I think I am having some problems with the electrics (maybe) of my car.
I have a 2004 Punto Dynamic.

It Started a few weeks ago when I was on my way to work and the engine check light came on. A day later the Power Steering light came on, however after a few hours of the engine being off, the light went out.
I took the car back to the dealer who said it registered a misfire but wasn't flagging any problems. They turned the check light off and so far it hasn't come back on.

However over the past few days after about 30mins of driving I suddenly start getting a hight pitched squeaking noise coming from somewhere in front of me (cant really narrow it down. I can only hear it when the car is moving and it also stops when I press the break) then a few minutes later the Power Steering light will come on.. The strange thing is that the steering still works totally fine.

If I turn the car off and leave it for a few hours, the light will be off and the squeaking stops when I turn the car back on and then I go through the same cycle again.

The newest one is when I drove home last night the warning light to indicate a blown bulb kept on coming on then turning itself off again intermittently. When I stopped and saw the warning light was on, I checked and one of my rear lights was off. I turned the lights off and on again. The warning light was off and the rear light was back on again.

Could this just be down to the battery needing replaced or hass my car turned into a ticking time bomb?
The car itself drives absolutely fine, it just seems to be all the electrics around it messing about.

Thanks in advance

John

Hi John. The first thing I would check in this type of situation is the alternator.
The belt could be slipping because it's loose or old. Typically this makes a screeching noise when accelerating in lower gears moreso especially if lights, heaters and demisters are on. If it's more than two years old I would replace it anyway.
It could also be the alternator bearings. The way to test is remove the belt and see if the noise goes away. The car can run for a short time without the belt. You can also spin the alternator and see if there is roughness in the bearings.

Thanks very much. I will get this checked out as soon as possible

cheers

John