Seeking Advice on Solving 2008 Fiat Sedici's Sluggish Start and Flickering Lights Issue

Hey there, your situation sparked a memory. I've got a 2007 Fiat Bravo with a gas engine, so pretty close to your case. Though I'm no car expert, I know a thing or two because of my experiences. Had a similar issue a while back. Turned out it was a defective battery, just would not keep a charge. I took it to my mec, paid around 290 Euro for it. Worked like a charm afterward. All the lights stabilized and it started up like a dream. How about checking your battery? You could also hit a local garage to get it checked. They’d likely put a multimeter on it or do a load test. Just a suggestion. By the way, what's the mileage on your car? Knowing a bit more could help pin down the issue further. Cheers!

Hey, thanks for replying and sharing your experience, I appreciate it! Your battery incident does sound quite similar to my situation. I guess I should indeed take the first step in getting my battery checked before diving into more complex stuff. My Fiat’s odometer is reading 74,378km at the moment. It feels like just yesterday when I drove it out of the dealership, how time flies! The latest servicing was done quite recently, so I thought it'd be fine for a while. Anyway, cheers for dropping some knowledge on me!

You're welcome! With that mileage, it's definitely possible that your battery is just reaching the end of its juice. Batteries typically last between 3 and 5 years, but that can be shorter or longer depending on how much you use your vehicle, amongst other factors. And yeah, getting a jump on the simple stuff first often saves a lot of headache down the road. Remember, a weak battery doesn't always mean it's dead or defective. It might just be low on charge, especially if your car isn't driven daily or only for short distances. In this case, a battery charger or taking it for a long drive can help trickling right amount of charge back into it. But hey, as you pointed, the symptoms could match an overvoltage situation as well. If you're still noticing the dim/flickering lights even after sorting the battery issue, then it might be worth to check your vehicle's voltage regulator or the alternator. Keep us posted on what you find out. Here to help, cheers!

Absolutely, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'll start with the battery checkup, and if that doesn't solve it, I'll look into the alternator and voltage regulator situation. I don't drive it daily, mostly on weekends for long drives, so that might be why the battery has felt quite strained. I'll update you on the result soon, fingers crossed it's nothing too serious. Thanks again, really appreciate the straightforward advice and instructions! Cheers!