my dizzy was out of whack on my passat and i got spark on the engine block with the plug out ouf the block, but the timing was so off that the fuel delivery was not getting to the plugs when needed. the best indication of this is the car tries to start but when you release the key in the ignition it will hiccup but not start.. i wasted money on a crank sensor when all that was needed was the timing mark on the timing belt and the dizzy being in sync....my mechanically inclined friend said he couldn't guess how it had gone out of whack but there you go....after it was found that the tensioner had allowed the belt to slip....and that's all it took for it to not want to start .........headache for a longtime it was before the cause found