Hi, our car has recently developed a problem/ several problems that have stumped us.

We've always been a bit conscious that the timing isn't quite as we'd expect it to be, ecu has been reset which solves the problem but only for a few weeks/months. Last week the car started bunny hopping away from lights having been running fine for the past hour. We were only a few hundred yards from home luckily. The next day we went out in the car, seemed fine, running ok until we got onto the motorway when it started running badly. We managed to limp up to the next junction. To start with the car wouldn't go over 2000rpm, really surging before going into limp mode. Managed to roll up slip road but as lights were on red then had to wind it forward on starter motor to get off hte road.

The car was turning over but not firing, breakdown couldn't get it started so we waited for the recovery vehicle. That arrived to tow us, but then the car started. Drove it home (not on m'way), to begin with ran really badly, wouldn't go over 2000rpm but a few miles down the road the problem suddenly cleared and was running perfectly. We took the car out that night to test it - no probs. Same the following day when we went to get parts.

We changed the fuel filter, the old filter was all clean, nothing in the diesel whatsoever, injectors all under lots of pressure. We also changed the crankshaft sensor which was covered in iron filings (DMF?). Once done we took the car out, ran better than ever, so put it down to the sensor being covered in filings.

Took into garage to replace DMF, but told that it didn't need changing, but driveshaft was badly worn. That has been replaced and while they took the car out to test it started running lumpy, they got it back to garage and it wouldn't start. Wouldn't start yesterday, so we towed it home. After a bit of fiddling about the car we got the car started.

The car has a timing issue whereby it idles fine, but as you go up through the revs you reach approx 1500rpm and there is a really bad vibration (another thing that makes us suspect DMF on its way out), you get past that then at 2000rpm it rattles terribly, and surges until you get to about 2500rpm then all fine. If you hold it at 2000rpm the needle bounces between 1750 & 2000.

Confused, it's a 9yr old car, how much money do you throw at it before you give up? Main questions:

1. Does it sound like DMF has gone/is going?

2. Why else would there be metal filings on crank sensor?

3. Why the timing issue?

4. Could it be throttle sensor problem?

5, If fuel pump problem (have read quite a few threads on this and other forums) would injectors still be under pressure?

6. Problems with surging seem to be when turbo comes in, could it be fuel pump problem that is only evident when you the turbo starts pulling more fuel through?

Thanks