Seeking Advice on 2006 Nissan Vanette Diesel: Difficult Cold Start, Check Engine Light, Black Smoke and DPF Regeneration Issues

Hey there, Thought I'd chime in here as I've had a somewhat similar experience with my 2004 Nissan NV200 diesel. I'd put my car knowledge at about a "some experience" level - I'm no expert by any means, but I know my way around the basics. Turns out, the issue in my case was indeed a defective glow plug due to wear, like you're suspecting. Took the van to my local garage; they looked it over and diagnosed the problem. Ended up replacing the faulty glow plug, which set me back 560 Euro. No more black smoke or trouble starting since then. Phew! It might be the same case with your Vanette, but it would help if we knew a bit more about your vehicle and its condition. Is it regularly serviced? What's the mileage on it? Do you often drive short or long distances? All these details might be helpful in further troubleshooting. Hope this helps a bit and let us know how you get on! Cheers!

(Translated from German)

G'day! Cheers for the insight. Yup, my Nissan Vanette has clocked 193,324 KM to be exact. She's been my trusted workhorse for quite a while, often hauling heavy loads across short distances in town, and the occasional longer road trip. I try to service her regularly, the latest one was not too long ago. Looks like a trip to the mechanics is on the cards then... I was hoping it wouldn't come to that, but better safe than sorry, right? I'll let you know how things pan out. Thanks again for the response!

(Translated from German)

Hey, No worries, glad to help in any way I can. Based on what you've described about your Nissan Vanette, mileage and usage indeed do point towards the possibility of glow plugs being the culprit. Under normal circumstances, they tend to go bad after clocking a good number of KMs like yours. The short trips might be part of the DPF regeneration issue as well, since DPF works best on regular long runs. Anyway, don't be too disheartened about the potential mechanic visit. Yeah, it's going to trouble the wallet a bit, but in the long run, it's preserving the health of your workhorse. Looking at the bright side of things, if it ends up being just the faulty glow plug as it was for my NV200, it isn't going to be an overly complex or time-consuming fix - just a couple of hours. So here's hoping for the best! Keep us updated. Despite all the trouble, I'm sure your ol' girl still has got plenty of good runs left in her! Cheers!

(Translated from German)

Hey, Thank you so much for the encouraging words! I didn't consider the part about the short trips being the possible cause of the DPF issue, but now that you mentioned it, it does make sense. In any case, better to get it all checked out. You're right about looking at the bright side - a healthy ride is a happy ride, eh? As always, your has got your back. Cheers to hoping the solution isn't too hard on the wallet. I’ll definitely update post-mechanic visit. Appreciate your help on this! Keep safe and have a good one. Cheers!

(Translated from German)