Hi everyone, 1st post here after searching google.

I've just returned from a 2 week holiday to what I thought was a dead battery.

Charged, car started and run fine for a quick 20min run.

Stopped off at Tesco and when came out, dead again. I thought maybe it hadn't run long enough to get some decent charge in as had been running with lights and wipers on etc.

Charged again over night and then today it started no isssues and I took it for a longer run out. about 25min started get a horrible noise from the alternate side, lost power steering. EBD error, abs failure, airbag failure and a bunch of other warnings on the dash.

At this point I was on the motorway so slowed right down and continued to drive, the noise eventually eased off as I limped the car to my mechanic (maybe 6miles).

By the time I got there the dash instruments had stopped working, no rev, no speedo, no indicators or hazards working. I just about got it round the final corner before lost all drive.

I'm hoping it's the alternator belt thats gone? My mechanic wasn't around so haven't had chance to discuss it with him as yet but could there be more damage done?

The car has around 174k miles on it.

Any info/experience welcome, thanks.

Scott

Could well be alternator, it'll be easy to test that we a fresh / spare battery and see what the charging voltage looks like. The noise could be the bearing going on it.

That said, if it was the alternator I'd have expected the battery warning light on the dash - although if the dash was completely dead I guess you're passed that point!

It could equally simply be a completely deceased battery. We've had a couple of really heavy frosts / frozen nights whilst you've been away and the cold will typically finish off a weak battery.

Of course if the alternator has gone and placed additional stress on the battery, it could have killed both...

The battery is less than 12 months old as the previous one had a couple of dead cells.

I'm really worried the alternator belt has snapped and caused loads more damage.

skotbites said:

I'm really worried the alternator belt has snapped and caused loads more damage.

Click to expand...

If you look down the left side (as viewed from the front of the car) you will be able to see if the belt is snapped, shredded or missing.

If it has shredded, there's a possibility that parts of it could have gone into the black plastic timing belt cover. If that has happened, it's possible that the timing belt may also have been damaged, which could have caused serious engine damage. Do not try to start the engine, or turn it over until you are sure that the alternator and timing belts are OK.

The alternator belt goes around several pulleys as in the diagram below. If your car doesn't have air conditioning, then it won't have pulley 3 in the diagram.
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Davren said:

If you look down the left side (as viewed from the front of the car) you will be able to see if the belt is snapped, shredded or missing.

If it has shredded, there's a possibility that parts of it could have gone into the black plastic timing belt cover. If that has happened, it's possible that the timing belt may also have been damaged, which could have caused serious engine damage. Do not try to start the engine, or turn it over until you are sure that the alternator and timing belts are OK.

The alternator belt goes around several pulleys as in the diagram below. If your car doesn't have air conditioning, then it won't have pulley 3 in the diagram.
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Click to expand...

It does have air con, I can't check the car now for a few days.

Does the symptoms I've described sound like a snapped belt with the revs and speedo not functioning etc?

I get the power steering not working but unsure why the instruments would stop working.

Thanks

Rather than us guessing what the problem could be, best to rule out the easily things first. Check the alternator (auxiliary) belt when you can, then we can go from there.
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I've only ever heard of one case of the aux belt failing, which then in turn tangled in the cam belt and caused internal damage and that was on an Alfa.

You'd be blood unlucky if the belt had failed and done serious damage.

It's hard to guess as Davren says although belt failure could be a potential suspect. I'd refer to my earlier statement then though, if the belt failed you'd certainly expect to have seen warnings on the dash to indicate the battery wasn't charging.

I've only been in a car once when an aux belt failed, a little Peugeot 206, and when the belt popped on that it was noticeable more or less instantly.

The power steering on Stilo is electric, not hydraulic like a lot of cars. If the alternator or aux belt has gone then the loss of power is likely to upset electric systems as they're very voltage sensitive on the Stilo, so it doesn't surprise me that stuff started to shut down on you.

Yes, sounds like Aux' belt has been Killed in Action. Sitting around in the cold makes rubber a bit harder and less flexible... and on an old and brittle belt, it will be even worse. It probably tore "enough" to no longer tolerate the tensioner's tension...

The noises would be the remains getting shredded in the pulley's etc. It's quite tight between aux' belt and cam-belt though, so I'd be disappointed for you if the pieces found their way into or behind the cam-belt cover. When you have the lower wheel arch liner off, you should take the cam-belt cover off and have a look.

And... if your aux' belt (£15 part which you really ought to check at least once a year) could be in a condition to collapse, then I'm afraid for your cam-belt. How long/mileage has it been in there? Anyhow, make sure that's new/rubbery and with no visible damage or wear on the teeth.

Don't worry about the dashboard dramas... no juice (alternator would have been out of action) does strange things to the Stilo brains. It ought to come back when a new belt is on.

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Ralf S.

Thanks everyone.

I'm just panicking as I the car is left at the garage now which is a fair distance from my house so I can't just go and check it myself and my mechanic can't look at it until Monday as he's really busy at the moment.

Fingers crossed.