Stuck in Seoul - car wont start-garage useless

 

Please please take the time to read this...I live in S Korea and don't speak the language...garage seems to be taking the p***

 

I currently live in Seoul as my partner works over here.  We bought a Kia Carens (old...2003 I think) from a friend who was leaving and have had problems from the offset.  It was intermittently throwing out thick dark dark smoke when started but running fine...living in a foreign country where I don't speak the language we foolishly ignored this.  A week ago I had to call for a home start and this ended in the car being towed to a garage and a huge bill for fuel injectors replacing (?).  It ran fine for a day and then died in heavy traffic after being sat at traffic lights.  Another tow and potentially huge bill until a Korean friend stepped in and was told that the old battery was done with and a new one was fitted.  The difference was immediate and it drove far better.

 

Today the car wouldn't start...it sounds fine but the engine doesn't kick in.  It's not the battery as the sat nav, daughters dvd player etc all work just fine.

 

We could just have it towed to the same garage again but are dubious as on the second callout they tried to bill us around 700 pounds for loads of work (the fuel injectors cost around 350 pounds) and then just changed the battery.

 

Does anyone have any ideas.  I have spent hours on the internet googling the problem and think it may be the glow plugs???  Are starting problems with older Kia Carens normal??

 

Many thanks in advance for ideas :-)

 

The garage took it today and I will post the outcome...pretty sure that they will insist on replacing everything whether it needs it or not but fingers crossed I get a definitive answer!