Honda Vezel: Black Smoke & Rough Running Mystery Solved

I had very similar issues with my 2019 Honda CR-V (1.5L gas engine). The symptoms you're describing match exactly what I experienced, rough idle, black smoke, hard starts, and unusual stalling. Took it to the garage and they diagnosed a faulty fuel injector. The diagnosis revealed internal wear in one of the injectors, causing improper fuel atomization. Had to get the injector replaced since cleaning wouldn't fix the internal damage. It was a serious job because they had to remove the intake manifold to access the injectors properly. The repair included replacing the defective injector, cleaning the remaining ones, and running an ECU reset. After the fix, the engine ran smooth again, no more smoke or stalling. With your symptoms, I'd definitely get those injectors checked soon, running with a bad injector can damage other engine components if left too long. You're smart to get this checked out now rather than waiting. Just make sure to find a shop that has proper diagnostic equipment for fuel injection systems.

Thanks for sharing your experience, that's super helpful! Sounds just like what I'm dealing with, and honestly, I'm relieved to hear it was "just" an injector issue in your case. I'm thinking of getting mine fixed soon. Do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? Also, just curious, has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other issues pop up?

Hey there! Happy to give you an update. Just got my CR-V back from the mechanic and you'll be glad to hear I was spot on, it was definitely a faulty injector. They found internal defects that were causing all those problems we talked about. The total bill came to 515€ for fixing the injector. Might sound a bit steep, but honestly, it was worth every penny. The difference is like night and day! No more black smoke, no more rough idling, and the engine's purring like a kitten now. Since the repair (it's been a few weeks), everything's been running perfectly smooth. No issues whatsoever, starts right up every morning, idles beautifully, and performs just like it should. Such a relief after dealing with all those symptoms! If you're still experiencing those issues, I'd definitely recommend getting it checked out. The peace of mind alone is worth it, and you'll avoid any potential damage to other engine components. Let me know if you need any other info!

Thanks everyone for the advice! Just wanted to give you all an update on my Honda situation. I bit the bullet and took it to a new mechanic yesterday, much better experience than my last one! They confirmed it was indeed a faulty injector, just like what others mentioned. Got it fixed today and wow, what a difference! The engine's running smooth as silk now, no more black smoke, no more shaking, and that annoying check engine light is finally off. Cost me roughly 500 bucks for the whole job, which honestly feels fair given how much better the car's running. Really glad I didn't put this off any longer. The mechanic mentioned I could've ended up with bigger engine problems if I'd kept driving it like that. Huge relief to have this sorted! Thanks again for pushing me to get it checked out, you all were right on the money with the diagnosis!