When i start my diesel van from cold there a lot of black smoke out of the exhaut?
The black smoke is unburned fuel. Next time you start your van, turn the key almost to the starting point – normally listed as the ‘accessories on’ in the manual and see if there is an orange light that stays on for a few seconds then goes out. The orange light shows the glow plugs (small heaters) turning on and then off to help burn the diesel properly when starting from cold. If you already know about this, sorry for the wear and tear on your eyeballs, reading it! If this is the case, then one or more glow plugs have failed and need to be replaced; this is usually a very easy DIY job, unless your engine was designed by a sadist, in which case you need to break your arm in three places to reach the last plug!
