Black Smoke & Engine Issues: Eclipse Cross Owner Seeks Help

Hey there! I had pretty similar symptoms with my 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander (I have some experience working on cars but nothing too fancy). The symptoms you're describing sound really familiar, my car was doing almost exactly the same thing last summer. Took it to my regular workshop and turns out it was damage to the cable harness that was causing all these issues. Some wires were damaged and causing weird electrical signals. Cost me about 95 Euro to fix, and it's been running smooth since then. Before you jump to conclusions about the air mass sensor though, could you share some more details? Like: Have you noticed any other warning lights? When did these symptoms first start? Have you had any recent work done on the car? These details would help me give you better advice since our cars are pretty similar. Let me know!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My last service was about 3 months ago, and I'm currently at 75883 KM. Actually, the problems started right after a really rainy week, maybe that's relevant? No other warning lights besides the check engine light, and haven't had any recent work done except for regular maintenance. You might be onto something with the wiring issue, especially considering the weather. I'll definitely have that checked out first before replacing any sensors. Thanks for the tip!

Hey again! That rain detail really rings a bell, my Outlander started acting up after some heavy rain too! That's what actually made my mechanic check the wiring first. These Mitsubishis can sometimes have issues with water getting where it shouldn't, especially around the engine bay. In my case, some water had gotten into a connector near the firewall and caused corrosion on the wiring. Pretty similar mileage too, I was at around 78,000 KM when it happened. The symptoms started exactly the same way, first the jerking during acceleration, then the black smoke and all that nasty stuff. Quick tip: before you take it to the shop, you might want to check the engine bay yourself, look for any obvious signs of water damage or corroded connections. I wish I'd done that before assuming it was the mass air sensor. Could've saved myself some worry! Let me know what you find out. If it turns out to be the same issue, the fix is pretty straightforward and won't break the bank. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! I just took a look under the hood and, wouldn't you know it, I can actually see some corrosion around one of the connectors near the firewall, exactly where you mentioned. Amazing how similar our issues are! I've booked it in with my mechanic for tomorrow morning and specifically mentioned checking the wiring and connectors, especially given the rain connection. Really glad I posted here instead of just assuming it was the air mass sensor. Could've ended up spending way more than necessary! I'll update the thread once I get it back from the shop, might help someone else with similar issues down the line. Thanks again for all your help!