Qashqai 1.5dci starts then dies after 5 seconds

[Nobbles]

A first on here. A nissan qashqai 1.5dci 106, had a major service 6 weeks ago including timing belt and water pump and has since just done 4000km in the last two weeks with no problems. It has been a great car. Now we are back home the first run to the supermarket down the road and get back in and the car starts slightly reluctantly then becomes lumpy and dies - it takes only a few seconds, white smoke comes out of the exhaust. If I try to rev the car nothing happens. It is as if it has run out of diesel - but 140kms to go - two segments on the fuel gauge (fuel filter changed in service). The car is still in the supermarket car park and probably will be there all night until we sort out what to do - no breakdown cover and our normal garage is closed for the holidays (welcome to France). Is there any quick things that I can try in the morning?

Already tried:
pumping the fuel balloon
starting with the key
unplugging the air sensor at the rear right of the engine bay

[LancerG]

How did you get on ?

My best guess would be glow plugs ? getting ignition power but not maintaining it once started ?
Otherwise bad fuel, blocked fuel filter

[Nobbles]

It was shipped to the Nissan dealer, who said it could be the piston rings after 1 hour of work - to much alarm by myself. They came back on Monday that it was a dirty EGR which they cleaned and didn't replace 281 euros in total. I did have a sneaky feeling that they were 'feeling us out' it was my wife who called and did most of the talking until they said it could be the piston rings - they had previously asked her questions of 'was there any diesel in it? (they can check the gauge) was the last service done with the correct oil recommended by Nissan as we may have to send it off for analysis'. So when I arrived and did not believe them, showing the service history and the invoices for the specific oil needed and then asking if they had checked the sensors and the egr (thanks to the renault forum) all seems to have come to a pleasant end.

[sparkyhx]

Well I wouldn't have guessed that. EGR's from my experience don't suddenly go, they clog up and you end up chucking steam engine levels off soot out the back.

Glad you got it sorted, and it wasn't the piston rings.