My car started fine but as I was deiving the.

PKN247

MEMBER
2002 BMW 320I
75,260 MILES

My car started fine but as I was deiving the battery light came on and then I lost power steering so I pulled over and turned it off to check it and now it wont start again, everything turns on when I try to start it but I get nothing

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 AT 6:21 PM

3 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,737 POSTS

The combination of symptoms suggest the belt that runs the power steering pump and generator broke or fell off. That would result in a drained battery. Have you looked at the belt?

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Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 AT 8:25 PM

PKN247

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Thank you very much, I just checked an it has snapped, but would this also prevent it feom turning back on? All the lights and acessories still work if I turn the ignition and I hear the clicking from the engine but nothing else?

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Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 AT 9:30 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,737 POSTS

Yup. The symptoms by themselves can be caused by a number of different things that are impossible to diagnose over a computer until some testing is done, but when you find an obvious problem like that belt, diagnosis becomes a matter of using that knowledge to explain what is happening. In this case the battery most likely ran down between the time the belt broke and the time you noticed the warning light and loss of power steering assist. With a really good battery that is going to occur in as little as a half hour or less. I suspect everything will be back to normal once the belt is replaced and the battery is recharged slowly for an hour.

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Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 AT 9:52 PM