Engine Stalling: Is Bad Diesel the Cause?

Hello everyone!

Today, something strange happened to me. I have a Polo 9N with the 100PS AXR engine. Last night, the temperature was -19 degrees , and when I started the engine in the morning, it was still -12. I drove about 3 kilometers, and that's when it happened. The car was approaching a red light, and as I disengaged the clutch, the engine suddenly died. I tried to start it three times, but the engine wouldn't start. However, I could hear the fuel pre-pump running, and the engine had compression. On the fourth attempt, I noticed that the RPM suddenly fluctuated. So, I gave it full throttle, and the engine started running again. There was no white or black smoke coming from the exhaust. I then had the diagnostic system read the error memory at the factory service, but there were no errors. I then emptied the fuel filter, as it's possible that some of the diesel had become contaminated or that water had frozen. However, I couldn't find anything, because I drove another 3 kilometers to the workshop. When I described the problem to the VW service technician, he smiled and said that he had a similar problem with his PD engine (Sharan, 115PS) at a different traffic light the next morning.
Here's my guess: We both probably filled up at the same gas station in Austria around the same time. Could it be that the fuel was bad? Actually, it's something the Austrians can't afford, since it's always colder there than it is here. Also, it was at a Shell station, so it was supposed to be branded fuel.

Since fuel in Austria is about 7-10 cents per liter cheaper than it is here, thanks to our eco-tax, it makes sense to refuel there. I haven't had any problems with the fuel so far. I've been buying fuel there for about 3 years. However, I don't want to risk my PD elements failing someday...

Hi,

Based on the overall symptoms, I believe it's most likely that the problem is caused by contaminated diesel fuel.