"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1173386947.974816.104360@h3g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
> On Mar 5, 12:29 am, Hyundaitech <n...@000.com> wrote:
> > More likely, it's the alternator belt. The alternator belt drives the
> > water pump, which in turn, via the power steering belt, drives the
> > power steering pump. The alternator belts on Hyundais need to be
> > tensioned very tight to keep them from squealing. Usually, any
> > movement of the belt when applying light finger pressure (with car
> > off!) will lead to a squeak or squeal.
>
> Actually come to think of it, the battery light gets brighter on the
> dash when there's squealing.
>
> Is this a pressing thing to fix or a "Get to it next time I get an oil
> change"?
>

That's the CO2 sensor going off Chris. It's advising you of an inadequate
supply of CO2 for proper operation.

Ok - that was my attempt to be humorous. You battery light is getting
brighter because it is not being charged properly by the alternator. The
more intermittent the charge, the dimmer the light will appear to be. The
more the problem persists, the brighter the light will be. I'm a believer
in fixing things when they are not working properly. You can find yourself
stranded if you delay something this simple now. You won't necessarily
cause bigger problems or component failures, but if you're driving at night
in the rain and cold, and you're putting a heavy load on the
battery/charging system, you could suddenly find yourself past the point of
the battery's ability to run the car. Adjust the belt and be done with it.
It's a simple thing to do, takes minutes, and it then becomes one more thing
that you don't have to fool with while doing that oil change.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net

"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1173482920.884362.191420@v33g2000cwv.googlegr oups.com...

> I'm pretty confused about here. Normally, my battery and Emergency
> brake lights on my dash, flicker in relation to the RPM's of the
> engine. (My alternator got a "Yellow" rating from a garage so I'm
> assuming that means it's not working perfectly but is still
> functioning and will probably need fixing at some point.) Both lights
> get brighter when the engine is squealing.

They would get brighter when the belt is squealing because you are providing
less voltage to the battery to charge it - or keep it charged. The more the
belt is slipping, the less the system is properly charging, and the more of
an error condition you are experiencing. The poor test of your alternator
could have been from the belt slipping, or it could have been from a weak
alternator. Was the belt squealing when they tested it?

Likely you'll need a new belt at the very least. You can't tension belts
anymore, as serpentine belts have a spring tensioner that is part of the
belt path, and it keeps the belt at the right tension. Once they start to
squeal you have to change them. Don't fall for any cheap tricks like belt
dressing. The only time a belt needs dressing is for its funeral.



>
> Well the reason for not fixing it right away is money. I don't do any
> repairs myself or oil changes. Any trip to the garage is going to
> cost me money and it's cheaper if you combine two things instead of
> making two trips.
>

Understood. In that case, have the service center verify whether the
alternator output is poor due to belt slippage and go with a new belt first.
Belts are typically $20 or so. Labor would not be more than a few minutes,
but there may be a minimum labor charge.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net

"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1173742232.541780.39830@n33g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
> On Mar 9, 8:06 pm, "Mike Marlow" <mmar...@alltel.net> wrote:

> >
> > They would get brighter when the belt is squealing because you are
providing
> > less voltage to the battery to charge it - or keep it charged. The more
the
> > belt is slipping, the less the system is properly charging, and the more
of
> > an error condition you are experiencing. The poor test of your
alternator
> > could have been from the belt slipping, or it could have been from a
weak
> > alternator. Was the belt squealing when they tested it?
>
> No. The belt only squeals when it's really cold out and then for only
> like 30 seconds.
>

I'd get the alternator check again Chris, and if it still checks weak,
replace it. Often the bearings in an alternator will degrade, causing
resistance to the shaft rotating freely. This can result in belt squeals,
so there may be a correlation there. Either way, if the alternator tests
poorly, then you really have no choice but to replace it.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net

"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1173816045.891873.219020@l77g2000hsb.googlegr oups.com...

>
> Well the other choice would be to hold off until it fails.
>
> I generally can't afford to replace everything I own the second it
> stops functioning perfectly and generally wait til it doesn't work at
> all.

Sometimes that works. Unless, or course, it freezes and causes the belt to
snap or shorts and kills the battery. Sometimes it is OK to wait, other
times it can be cheaper to bite the bullet. Ever lose all your belts on the
New Jersey Turnpike on a Sunday when it is 90 degrees? Or have to stay
overnight in Amsterdam NY because the alternator died too late in the day to
find a part and have it repaired?