Problem with black smoke and loss of power in Skoda Octavia - suspected EGR fault

Hello, I had a similar situation with my Skoda Superb (model year 2009, diesel) a while ago. In my case, the electric changeover valve was defective. It cost me 140 euros to fix it. I have little experience with cars, but totally trust my garage. They are thorough and honest. But just to be sure, could you tell us if you have done any maintenance or modifications to your car recently? Have you read any fault codes from your on-board computer? That might help us understand your problem better.

(Translated from German)

Hey, thanks for the quick reply. My last service was at 178914 km and there were no problems. I haven't read out any fault codes as I don't have a suitable scanner. But I'm thinking about getting one. Good idea about the electric changeover valve, maybe it really is broken. I'll contact my garage and have it checked. And yes, I totally trust my garage. The guys there know their job and I'm always happy with their work. I'll keep you posted on how things progress. Thanks again!

(Translated from German)

No problem, always happy to help! So, definitely a good idea to invest in a scanner, it can help you diagnose problems more easily in the future. Regarding your current problem - I would actually suspect the electric changeover valve. As your symptoms were very similar to mine and this valve was the problem with my Skoda, it could also be the case with yours. Have it checked at the garage, I'm sure they'll find out quickly. Keep me posted and good luck, I hope the problem is solved quickly!

(Translated from German)

Thank you very much for the confident words, they really helped. I will definitely get a scanner and have the fault rectified by the workshop as soon as possible. I also hope that it is the electric changeover valve and that the problem will be solved quickly. As soon as I have any news, I'll let you know. Until then, take good care of yourself and thanks again for the advice!

(Translated from German)