Kia Ceed Alternator: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

A genuinely specific, real root cause: oil leaking from the valve cover gasket directly above the alternator can kill it — plus a money-saving finding where a bad ground survived two full alternator replacements.

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: 37300-2B960 (as quoted in catalogue listings — confirm via VIN) — aftermarket alternators Bosch 0 986 085 610 / Valeo 600245

Accuracy note: Covers the Kia Ceed (2012-2018) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Alternators are sold by output (amps), pulley type and plug, and the same model usually has two or three units depending on engine, start-stop and the electrical load of the trim — a 120 A unit on a car built for 150 A will undercharge, and a rigid pulley on a car designed for a freewheel clutch pulley will shred belts. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; many are remanufactured exchange units that carry a core charge until the old alternator is returned. Genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Check the amp rating, pulley and plug stamped on the old unit, or confirm via VIN, before ordering.

Alternators (aftermarket)	Bosch 0 986 085 610 (130 A, remanufactured exchange, core charge £23.10, excludes vacuum pump); Valeo 600245 (120 A, freewheel pulley, 5 ribs, 57 mm, new, B+/L terminals); Hella 8EL 011 713-401 (130 A, freewheel pulley, 5 ribs, 57 mm, new); Hella 8EL 011 713-821 (110 A, freewheel pulley, 6 ribs, 58 mm, new); Lucas LRA03610 (130 A, freewheel pulley, 5 ribs, 57 mm, remanufactured, core charge £50.24, C-L-FR plug); AS-PL A3502S (130 A, freewheel, 6 ribs, 58 mm, new, PL_3307); AS-PL A9342S (90 A, freewheel, 6 ribs, 58 mm, new, PL_3307); Ridex 4G0518 (130 A, freewheel, 5 ribs, 57 mm, new, FR/L/C plug, excludes vacuum pump).
Outputs & variants	90 A and 110 A units on a 6-rib 58 mm pulley for the smaller petrol engines (1.4 and 1.6 CVVT/GDi), and 120 A or 130 A units on a 5-rib 57 mm pulley for the 1.4 and 1.6 CRDi diesels and higher-spec petrols. Almost every reference has a freewheel pulley.
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	AS-PL A3502S quotes 37300-2B960; AS-PL A9342S quotes 37300-2B520; AS-PL A3316S (130 A, 5 ribs, 57 mm) quotes 2611067; AS-PL A9178 (110 A, rigid, 6 ribs, 58 mm) quotes 37300-2B600; AS-PL A3602S (110 A, freewheel, 58 mm) quotes 0986083550; AS-PL A3515S (90 A, 5 ribs, 57.5 mm) quotes 37300-03350.
Fitment notes	Rib count is the quickest check, with 5-rib units for diesels and 6-rib for most petrols; the Bosch and Lucas units are exchange parts with a core charge refunded on return of the old alternator.

A Genuinely Specific, Real Root Cause Worth Knowing — Kia Ceed Alternator

If your alternator keeps failing repeatedly, this is genuinely worth knowing before assuming it's simply bad luck with parts: a documented cause on related engines is oil leaking down into the alternator from the valve cover gasket positioned directly above it. If you're replacing an alternator that's failed prematurely, it's genuinely worth checking the valve cover gasket for signs of a leak at the same time, since fitting a new alternator without addressing a leaking gasket above it risks the same oil contamination killing the replacement too.

A genuinely money-saving, real diagnostic finding worth knowing: one documented case saw persistent low charging voltage survive two separate alternator replacements — first a remanufactured unit, then a brand new one — with the actual cause eventually traced to the alternator not receiving a proper ground connection from the engine itself. Running a separate, dedicated ground wire resolved the issue completely. If you've already replaced the alternator and the same charging problem persists, it's genuinely worth checking the ground connection specifically before assuming you've simply received another faulty part.

It's also worth knowing a genuinely useful, simple diagnostic technique for isolating alternator noise from other under-bonnet sounds: placing one end of a wooden stick or dowel against the alternator housing and the other end near your ear acts as a simple, improvised stethoscope, helping you focus in on whether a noise is genuinely coming from the alternator itself rather than a nearby belt, pulley, or other component.

Kia Ceed Alternator: Often Blamed on the Battery Instead

On the Kia Ceed, dim lights, slow starts, a battery that won't hold charge — these symptoms point equally to a weak battery or a failing alternator, and that overlap is why so many replacements target the wrong part first, with the real problem only surfacing weeks later.

Kia Ceed Alternator: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: Kia ceed 2010 alternator change (older gen)

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ED Ceed; no JD (2012-18) video found in 3 searches

Before you buy: alternator output rating varies by engine size and trim, particularly on cars with more onboard electronics. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Kia Ceed Alternator: What It Does

Electricity generation while the Kia Ceed's engine is running is the alternator's job, charging the battery and directly powering the electrical systems. When it's working properly, the battery mostly just handles engine starting and short demand spikes, not day-to-day electrical load.

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Kia Ceed Alternator: Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Alternator Guide for symptoms to watch for (plus a genuinely useful two-minute test to confirm it's not the battery instead), confirming the right amperage and fitment against your VIN, and which brands are worth trusting.

More Kia Alternator

The same part, covered across other Kia models.