UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Well my car had a moment this morning it failed to start.

I went out this morning to move my car out of the way so my mum could get hers out, Mine started fine i moved it all of 6 foot, Parked up locked up went inside.
I then went to go to work at 1pm got in turned the key and the engine was just turning over but not firing So pi$$ed off i went back in the house and called vw breakdown very nice people. Anyway after 10 mins i get a call from them asking could i go to my car with the phone. He said press the clutch and accelerator together and turn the key! it eventually spurted to life Apparently because i started the car the 1st time then shut off, the ecu put it into cold start mode so puts more fuel in. so then when i went to work and started again when cold it put it in to cold mode again so over fuelled so basically the engine was flooded The chap from VW Breakdown said if i move it a short distance is to blip the throttle before i shutdown.

Just thought i would pass it on incase anyone else gets the problem.

AS long as you still enough battery, you're likely to get started.

Sounds like the "old days"! Years ago before fuel injection, starting was often a problem either like this after a short journey, or even the opposite after a long run when the fuel evaporated near a hot engine. Or the engine "flooded". Floor the acceleration and turn the engine until it fires.

Alternatively part on top of a long hill and bump it...

Hahahaha how technology has advanced yet still can't prevent a flooded engine. ECU this ECU that my ar$e

I had the same problem with my Audi A2 1.6 sport that was traded in for the Polo

I was told that it's all connected with the extreme high pressure fuel system used by the FSI petrol engines

If you start the car up and just move it on the drive to get it out of the way the high fuel pressure remains locked in the system
and if you return to drive away a short time after the pump can't work against the pressure already held

So the trick was to slowly put the accelerator pedal to the floor and dip the clutch pedal as well
(this takes the gearbox load off the engine - gears turning in cold oil etc.)
wind it over and over until the pressure dropped and the pump could take over
and I guess that the ECU electrics can sense over or under fuel pressure and come back on when ready
and it would fire up again on a couple of cylinders and then on all four and show it's unhappy with a cloud of smoke out the back

Although this works it's not a good idea to use it too often because of the unburnt fuel passing down into the exhaust
Which 'apparently' sits in the Catalytic Converter and burns off as the temperature rises and overheats the Cat core
the same thing happens when you bump start cars with Cats and most hand books tell you to avoid getting out of trouble this way
... but don't explain why

So far... I have not had the problem with the Polo

Had this happen to me several times last year, can be very un-nerving at first! As said its moving it a short distance before that causes it.

hope all goes ok now

I don't understand why all new cars can't be configured so that foot to the floor with a cold "not running" engine, ie WOT, inhibits the injector spraying, as that lets you flush the excess fuel off the plugs etc. I think that Ford at least, has this function. Pressing the clutch down should come as second nature to a proper driver - I really really do avoid running a petrol engined car for a short period as this could happen and attendant bore wash will always happen, so, in colder weather difficulty in restarting will be an unknown. Of course, it could be that VAG has at last included this function to their engine management programming - and has included it in the operator's handbook.