Misfire and poor idle on a Polo 6n APQ 1,4 8V (1999)

Hello everyone! I am trying to figure out what's wrong with my car for almost 5 months now... After a massive downpour in my hometown, i started having problems either electrical (sensors, distributor , etc) or my ECU might have been flooded. It all started when i reversed my car to go on a trip (mind you it was the first time i started my car after the rain) and when i revved the car so i could reverse, i saw white smoke near the distributor (like a mini explosion). It was instantaneously so i though it was maybe water trapped somewere in the engine bay. After a few meters, when the temperature had started to rise and while waiting on a traffic light, i put first to start and suddenly my car turned off and i couldn't start it. After a few failed attempts to start, when it finally did it was misfiring (as if it was running with 3 cylinders) and i smell gasolin. My former employer (a car mechanic) came to help me and after he floored the gas it was running smoothly for a few days when a cold morning, it happened the same thing. I didn't have that problem every day, but when i did for the third time a sent it in another car shop and now they tell me that it runs smoothly but the problem is the throttle body and that i have to change it (100€). He also said that my car's fuel ratio is too rich for far too long and it's becuse of that.

I don't think that that's the problem. I assume it has something to do with either the distributor or the MAF sensor. Before all that, i changed the engine's temperature valve but that didn't fix the problem. He also talked about an engine swap whithout him having a compression test done.

If anyone has an advise to give me please cast your bread upon the waters.....✌

Edited 8 March, 20251 yr by Nefeli