Black smoke and starting difficulties with Ford Fusion Diesel 2008: Experience and tips wanted

Hi guys, I drive a 2008 Ford Fusion Diesel with 128229 km on the clock and have recently noticed a few problems. When I press the gas pedal, black smoke comes out of the exhaust. In addition, the check engine light comes on and the engine sometimes stops on its own. The car also takes longer to start in the cold and sometimes the engine won't start at all. I've already had a bad experience with a garage, so I didn't want to go back straight away. I suspect it might have something to do with the heating of the fuel filter. Has anyone ever experienced something like this and can tell me about their experience at the garage? Would really appreciate a few tips! Thanks in advance!

(Translated from German)

4 comment(s)

Hi, I drive a 2005 Ford Mondeo station wagon and had similar problems to yours. Black smoke, high fuel consumption and on top of that the annoying glow of the check engine light. It was a nerve-wracking trip for me. Turns out the fuel filter heater wiring harness/plug was damaged. It was quite serious as it was causing the engine to stall and making it almost impossible to start in the cold. The problem was quickly diagnosed at my garage, they had to replace the wiring harness/connector and run some tests to make sure everything was ok. So my advice to you would be to get your car to your garage as soon as possible. This is definitely not a problem to ignore and it could do serious damage to your car if not fixed in time. Good luck and hopefully it's nothing serious!

(Translated from German)

Hey, thanks for your quick reply! Sounds like I'm in for the same fun... Do you happen to remember approximately how much you paid for the repair? And were there any further problems with your Ford afterwards or was everything back to normal? It's horrible what you have to think about... Would be glad if any of you could share your experiences. Thanks guys!

(Translated from German)

Moin, sure, I still remember the costs. I had to fork out around €110 to repair the damaged wiring harness/plug for the fuel filter heater. Since then, the defect in the fuel filter heater has been a thing of the past. So far I haven't noticed any further problems with my Ford, everything runs like clockwork. Sure, it was an unexpected expense and yes, it can be a real pain, but hey, everything ran great after that. At the end of the day, it's probably less stressful and cheaper in the longer term to fix problems like this as soon as possible. Again, off to the mechanic with your car. Sometimes the longer you wait to get it fixed, the more expensive it is. Good luck!

(Translated from German)

Hey, thanks again. 110.0€ is a bit unexpected, but if that solves my problem, it's definitely a price I'd pay. I'll take your advice and head to the garage as soon as I can. I think I've learned enough to know that I shouldn't ignore this any longer. Thanks for the help and sharing your experiences, really helped me. Drive safe guys!

(Translated from German)

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