Anyone who knows anything about cars???

[Hollywood]

K, I think my car is jacked up but I dont know much about them... My battery light came on this morning, I have a very hard time turning the steering wheel(I checked and it's got plenty power steering fluid) and all the lights on my dash are really dim. Does this mean my battery is going bad, or because the steering wheel is so hard to turn, is there somehting else wrong? Thanks...

[trip]

Probably a broken belt. Look under the hood and you will see pulleys behind the radiator. One of the pulleys is probably empty.

Good Luck
PS-Get belt put on ASAP, because it is the belt that drives the alternator, which recharges the battery, which means you will run out of juice very soon. And car won't start, it will possibly die while driving.

[pudgy]

sounds like you have a belt or pulley problem. look and see if your belt is still on. it runs the altenator (battery) and the power steering as well

[Hollywood]

OK, thanks guys, is that something pretty cheap to fix?

[trip]

Yes.
Depending on how what when and where, you know all that good stuff.

belt- 5 - 15 bucks, depending on car etc.
labor - 20- 30 bucks, should only be loosening and tigtening 1 or 2 nuts

Of course, if you have some foreign car, or a very small compact car and belts and pulleys go everywhere, and other stuff has to be loosened, etc.

You can go to nappa.com and get parts quotes and labor rates

Good Luck

[bjtheman]

Sounds more like your alternator is going out....doesn't sound like a pulley problem!
Or possibly your battery cables may not have a good enough connection...but i doubt thats the case!
Alternator's are a bit more anywhere between $125-200 maybe more depending on ur vehicle!

[Hollywood]

I have a 98 ford escort zx2
Thanks for the help guys, I guess I'll just take it to the shop

[pudgy]

ford are notorious for idler and tensioner pulley problems.

[pudgy]

watch it broham ,

[pudgy]

me too, 2 of them

[pudgy]

lol, something like that. i dust them both and drive my jeep

[Got Gear?]

Definately sounds like a belt problem bjtheman. That's the only way she'd loose her power steering and alternator at the same time.

[blkturbo]

Yall are thinking too hard

With her symptoms she's got battery troubles....the batt light is the biggest tip-off :p

The power steering is out a little because the batt is hardly working and not even juicing the lights. The way she could have multiple symptoms is because these accessories run off of one belt most probably, the serpentine belt ----> one belt running all the accessories (water pump, alt., AC, etc).

In which case means: no battery = no accessory power.

[bigjim33]

HW, what was wrong with your car?

[Billy_Bathgate]

Does it run hot? IF so and you have serpentine..its the belt.


It would make sence...alternator doesnt charge up battery full..things dim and batt light comes one. Powersteering sucks...both of those simutaneously would be belt related. Not battery related..the battey doesnt have anything at all to do with PS.