bernd_schulz1

Seat Altea Diesel Engine Jerking on Acceleration

I'm starting to get seriously annoyed with my 2010 Seat Altea, diesel engine. It's got about 54323 km on the clock, and recently it's started jerking like crazy when I accelerate. The check engine light's on, and I've got an error stored in the memory. Plus, it feels like I've lost a load of power, and sometimes it even stalls at idle. The engine also sounds really rough, and there's a strong exhaust smell. Could it be the intake manifold defective?

4 comment(s)

Sounds familiar. I had a similar problem with my Altea a while back. Jerky acceleration and the engine light were the first signs. Did you check the manifold sensor? It could be giving faulty readings due to a gasket leak in the air intake. This affects engine performance and manifold pressure. Is the exhaust smell really strong? That was a giveaway for me.

I haven't checked the manifold sensor myself. Where exactly is it located, and is it easy to spot a gasket leak? I am not that good with cars, but I would give it a try before going to the workshop. And yes, the exhaust smell is quite strong, especially when the engine stalls.

Yeah, based on your symptoms, especially the strong exhaust smell, it really does sound like a leaking intake manifold. The sensor is usually attached directly to the manifold, but honestly, if you're not that familiar with car engines, it's probably best to get it checked by a workshop. A gasket leak can be tricky to spot without the right tools and experience. Better safe than sorry, especially with potential engine damage.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I took it to the shop, and you were spot on. They confirmed the intake manifold was leaking due to scorching. Cost me 1180€ to get it sorted, but at least she's running smoothly again.

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