Hey there, My sincere sympathies; sounds like a right headache! You know, I was having similar symptoms on my own car, a 2010 Kia Optima. Your suspicion regarding a faulty fuel injector might not be off base. When I took my Optima to the garage last time, she was chugging fuel and having a hard time starting; just like your Cerato. My mechanic had a look and soon diagnosed a defective fuel injector. Turns out, those old injectors were causing the fuel to either mix too rich or too lean with the air, resulting in a poor combustion process and all those awful symptoms. Remember that big ol' puff of black smoke you mentioned? That basically confirmed it for me - consistent with the rich fuel/air mix my mechanic talked about. As inconvenient as it was, to get her back on the road, I had to get that faulty injector replaced. This wasn't a quick patch-up job either, it was a pretty vital fix that needed to be done for the long-term health of my engine. Once the new injector was in, those issues cleared up right away. Engine started smoother, acceleration was back on form, no more alarming CHECK light flashes, and the fuel consumption? Much, much better. It's worth noting, I didn't risk it with a not-so-credible mechanic, found a reputable garage, and thankfully it paid off. So from my experience, it sounds like you're on the right track with your suspicions. Good luck with it!

Hey! Sounds like you had quite the ordeal with your Optima. It's reassuring to see you managed to pinpoint the gremlin causing all those symptoms. That injector issue seems a lot like what my Cerato is currently going through. I don't fancy living through a daily whiff of exhaust and paying through the nose for fuel! Just out of interest, do you remember about how much you had to fork over to sort this issue out? I'm looking to budget this nightmare into my upcoming expenses without having to sell a kidney. Also, it's been a while since the repair - any other issues cropped up recently related to this? Appreciate your input on this. I'm hoping to nip this in the bud and avoid prolonged car drama! Cheers.

Hey there, Ah, the money question. I remember it well. To get that pesky injector fixed set me back 515.00 €. Not exactly petty cash, but it did remedy the situation, so no more fuel guzzling, black smoke belches or troublesome CHECK light flickers. Since having it sorted out at the mechanic, I'm pleased to report that the mixture control error, you know, the one causing the mixture to be too lean, was fixed and hasn't recurred. The car's purring along nicely now without any related issues rising up to ruin my day. As they say, sometimes you have to shell out a bit to save more in the long run, and trust me it's better than breaking down in the middle of nowhere! So, if your Cerato's showing similar signs, I'd reckon budgeting for the injector might be a wise move. Wishing you all the best with it! Keep us updated. Cheers!

Cheers for the quick revert! Well, 515.00 € does seem steep but considering the number of problems this could sort out, I guess it'll be a sound investment for my Cerato's health. It's good to hear that there haven't been any follow-up troubles with your Optima. Gives me hope that this might just be the fix my poor car needs. Appreciate you sharing your experience. Going to start scouting for a trustworthy mechanic to get this sorted without any problems. Will definitely give an update once things are back to normal - or at least, as normal as they can get! Here's to hoping for no more unpleasant surprises down the road. Thank you! Until the next update, cheers!