AlBeckRacer

2018 Seat Tarraco: Dealing with Black Smoke, Engine Warning Light and Sudden Power Loss

Hey folks, wondering if anyone out here ever experienced what I'm going through right now. My 2018 Seat Tarraco, gasoline engine, with around 125,355 KM on the clock, is acting up pretty bad. Symptoms include black smoke blowing out when I hammer the gas, a "Check engine" light that won't go off, and a sudden power loss while driving. The motor also cuts out without warning, even worse, it jerks hard when I try to speed up and shakes like a leaf when idling. The kicker? It stalls while idling, and there are times it downright refuses to start. I had a hunch it might be a fault in the idle control, considering the issues during idling and stalling. Not keen on rushing to a mechanic after a previous bad run-in, so I thought I'd seek some advice here first. Did anyone come across anything similar with their ride? Any wisdom on dealing with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

4 comment(s)

Hey, sounds like you're having quite a time with your Tarraco. Been there, had the same on my 2015 Seat Leon a while back. The symptoms sound very similar, black smoke, jerky power, engine cutting out, and trouble starting were all things I was dealing with too. Turned out you're on the money with your idle control valve hunch. In my case, the cable/plug connected to the idle control valve was defective. It can cause the engine to act out especially when idling or trying to bring it back to speed. This wasn't a minor issue and had to be attended to soon to avoid any potential long-term damage to the engine. The mechanic replaced the faulty plug on my control valve and cleaned the whole thing up. She's running well since then. Certainly got my fingers crossed for you!

Hey! Thanks for the insight, it's a bit of a relief knowing that it might be the idle control valve causing such havoc. My Tarraco has been quite a ride till this drama kicked in. When your Leon had this issue, do you remember roughly how much you shelled out to get it sorted? Has any other problem popped up since this was fixed? Thanks again for sharing!

Hey, no problem, glad I could help you out a bit. My Leon has been a smooth ride since the issue was addressed, no repeats or other problems so far, fingers crossed! As for the cost, I remember it was about 155€, which covered the replacement of the faulty cable/plug on the idle control valve. I must say, my mechanic did a top-notch job and the car has been idling perfectly fine since then with no stalling or refusal to start. All in all, I think it's a fair price to return your beloved Tarraco back to its prime. Hopefully, this gives you a rough idea of what you might be looking at. Good luck!

Thanks! The potential cost doesn't seem too shabby considering the issues it's causing. Massive relief to hear your Leon's been behaving itself post-repair too. Didn't fancy the idea of addressing one issue and landing with another. Really appreciate you taking the time. I feel much better going into the garage armed with this knowledge. Wish me luck with my Tarraco! Cheers.

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