Ford Commercial Range

In the old days, the advice on this would have probably have been to have the fuel injectors cleaned. But these days, the modern diesel is a much more complex and sophisticated thing, and black smoke from the tailpipe could be any number of things to do with the fuel system.

You may find the injectors are, indeed, the problem, but you need to check the condition of the pump, filters, EGR valve and even the turbocharger and its plumbing. Something as simple as a split in the plastic turbocharger piping can lead to excess black smoke.

The symptoms here point to a stuck flasher relay. This is the electrical component that not only powers the indicator lights, but makes them flash (and produces the steady clicking sound you hear when the indicators are on). The contacts in these units can become stuck at which point the lights can become stuck on.

Why does it still happen when the ignition is off? Because the flasher relay is powered up even when the ignition is not. That’s so you can have the emergency hazard-warning lights flashing even though the vehicle is locked and the keys in your pocket. A new flasher relay unit should fix it.

There was a recall for a batch of manual-transmission Rangers built between 2015 and 2016 which had a poorly installed clip on the gearshift cable on the production line. Your car is from an earlier batch, but it’s not inconceivable that the problem is the same one.

The cable clip in question could allow the cable that operates the gear changes to make contact with the car’s driveshaft. At that point, gear-changing could become difficult or even impossible, which sounds pretty much like your symptoms. Check with a Ford dealer to see if your vehicle was covered by this recall.