Seat Alhambra Idle Issues

Good day, I am experiencing some issues with my Seat Alhambra (2013, gasoline engine, 163864 km). The check engine light is illuminated, and the error memory indicates a problem with the idle air control valve. The engine stalls at idle. My suspicion is a heavily contaminated air intake. Any suggestions?

4 comment(s)

Whoa, sounds like my Alhambra did a while back. I had similar issues with the car idle speed jumping around and the check engine light taunting me. Did you check the IAC valve? That little air valve can cause havoc when it gets gunked up. Is the air intake clean?

Thanks for the quick reply! When you say gunked up, do you mean visibly dirty, or is there a way to test the IAC valve itself? Also, how difficult was it to access the air intake?

Yep, visibly dirty. If it's sticking, the car idle will be all over the place. I didn't test the IAC valve myself, to be honest. I just took it to a workshop as soon as the symptoms started getting worse. They sorted it out pretty quickly. Probably best to have it checked professionally, especially if you're not familiar with the air intake system.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. I took it to a local workshop, and they confirmed the contaminated air intake. The idle air control valve was indeed faulty. Repair cost was 425€. Runs smoothly now, thank you!

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