First of all the car is a 2001 (Y) Octy Mk1, 1.9 110bhp TDi, Elegance Estate. It's done 66k, and due a service (indicator came on last week).

Strange thing happened today - went out at lunch time (yes, I was working on a bank holiday!!!), and drove the 2 mins to the local supermarket. Got there, no problem at all, but not driven far enough for the engine to warm up.

Came out after 10 mins or so, started car fine, tootled around the car park, avoiding all these people who haven't got any work to do today , again with no problem.

Came to pull out onto the road, and there was no power, and the car started to sound as though it was mis-firing. The revs would not go above 2k, no matter how far I buried the accelerator. There were no warning lights or anything, just no power, and this mis-fire.

Finally managed to move away, and get out of the entrance to the car park, and pulled up at the side of the road. Switched the engine off, and waited a couple of minutes, restarted the engine, and a cloud of white smoke out of the exhaust, and still mis-firing. However, the revs would go right up, but not as fast as they normally do. After a couple of times reving it, the mis-fire stopped, and the car drove fine, if a little rough at tick over.

Any one got an idea what could have caused this?

Thanks in advance.

Andy

Just as an update to this, the car was fine driving home last night, and again this morning. Seems very strange.

Does it still smoke ?

No, not a sign of smoke other than a little bit of the usual cold starting smoke first thing this morning.

To drive it now, you wouldn't think this had happened at all.