Hey there, Funny you mention it, I was in a similar pickle with my 2018 Seat Ateca not so long ago. Almost identical symptoms: the black puff, the shuddering engine, that damn check engine light, stalling at idle, the whole shebang. Man, did it drive me nuts! Although the root cause seemed unclear at first, the culprit ended up indeed being a fuel injection pressure deviation, just like you suspected might be the case with your Tarraco. To confirm this, who's been turning wrenches for a couple decades, performed a fuel pressure test. Turned out, he had to adjust the fuel pressure and recalibrate the ECU, as my fuel filter replacement had upset the balance a bit. This wasn't some catastrophic, go-buy-a-new-car-tomorrow kind of issue, but it did require work done on the system. After tackling the pressure concern and re-calibration, most of the symptoms vanished. The stinker revved smoother, no more black cloud following me around, and best of all, no more check engine light. Hope that gives you some insight and reassurance – nothing like a little ahead-of-time know-how to make your mechanic dealings smoother! Hang in there, your Tarraco will be shipshape in no time.

Hey, Your story sounds like a real horror film, but with a happy ending, huh? I appreciate your info a lot, it saves me from another bad mechanic experience. Your Seat Ateca's issue seems spot on with my Tarraco. Do me a favor, could you recall how much dosh you dropped for all the mumbo jumbo with the fuel pressure adjustment and ECU re-calibration? And have you hit any other bumps in the road since then, any more trouble? Again, I'm thankful for your help!

Hey, Glad to hear my car saga was of some help to you! As for the money aspect, I tossed around 45 quid at the problem with the fuel pressure adjustment and the ECU re-calibration. It wasn't free, of course, but I think it was a pretty fair price to nix that pesky Error entry that popped up after changing the fuel filter, don't you reckon? As for any other hassles since then, my Ateca's been purring pretty nicely since my friend fixed that fuel injection pressure tweak. Kind of like getting a second wind, and my old girl’s back at her prime again. Other than some regular maintenance bits and bobs here and there, it's been all good on the road. So cheer up! Once the fuel injection pressure issue is sorted, your Tarraco will likely become its old self too! You've got this!

Hello, 45 quid and the ol' girl back in her prime sounds like a fair deal to me! Thanks heaps for sharing your experience, sure does help manage my expectations. I'll ask my mechanic to run that pressure test and ECU re-calibration. With a bit of luck, my Tarraco will be running like a dream again, just like your Ateca. Here's hoping for no more troubles! Again, appreciate your time and advice. If I hit any bumps down the track, I know where to come for the best advice! Catch you later!