Discovery Diesel Nightmare: Glow Plug and DPF Crisis

I had very similar issues with my 2014 Range Rover Sport TDV6. The symptoms you're describing match exactly what I experienced, constant glow plug light, black smoke, and terrible cold starts. Had it checked at the garage last month. The diagnostic showed two failed glow plugs and one was completely worn out. The mechanic said this was causing incomplete combustion, which explained the black smoke and high fuel consumption. The DPF issues were a direct result of this poor combustion. It's actually a serious problem because continuous driving with faulty glow plugs can damage your engine and DPF system. In my case, we replaced all six glow plugs since they tend to wear at similar rates. The job also included cleaning the DPF and resetting the engine management system. Quick tip: Don't drive the car too much until it's fixed, especially in cold weather. The strain on the engine isn't worth it. The repair itself isn't super complicated for a qualified mechanic, but you'll want someone who knows diesel engines well.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Range Rover Sport! That's really helpful, and yeah, sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. You're spot on about those glow plugs being the likely culprit. I'm definitely going to get mine checked out ASAP, don't want to risk any engine damage. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole job? Also, has everything been running smoothly since the repair, or have you noticed any other issues pop up?

Hey there! Just wanted to follow up on your questions about the repair costs. Happy to report that since I got it sorted, my Range Rover Sport's been running like a dream! The final bill came to 560€ for fixing a defective glow plug that was completely worn out. Honestly, it was worth every penny, no more black smoke, cold starts are smooth as butter now, and fuel consumption's back to normal. The mechanic I found did a stellar job diagnosing and fixing the issue. They discovered it was specifically one glow plug that was totally shot, rather than multiple ones like we initially thought. Since the repair, I haven't had a single problem, the pre-glow indicator's working normally, engine's starting perfectly even on chilly mornings, and there's no more smoke when I accelerate. Definitely saved myself from bigger headaches by getting it sorted when I did. If you're still having those symptoms, I'd say get it checked out sooner rather than later. The peace of mind alone is worth it! Let me know if you need any other details about the repair, happy to help!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! I actually just got back from the mechanic today and you won't believe how spot-on your advice was. Had pretty much the same diagnosis, two completely dead glow plugs were causing all the drama. The mechanic also cleaned up the DPF while they were at it. The bill came to a bit more than yours, around 700€, but they replaced all the glow plugs as a preventive measure. Got to say, the difference is like night and day! Took it for a test drive and no more black smoke, the engine purrs like a kitten even on cold start, and that annoying pre-glow light is finally behaving normally. Really glad I didn't put this off any longer. The mechanic mentioned I could've ended up with some serious engine damage if I'd kept driving it like that. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it gave me the push I needed to get it sorted!