I have a 2014 Paceman S all4 manual with about 92k miles that I purchased at the beginning of September 2025. Recently, the car sat with the battery unhooked while I was replacing the thermostat housing and water crossover pipe for a few weekends straight (about 3 weeks total). We got the car back together and it drove great with the coolant leak fixed.

Four weekends ago, the car threw a red battery light, but I didn’t think anything of it. Two weekends ago, it did it again and the car ended up losing all power and died at a stop sign in the neighborhood. A policeman jumped the car off, but it was just enough to get me up to speed and I was able to coast the rest of the way to my driveway. It would not restart… just clicks.

This past weekend, I pulled the battery and checked the voltage. 10.85v. I left it on the charger overnight and the next morning it read 12.6v. AutoZone tested the battery good and the date on the battery is 06/24. It’s a Duracell platinum (I think it’s h6, but couldn’t find any markings that confirmed it). I put the battery back in the car and started the car. With the car running, headlights on, and the blower motor on high, the voltage slowly dropped to 11.6v. I had my brother rev the engine to 1500 rpms and for a moment the voltmeter spiked to 13.2v, but we couldn’t replicate it. He took it for a quick drive around the neighborhood, but when he got back, the red battery light was back on. I am waiting on my Foxwell scanner to charge so I can run the codes.

I have read on the forums that it could be a few different things and I am leaning toward the alternator. I believe the car has the IBS system judging by the negative battery cable. I checked the grounding strap on the passenger side that runs from the block to the chassis. It appears good, no corrosion although it is weathered. I also read that the car has a voltage regulator, but couldn’t find any posts about this being replaced and fixing issues.

Before I drop $500 on a new alternator and go through the process of another car project, I want to ask a few questions… are there any other grounding straps/cables that should be inspected and replaced? Should I start there or save the money toward the alternator? What happens when the voltage regulator fails and has anyone experienced this? Could it be the battery even if it’s only a year old? Do I need to register the battery since it sat unplugged for a few weeks?

I read a few posters having to replace the alternator three or four times before they got a fix… I really don’t want that to be me.

 

This is the scan report from the Foxwell scanner. Most codes seem related to loss of power. I was able to clear the codes. Also, the mileage is in km.

I also found where the battery was registered recently. The battery has only about 2500 miles on it.

 

I replaced the alternator with a brand new Bosch unit and the issue has been fixed. I have read to stay away from remanufactured units and anything cheap on eBay.