CRV Diesel: Black Smoke & Power Loss, Help Needed!

Hey there! I had almost the exact same symptoms on my 2004 Honda Accord diesel last year! The black smoke, jerking, and power loss, it all sounds very familiar. Turned out my intake manifold had developed some nasty leaks around the seals. Got it fixed at my regular workshop, the whole job, including parts and labor, set me back about 425 Euro. They had to replace some seals and clean out the intake system. Car's been running like a dream since then. Before I can give you more specific advice though, How many miles/kilometers are on your CR-V? Have you noticed any specific situations when the symptoms get worse? Any recent maintenance work done? The CR-V and Accord have pretty similar diesel engines, so I might be able to help more with that info.

Thanks for your response! My CR-V has 170296 KM on it, and I just had it serviced last month where they did the regular oil change and filters. The symptoms definitely get worse when I'm trying to accelerate, especially going uphill. It's like the car doesn't want to respond to the throttle properly. I'm starting to lean towards your intake manifold theory, it makes a lot of sense given the symptoms. Did your Accord make any specific noises before you got it fixed?

Hey again! Yes, my Accord definitely made some distinct noises, there was this weird whistling sound under acceleration, especially when pushing it uphill like you described. The symptoms you're describing are exactly like what I experienced! With your mileage and those symptoms getting worse on acceleration, I'm even more convinced it's the intake manifold. Mine started acting up around 160,000 KM, so the timing fits too. Before I got it fixed, it got so bad that I could barely make it up steep inclines, the car would just lose power and blow black smoke everywhere. One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, I also noticed the fuel consumption went through the roof during this period. Have you noticed anything similar? That was actually one of the things that pushed me to get it fixed quickly. Just a heads up, when they fixed mine, they found that the EGR valve was also pretty gunked up, which was contributing to the problem. Might be worth having them check that too while they're in there. The whole repair made such a difference, it was like having a completely different car afterward!

Yes! That's exactly what I'm experiencing, there's definitely a whistling noise and my fuel consumption has gone way up lately. I was filling up way more often but didn't connect the dots until you mentioned it. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, it's really helpful knowing someone else dealt with the same issues. I'll get it to my mechanic tomorrow and specifically ask them to check both the intake manifold and the EGR valve. The repair cost doesn't sound too bad considering how much I'm probably wasting on extra fuel right now. You've definitely put my mind at ease. I was worried it might be something much more serious (and expensive!). I'll post an update once I get it fixed to let you know what they find. Really appreciate your help!