Seeking Solutions for Weak Battery and Flickering Lights Issue in 2021 Seat Tarraco

Hey there, I had a similar issue with my 2019 Seat Ateca not too long ago, so I might be able to help out a bit. I'm no car guru, just an average Joe with some hands-on car experience. When it happened, I took it to my local workshop where they checked it for me. Turns out, it was a defective control unit that was causing the problems, not the battery itself. They had to replace it, which set me back 600.00 Euro, but it totally fixed the issue. Just to nail down the problem in your case though, can you tell me if there are any specific codes showing up on your dashboard? Any recent changes made to your vehicle we should know about? The more info, the better we can help!

Hi, thanks for the help! No specific codes have shown up on the dashboard, nor have I made any recent changes to the car, it's been pretty standard as far as I can tell - aside from the whole battery thing of course. Now that you mention it, I'm realizing I've never encountered a control unit problem before. I'll need to head over to my local garage and get them to check it out for me. Hope it won't cost me an arm and a leg! Oh, and for reference, my Seat Tarraco's at 130099 KM km. Last service was at the authorized Seat service center, nothing major then. We'll see what happens. Thanks again!

Hey there again! It definitely sounds like there's something more complex going on here. I'm glad to hear you're planning on getting it checked out! Reminder from an old hand though, be specific with your mechanic. Let them know about the dimming and flickering lights, the weak battery on start-up, and of course, that no fault codes are showing up on your dashboard. That way, they'll know exactly what to check out. When I dealt with my Seat Ateca, I learned that the control unit can cause such problems if it's faulty. It's especially common after your car has travelled more than 100k KM, so your 2021 Seat Tarraco's mileage is about right for such issues to start creeping up. One more thing, car issue costs can sometimes be a real pain in the wallet, I feel you! So maybe while you're at it, just in case the control unit is indeed the culprit, maybe ask them for a quote for a control unit replacement based on your car's model and make. I hope this helps and let's hope it's something minor this time. Keep us posted about what happens next!

Hey, thanks for the great advice! I'll definitely take note and be sure to give all the details about my car's issues to the mechanic. I appreciate the heads-up about the control unit, wouldn't have thought of that myself. You're right about the travel mileage too, my Tarraco has certainly clocked some distance. Oh, and I'll absolutely ask for a quote regarding the control unit, money-saving tips are always welcome! I'll keep you guys posted once I've had my motor checked out. Really appreciate all your help!

Hello all, I have a 2008 Cadillac DTS With 189000k, Very nice car in very nice condition. I purchased it with 48000k on it. It has the Northstar power train and I do have the traditional oil leak, it's not too terrible bad and I can live with it. The real problem I'm having is a parasitic Electrical draw on the battery, after 2-3 of setting the battery is usually dead. I have watched some fellas on U-Tube show how to chase the problems down but I'm still not comfortable with attempting that. Will the Carly scanner help with tracking down a drain? Thanks Steve Patterson

A Carly scanner can indeed help you identify potential issues in your car's electrical system, but it might not be able to pinpoint a parasitic drain specifically. For that, you might need a multimeter and a systematic approach to isolate the circuit causing the drain. However, given the complexity of this task and the potential to cause further issues if not done correctly, I would recommend having a professional mechanic diagnose this for you. It's important to address this issue promptly as a drained battery can lead to other problems over time.