Having Problem with 2003 G35, Please Help!

[JohnNguyen]

I was driving the car the whole day and I had no problems with it. I parked my car and went upstairs, came back down and started my engine. My Brake Light was on and another light came on that looked like a battery. I checked my owners manual and it says the light means to check my alternator belt. Also the car starts up, I can rev the engine and it sounds fine. But when i try to put it in reverse or drive the steering well is very tight and tough to move. I didn't know where else to go for help, hoping someone here can help me. Well I am going to take it to a mechanic tomorow. But where can i check the alternator belt to see if it is loose? is the alternator belt the same thing as a fan belt?. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[SVTCOBRA]

John,I believe that the alt. belt is the front belt (wider) and the alt. is on the pass. side under the power steering unit. Symptons sound strange to me.

[lawson3]

hello,most likely will need an alternator,just in time for the holidays.see this at lot at my dealer.good luck

[lawson3]

sorry man ,didnt read yor entire problem,maybe its just yor belts,cross your fingers,let us know after you see the mechanic.

[G35goddess]

my brothers 03 did the same thing! how strange, he brought it to the stealership, i should ask him what they fixed

[Grollz0307]

Sounds like your power steering belt to me.....

[pae9132]

did you have anything recently done to your car? this exact same thing happened to me when I had my underdrive pulley put on but the guy who worked on my car didn't tighten down one of the bolts hard enough and it came out and broke my fan and the power steering was out...car had same lights on and steering sucked...it's a bolt that is towards the front part of the engine either in the middle of the fan or right around there...when they showed me what it was it kind of looked L shaped. Wasn't a big problem to fix but GoodYear overcharged. My shop I go to reembursed me so no problems there...good luck

[kwiniarz]

I'm having the same problem

brake and battery light is on, i guess is should check the belts?
Modified by kwiniarz at 5:28 PM 12/11/2007

[champagneG35]

Sounds like a belt let go to me. perhaps the alternator and power steering pump run off the same belt which would explain the tough steering (no more power assist) and the battery (charge indicator) light. I haven't yet checked mine to see if they're on the same belt or not. I'll check here shortly. Lets hope that's the only issue you guys are having!

[Q45tech]

The reason you visit dealers every 90 days for oil changes is so they can examine and recommend replacement of common wear items. The belts show cracks 6 months before they fail!

[Q45tech]

The reason you visit dealers every 90 days for oil changes is so they can examine and recommend replacement of common wear items. The belts show cracks 6 months before they fail!

Prevetative maint, is designed to replace things BEFORE they fail so you don't have surprises and unscheduled trips.

[joe603]

This is the belt layout: (ignore the "remove this pulley", that's for a mod that uses a smaller belt without the unneeded tensioner pulley)

[kwiniarz]

The reason you visit dealers every 90 days for oil changes is so they can examine and recommend replacement of common wear items. The belts show cracks 6 months before they fail!

I wish my dealer was that smart, this happened 4 hours after i did my oil change at the dealers. I visit them every 3 or 4 month, no mention from

[kwiniarz]

Sounds like a belt let go to me. perhaps the alternator and power steering pump run off the same belt which would explain the tough steering (no more power assist) and the battery (charge indicator) light. I haven't yet checked mine to see if they're on the same belt or not. I'll check here shortly. Lets hope that's the only issue you guys are having!

I should rephrase my post, my power steering is fine, actually everything drives fine. The only problem i have is the brake and battery light is on.

[champagneG35]

I should rephrase my post, my power steering is fine, actually everything drives fine. The only problem i have is the brake and battery light is on.

Most of that post was directed at JohnNguyen's problem (he mentioned tough or tight steering when trying to move his car) sorry for the confusion.

However on that note for your issue: Due to the battery light being on I would still check the belt and or the alternator. Going off that diagram above it should be the belt that goes off to the left as you look at it from the front of the car, I forgot to check so I'm glad Joe posted that.

Your alternator could still be not charging correctly which would light up that battery light and with my experience being as I've had my battery die on me once before the battery can be as dead as a doornail and after you jumpstart the car the light isn't there because the alternator takes over. my battery light never came on when my battery failed. I have however been in several cars where the battery light came on when my alternator died or stopped charging the way it should.

Also as far as the brake light, can't remember if someone already told you this in another post but check your brake fluid level. My brake light would come on at random while aggressively driving canyons and hitting the brakes along with a simultaneous warning that popped up on the navigation screen. On mine it would then go away and fix itself temporarily but when I took it in for it's service at the dealership and mentioned it they found the brake fluid was low causing the light to come on they topped it off and I've never seen it since.

BTW if your belt looks good and you don't have any test equipment, a quick way to find out if your alternator still works is to disconnect the battery after you start the car and it's idleing, if your alternator is putting out enough charge then your car will stay running, if it's not it will die. This is why you can jumpstart a car with a dead battery and it will stay running unless you turn it off.

[telcoman]

I was driving the car the whole day and I had no problems with it. I parked my car and went upstairs, came back down and started my engine. My Brake Light was on and another light came on that looked like a battery. I checked my owners manual and it says the light means to check my alternator belt. Also the car starts up, I can rev the engine and it sounds fine. But when i try to put it in reverse or drive the steering well is very tight and tough to move. I didn't know where else to go for help, hoping someone here can help me. Well I am going to take it to a mechanic tomorow. But where can i check the alternator belt to see if it is loose? is the alternator belt the same thing as a fan belt?. Any help is greatly appreciated.

JohnNguyen

If you have a Radio Shack near you they sell an inexpensive digital voltmeter for around $20 US. If your belts are okay you should read 12.6 volts across the battery with the engine not running. After starting your vehicle you should read around 14.4 volts across the battery if the alternator is working.It is also possible to have a weak or dead cell in your battery especially if this is the original battery. This can be checked with a battery hydrometer if your battery has vent caps. If you do not know how old the battery is you may want to consider replacing it. Lead acid automobile batterys only last 3 to 5 years. They usually fail in very cold weather. Do not buy a cheap battery. Interstate or Sears Gold with around 800 CCA would be a good choice. Get the longest warranty you can find.

Telcoman

[champagneG35]

FWIW Harbor Freight Tools (if there's one around where you are as well) Sells a multimeter for about 4 bucks with a backlight to see in the dark. I've been using mine now for a year and a half at work everyday and no issues.