melinamoeller1

Seat Inca poor starting and engine stalling

I have a perplexing issue concerning my 2003 Seat Inca with a gasoline engine. The vehicle has begun to exhibit poor starting behavior, coupled with instances of engine stalling at idle. Furthermore, the check engine light has illuminated, indicating an underlying fault. Preliminary investigations suggest a defective camshaft sensor. My suspicion is that the encoder wheel on the camshafts may be defective. I welcome any insights or suggestions you may have prior to seeking professional intervention.

4 comment(s)

Sounds frustrating! I had a similar issue with my Seat Cordoba. The car stalling and the check engine light were driving me nuts. Have you checked the crankshaft sensor as well? Sometimes a faulty crankshaft sensor can mess with the engine control and cause similar problems, especially with ignition timing. Do you have access to a multimeter so you can do some sensor testing?

Interesting, I hadn't considered the crankshaft sensor. Could you elaborate on how the crankshaft sensor is related to the camshaft sensor in terms of engine control and ignition timing? Also, what kind of sensor testing did you perform?

Yes, in my case, the crankshaft sensor was also sending erratic signals, which, combined with the camshaft sensor issue, caused the car stalling. Replacing just the camshaft sensor might not completely solve the problem if the crankshaft sensor is also contributing. I did some basic sensor testing with a multimeter to check the voltage output. Honestly, at that point, I decided to take it to the workshop since diagnosing sensor issues can be tricky without the proper equipment. I suggest you do the same, you will save time and money.

Thanks for the advice. Turns out you were spot on! I took it to a certified workshop, and after some sensor testing, the encoder wheel on the camshaft was indeed defective. Unfortunately, the eventual repair cost me 695€, but at least my Seat Inca is running smoothly again.

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