I think the garage is talking rubbish, if the compression was that low the engine wouldn't start let alone tick over, if its high enough to start its certainly high enough to drive OK. I would take it to a diesel specialist, they usually know what they are doing and are generally cheaper.

they say the petrol will have stripped the cylider bores so there's little or no compression.

Petrol will not strip the engine bores, if it did how would a petrol engine last over 100,000 miles with little or no bore wear. The bores in a petrol are not made of a special petrol resitant metal.

They are talking absolute balls. Get it away from that garage ASAP.

peterN is spot on , diesel needs high compression to start ! 280-400psi at least and if it fires up to start it will run.

They are talking out of their port hole ! get it away from there asap.

Fid a garage that knows what they are doing. Petrol over a short period will not wash the bores away !

There it has the extrenal diesel pump and not CRD there is a microfine filter fitted inside the banjo bolt of the inlet pipe to the pump. These become blocked and will cause power loss and only allow them to start and tick over but not rev up. Its one possibility, EGR another and pump timming issue or blocked exhaust or inlet.

Are you sure it hasnt been ploughed through water and sucked the air filter down the air induction pipe ?

have you tried exeterdiesels ?

http://www.diesels.co.uk

Hi Sully

I havent used them , I would ring and speak to them and discuss how they would approach the situation .

I have seen intank pumps split or leak and high pressure fuel is sprayed around in the tank knocking the fuel level float scatty causing low or erratic readings and causing loss of power. When I say High pressure its only a low pressure pump ( yeah i know but someone will pick holes init !) but you get enough fuel spray in the tank to cause havoc and the fuel delivey tpo the main pump can be restricted anmd often airated causing white smoke.