Honda Jazz Spewing Black Smoke: Rich Fuel Mix Problems

Hey there! I actually dealt with similar symptoms on my 2004 Honda City (1.5L gasoline). Based on what you're describing, it really sounds familiar. Mine also had the black smoke, power issues, and that annoying jerking during acceleration. Turned out my fuel pressure regulator was shot, making the engine run way too rich. Got it fixed at my regular workshop, they diagnosed it pretty quickly since the symptoms were quite typical. The repair cost me 250 Euro, but it completely solved all those issues you mentioned. Before we dig deeper though, How many miles/km on your Jazz? Have you noticed any fuel smell? Does it get worse when the engine's warm? Let me know these details and I can share more about my experience. Just want to make sure we're dealing with the same thing!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My Jazz has 245628 KM, and yeah, I've definitely noticed a strong fuel smell lately, especially after parking. The issues actually seem pretty consistent whether the engine is warm or cold, though the startup is definitely worse on cold mornings. Had my last service about 2 months ago but these symptoms started showing up recently. Super helpful to hear about your fuel pressure regulator issue, I'll definitely get that checked out. Starting to think that might be my problem too, especially with the similar black smoke and power issues you mentioned.

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your Jazz. this sounds even more similar to what I went through with my City! The fuel smell you mentioned, that's exactly what I experienced too. Mine would leave this strong gasoline smell in the garage, which was actually one of the things that got me worried in the first place. And yeah, my City had about 230,000 KM when these issues started popping up, so we're in the same ballpark mileage-wise. After getting my fuel pressure regulator replaced, it was like driving a different car, no more black smoke, power came back, and that annoying jerking completely disappeared. Plus, my fuel economy improved by about 15-20% afterward! The fuel smell went away too, which was a huge relief. Just a heads up though, when my mechanic was in there, they also found that my O2 sensor was starting to go bad (probably from running rich for a while), so we replaced that too. Might be worth checking yours while they're at it. The whole job, including both parts, ended up costing me around 320 Euro total, but it was totally worth it. Keep me posted on what you find out! Really curious if it turns out to be the same issue.

Based on the conversation flow, I'll complete it from's perspective: Thanks so much for all that detailed info! Really appreciate you mentioning the O2 sensor too, that's something I wouldn't have thought about. I've actually just booked my car in with my mechanic for tomorrow morning. They'll do a full diagnostic, and I'll definitely have them check both the fuel pressure regulator and O2 sensor. Makes total sense that the O2 sensor could be affected by all this rich fuel mixture business. The cost sounds pretty reasonable for what needs doing, especially considering how much I'm probably wasting on extra fuel right now! Fingers crossed it's the same issue as yours and we can get it sorted quickly. I'll let you know how it goes after the mechanic takes a look. Really grateful for your help on this, it's given me a much clearer idea of what to expect!