Fiat Linea Diesel Engine Issues: Black Smoke, Engine Cutting Out, Poor Fuel Economy, and Starting Difficulties

Hey there sounds like you might just be on the right track with your suspicion. I own a 2017 Fiat Punto, also Diesel engine, running a similar mileage and had almost the exact same symptoms - black smoke, the infamous check engine light, engine randomly stalling, and an absolutely horrid fuel economy. Turns out, my issue was indeed due to a defective injector. Yes the poor fuel economy and the car refusing to start, all of those were directly linked to this issue. It was quite a bother, but it had to be fixed. When I took it to the garage, they ended up replacing the faulty injector and tested the others to make sure there wasn't more damage lurking around. It wasn't the end of the world, but not something you'd want to ignore either. So my advice would be to get it checked out as soon as you can to avoid any potential further damage to your engine. Good luck!

Hey, thanks for the insight. I feel relieved to know that I'm not alone in this. It's a bummer, but seems like I've gotta bite the bullet. Your description fits perfectly with what's happening to my Linea. If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost you to replace the injector and run those tests? And have you had any other issues since they fixed it? I just want to make sure I'm not going to get any nasty surprises down the road.

Hey, no worries at all! Happy to help you out. Coming to your queries, the cold start injector replacement was a bit of a punch to the wallet, costing me 515.00 €. That included the cost of the new injector and the labor to fit it in, along with running all those necessary tests to make sure everything else was ship-shape. Since getting that sorted out, I won't lie, it's been pretty smooth sailing. Knock on wood, but the black smoke problem, the engine light drama, unusual engine stalling, and all that malarkey have all but disappeared. The old Fiat's been purring like a kitten on cold starts, no more silly shenanigans there. So all in all, it's a bit pricey but well worth the peace of mind, in my opinion. You might find it a bitter pill to swallow initially, but in the long run, you're doing your car—and yourself—a huge favor. Hope this helps!

Cheers! You're a lifesaver. Your breakdown of costs and what to expect is incredibly helpful. And knowing your Fiat is running smoothly since getting it sorted gives me hope too. I reckon it's time to bite that bitter pill and bear the temporary pinch. Your experience reassured me that I'm troubleshooting in the right way, which was a huge relief. Time to book an appointment with the garage and kiss this problem goodbye. Thanks again! You've been a big help. Can't wait to have my Linea purring again like before!