Uhm; the power steering pump runs off the same belt that drives the generator. The hard steering you experienced is exactly the same as you would feel if the engine was not running. It wasn't "frozen" but it can seem that way because the change is so severe when power assist is lost. It will steer quite a bit easier when the vehicle is moving but your arms will get tired pretty quickly.
Although possible, it really isn't too common for these serpentine belts to break. If it is badly frayed on one side, the tensioner pulley arm is worn causing the pulley to be slightly misaligned. 1/16" out-of-alignment is enough to cause this problem. If the belt is still in good shape, snow packed into the engine area could force it off the pulleys. Chrysler has a shield available to solve that problem. I think the dealer might install it for free, but I can't remember for sure.
Caradiodoc
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 AT 11:27 PM
