over and no rattling.

Any help much appreciated thank you.

Re: Car won’t start after bad stall 1.4FSI

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 12:21 pm
by RUM4MO
Sorry, no good suggestions, it will be a chain driven engine though and the engine code is AXU.

An engine type that deliberately avoided buying when buying a new Polo for my wife back in 2002, I was put off by the fact that the cam shaft lobs are hydraulically locked onto the cam shaft - instead of being a cast part of it.

Seems that I avoided that engine for no good reason as the cam shafts were never a problem, though it seems that many other design features of the "FSI" bit were.

Sadly that meant that my wife moved from a 1994 Ford Fiesta 1.6 with the Zetec engine in it, to a slug/snail of a car with the really horrible 1.4 16V BBY engine which on paper handed out 75PS - and drivability was awful.

Still, I bought her a brand new 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI 110PS 6MT as her next car, and that one drives "very nicely"!

Re: Car won’t start after bad stall 1.4FSI

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2026 6:51 pm
by Andries Polo6R
Please do a compression test. the fact that it sounds the same with plugs in or out is worrying