my 2009 1.9TDI PD engine is running very rough on tick over / idling, the whole car is jerking while ticking over despite the rev counter sitting solid at about 850-900 RPM.

today I lifted the bonnet and was surprised to see the whole engine jerking.

 

Once I pull away everything seems to be normal, I took the car to my local diesel engineer who told me that the camshaft operates the injectors and the lobes on the camshaft often wear out hence the cam not pushing the injector down far enough thus not supplying enough diesel and then making the engine feel like it's misfiring. 

he is nearly 100% sure that this is my problem and has quoted me £450 to supply and fit a new camshaft kit including followers. 

does this sound about the right price to do this job??

the car has 217,000 miles on the clock and has been a Taxi all it's life!

any help suggestions would be welcome

cheers

The £450 Quoted sounds very reasonable to me for supply and fit, And at that mileage his diagnosis could well be correct, While the Cam is being changed the cambelt will have to come off so if that's also due, might be the ideal time to save on labour charges.

Thanks for your reply, I had a timing belt kit and water pump fitted at 191,000 so plenty of life left in it yet

cheers.

UPDATE.....

Garage took camshaft out today, it wasn't as bad as we had thought it would be but there is evidence of wear on the camshaft lobes, the buckets were also worn a little, the shell bearings were well worn and were a copper colour instead of a silver one and the bolts were well and truly bent (the little stretch ones) the head been removed in the past and not a very good job was done to say the least!

there is oil seeping out between the head and the block so the way forward now is to remove the head have it skimmed, pressure tested and new valves / valve seats fitted then rebuild it up from there.

 

New camshaft, buckets and shell bearings and definitely new stretch bolts, then fingers crossed everything should be fine! he also showed me the EGR valve which was completely full of gunk so this to is getting a clean 

only down side my bill is going up to around the £85 mark

will keep you posted

Another update...

Cylinder head is off, all 8 valves are slightly bent, and valve guides are knackered so I guess this is really going to be a big bill

head to be skimmed and pressure tested if all that checks out OK then new valves valve seats new valve guides to be fitted