power loss CITROËN DS3

@user_1992749

10.11.2023 14:22

Member

car has lost power red light comes on sometimes

Started

10.11.23

Latest reply

03.02.26

Replies

Views

528

@Liatilanto

10.11.2023 16:53

Member

Hi from the provided information it is difficult to say anything, I recommend that you first contact a mechanic and make a diagnosis
- @herbert_johnson
  
  03.02.2026 13:21
  
  @Liatilanto
  
  Member
  
  does it happen more when its cold or hot outside? temperature can affect failing alternators and batteries. also check if your drive belt is squealing when you start the car
@Ernest Cook 🍃

02.02.2026 15:25

Member

@Liatilanto red light could be battery warning or engine management light. had similar thing on my 2015 Focus, turned out alternator was dying so battery wasnt charging properly anymore. car starts cutting power when voltage drops too low cause systems start shutting down
@George Cooper

02.02.2026 15:37

Member

which red light exactly is it? battery symbol or engine shaped one? makes a difference for diagnosis
- @henry⚡️ellis
  
  02.02.2026 17:06
  
  @George Cooper
  
  Member
  
  yeah thats important info but if its intermittent and comes with power loss i'd bet on alternator or maybe drive belt slipping. mine did that last year on the A3
@FREDHALL

02.02.2026 17:18

Member

@Liatilanto mate get the alternator and battery tested first before throwing money at other stuff. most garages do free battery check takes 5 mins. if alternator belt is loose or worn it cant charge properly and you get exactly those symptoms
@edward_hawkins

02.02.2026 17:28

Member

had this exact problem on my wifes Corsa 2017 about 80000km on it. started with occasional power loss at traffic lights then red battery light would flicker on the dash. thought maybe just battery getting old so tried a new Varta battery but problem came back after 2 weeks
turned out the alternator brushes were worn down and it wasnt generating enough current anymore especially at idle. when you stop at lights the revs drop and if alternator is weak it cant keep up with electrical demand from all the systems running. power steering stops working properly abs light sometimes comes on and engine feels gutless cause ECU goes into protection mode
mechanic checked with multimeter and voltage was only 12.5v with engine running when it should be 13.8-14.4v. replaced alternator with a Bosch reman unit and been perfect since. cost wasnt cheap but way better than getting stranded. if you ignore it you risk damaging the battery and other electrical components so get it sorted soon 👍
- @walter.howard
  
  02.02.2026 18:26
  
  @edward_hawkins
  
  Member
  
  spot on advice there. seen loads of cars where people ignored battery light and ended up frying the ECU or other modules cause voltage was all over the place
@albert_hunt

02.02.2026 20:11

Member

could also be throttle position sensor or MAF sensor going bad if its not the alternator issue. these can trigger reduced power mode and sometimes warning lights
- @ArthurIngraM
  
  02.02.2026 20:20
  
  @albert_hunt
  
  Member
  
  true but usually you'd get amber engine light not red for sensor faults. red is more serious stuff like oil pressure battery or coolant temp
@leslieakelly)

03.02.2026 13:32

Member

my Megane did something similar turned out DPF was clogged on the diesel and it went into limp mode. but that was amber light not red so probably different issue
@reginald 👑

03.02.2026 14:05

Member

@leslieakelly yeah DPF gives amber usually. red light with power loss is almost always charging system or serious engine fault. @Liatilanto really needs to get fault codes read with scanner to know for sure what system is complaining
- @Cecil 🛡 Knight
  
  03.02.2026 14:16
  
  @reginald 👑
  
  Member
  
  exactly get the codes scanned mate. even cheap OBD2 reader will tell you if its electrical or engine related. but if red battery light is on while driving dont wait just get it checked cause you could lose all power suddenly and thats dangerous in traffic