Very brief loss of power and puff of smoke, diesel engine

Question

I have recently purchased a 2004 Jaguar X type 2l diesel. When driving at steady speed on the motorway, there are frequent (about 1 every 2 minutes), brief (fraction of a second) and slight (just noticeable change of momentum to the driver, no passenger has noticed it) losses of power. When this occurs there is a puff of smoke visible in the rear view mirror. The car is using a little bit of oil, about 1.5 mm on the dipstick in 2 tanks of fuel. I think it is a little short of power at higher revs, seems to have flat power between 2.75 and 3.75 k rpm but I am not sure. Other that this it does not appear to smoke, and seems to work fine.

Does anyone have any ideas of the cause? I am going on a ~ 800 mile european road trip in 2 days, would it be sensible to take this car? There is another option, but it is 10 years older and does not currently have breakdown cover.

Answer 1

As an owner of an x type myself (2.2, 2005), I would guess that this may well be the egr playing up.

You might find reading the codes will help, but the best advice will be found on the Jaguar Forum as there are lots of friendly people (I'm one of them...), so try:

Jaguar Forum link

Do create yourself a login and you will be welcome, the X type section is well-frequented.