Vauxhall Vectra Disaster

[rockdg]

Hi
Can anyone help me!

I have just arrived home and got the fright of my life,

My battery light came on 3 mins for my house and 1 min later i lost my steering. It would not budge. I think the power sterring went complety and i found i could not steer the car. After a major struggle i managed to get it into the drive. I switched the car off then attempted to start it up again in neutral, all my dash board lights are now flashing and and the car does not even attempt to start and i can hear repeat ticking. Does anybody have an idea whats went wrong, i dread to think what would have happened had i been driving fast on a major road.

Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

Alternator failure I think mate...this has disabled the power steering and started to flatten the battery. The clicking you hear is the starter solenoid trying to engage.
John

 

[KingboyD]

What he said! Steering is usualy the first thing to go as its very high current demand.

New alternator and battery charge time!!

 

[rockdg]

Thanks for the replies

Out of curiosty can anyone roughly give me an idea of an alternator replacement cost.

Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

Alternators for these can be very expensive - £250 plus, in fact.
Try a motor factors who offer to recondition your own - much cheaper.
John

 

[wotan]

I would suspect auxillary belt has failed, alternator and power steering pump both being driven off this, and would explain two of the symptoms you describe.

Wotan

 

[jetex]

If the belt is intact, then it's almost certainly alternator failure. It's very common on the Vectra, and the Saab 9-3 which has the same engine.

 

[rockdg]

Thanks for the replies

For the record the altanator needed replaced

Thanks