1.9 TDi running completely fine - then shuts off - needs a new engine?

[ArvisR]

This started when my 1.9Tdi golf - 2007 , started acting a bit strange. A few days before the final shut down happened …. The engine would be running completely fine, have plenty of power and no other signs that something is wrong.
What was happening though, is that sometimes when I turn the engine on… it would start normally but then stall. Then I’d attempt to turn it back on and it would only turn but not start. Then the second time I attempt to start it it started as normal and I carried on driving fine.
The time that it did break down, I was travelling at 60mph and suddenly the engine just turned off. I attempted to turn it back on, neither the first, second or any time it would turn on. So I was left stranded and I recovered the car to a garage.
I googled this issue and tried to search for it in the forums. I did find something that made sense - camshaft sensor. The symptoms were exactly the same as the failing camshaft, so I was hoping it’s that.
The garage told me, he’s ran it through a computer and nothings wrong with any sensor. He did say though that my throttle body (“intake manifold flap”) is clogged up and it won’t close. I instantly got a relief because that was a cheap job to do. I got the part replaced and now the garage is saying that the full engine is gone and I’ll need a new one. Reason being that there is no pressure. Which really confused me as it was completely fine and it’s only on 109k mileage. Serviced properly and everything.
So I sort of don’t believe the garage , which is why I’ve turned to here. As I don’t want to change an engine that was completely fine!

Please someone help if anyone can give me any clue as to what I should try?

[GilesWoodward59]

I had a similar problem on a previous car (admittedly a 1980’s Porsche) which was diagnosed as faulty crank sensors - for some reason they were intermittently failing but I don’t know how translatable that is to a modern Golf ignition system. One day worked fine. Next day not. Two days later they worked again. One test for a crank sensor failure was to see if the rev counter moves when you try and start the car.

If you don’t trust the garage it’s always good to get a second opinion. Towing it to another garage is cheaper than a new engine!

[pudding]

No pressure, as in, compression?

That doesn't necessarily mean the whole engine is goosed.  Does the MK5 version of the 1.9 suffer from the infamous camshaft wear? If the lobes are worn down, that can cause symptoms of no power,  bad starting, etc.  Diesels need very precise fuel metering otherwise they run like crap, or not at all.  I find it hard to believe the cylinders/pistons themselves suddenly lost all compression, unless of course, the cambelt snapped. But you'd hear that when cranking it over.  The cranking pitch changes from a wuh wuh wuh to a constant whir.

As no faults came up for the sensors, maybe the pump in the fuel tank is dead.  They could have least checked the fuel pressure for you before calling a new engine.

Hope you get it sorted mate.