Well I just checked the car out, oil level is fine as is the colour and the car starts, idle is rough though, no CEL, but there is quite a lot of black smoke coming out of the exhaust.

There is an odd noise coming out of the intake side fo the engine, it is like a pump that is trying to pressurise and then fails. I say pump because when it starts again, the interior light flickers.

I spoke to the dealership and they have advised me that the car should be fine to drive. Im guessing its air/fuel due to the black smoke, so running rich isnt a problem....well at least on other cars Ive driven it isnt!

 

Its 1:31PM now (as I right this). I lived in Japan in 2003, Tokyo for a year or so, wanting to go back in 2010...miss it.

 

Just to close this off, it ended up being the battery, the battery would hold enough charge which then didn't allow the pump to function correctly, which in turn choked my engine and hence the black smoke.

And now I know.

 

i was just about to suggest the battery based on your description of the lights flickering as the air pump tired to work. Glad it worked out for you. I would also have the alternator checked to be sure.