Power steering belt

happy days

happy days

Active Member
Ordered a new power steering belt on Thursday, thought it best to carry a spare. On way home from a night out last night and heard a noise from engine, had a look and the old belt was shredded. New belt should be here tomorrow, psychic or what.
Now when the belt was shredded, ignition light was on driving home, obviously I have no p/ steering belt but fan belt was ok, can't see how this would be related, if I put headlights on ammeter dropped right down so are they related or has the belt whacked the alty ? Any ideas
 
I've a nasty feeling your Rover has ccrossed the threshold to where it can generate multiple faults at the same time. Must be a girl.

Chris
 
Hello Mick,

Rovers are good at that...one thing goes wrong and then something else go outs in sympathy :roll:

The two most likely for an ignition light on is brushes that need replacing or a failed voltage regulator. Both are an easy to fix with an 18ACR, the part that takes the longest is removing the alternator.
When you said the ammeter moves to the right with your headlights on...did you mean moves left?

Ron.
 
Yes Ron, ammeter went to the left, so changed the p/steering belt and was hoping for no ignition light but not this time its still on. So it is either as Ron says brushes and /or voltage regulator or another alternator. Is that all that really goes wrong with these, as it seems pointless paying out £50+ for an alternator if this is repairable. are the bits readily available. Cheers Mick
 
Just went out in the rover and the ignition light did not come on, turned on headlights, hrw and heater to full blast and let it tick over and no ignition light. As I have been informed it's a simple job and not too expensive to change the voltage regulator and brushes, I think I will do that anyway but
Do you think it needs doing or could their be some other factor. Cheers Mick
 
happy days wrote,...
Just went out in the rover and the ignition light did not come on, turned on headlights, hrw and heater to full blast and let it tick over and no ignition light. As I have been informed it's a simple job and not too expensive to change the voltage regulator and brushes, I think I will do that anyway but
Do you think it needs doing or could their be some other factor. Cheers Mick
Click to expand...

Brushes getting very close to their minimum length, so contact with the slip ring is not always firm will give these symptoms Mick. One day charging as should, next not, day after working fine again.
It is easy to replace them, all you need is a couple of very small sockets. Two long screws hold the black plastic cover on, and two screws secure the brushes.

Ron.
 
happy days wrote,...
Is that all that really goes wrong with these, as it seems pointless paying out £50+ for an alternator if this is repairable. are the bits readily available.
Click to expand...

Typically, it is just brushes or the voltage regulator. Sometimes both need replacing at the same time, but usually it is one or the other. The rectifier consists of a diode bridge, and if one or more diodes should fail, the symptoms are different in that the ign warning light will light at idle and slowly fade out as the engine revs increase needing maybe 1500 to 2000 to see the light off.

The slip ring will need replacing at some point. I replaced mine at 215,000 miles (346,000km) when upon inspection it was seen to be noticably grooved. There are two bearings that support the rotor and these need replacing from time to time. The rotor winding can fail, but it is not common so I am led to believe. The stator is the heavy fixed wire arrangement around the inside surface of the case, and as with the rotor winding, will not normally fail.

Ron.
 
happy days said:
Just went out in the rover and the ignition light did not come on, turned on headlights, hrw and heater to full blast and let it tick over
Click to expand...

Mick

Just as a word of caution, be careful how long you leave that amount of load on at engine tickover. Not only because of the propensity of the S2 fusebox to go into meltdown, but also because I recently did a test of how hot the main beam fuse on my car was getting with all the lights on. Left it like that for about 10 mins with the engine ticking over and the main beam on. Came out next day to go to work and the battery struggled to turn the engine over. Tickover with that amount of load does not run the alternator fast enough to compensate for the load on the battery.

My car has the earlier 11AC alternator and the 18ACR might be better but just something to bear in mind.

Dave
 
Update Ignition light was on for a while in use then be ok for a few days , be on for a few minutes then ok for a few days. Finally had enough and got new brushes and regulator. As Ron said earlier it took longer to remove and refit alternator than actually replace the bits in it. Anyway one brush was considerably shorter than the other but changed both, also changed the regulator. All seems ok now. Cheers for the advice. I remember quite a few years ago having same sort of problem and just got a new alternator can't remember what I paid for it, but it was alot more than the £8 for the brushes and regulator.
 
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