Battery/taillight lights, belt squeal/crack

[gorckat]

Couldn't find my answers by in part or whole:

On the way to work today, in driving rain and within ~1 minute of starting my car, my battery light and "taillight" warning lights came on for at least a second. They went out together as soon as I noticed. They did not come on the rest of the ~30 minute drive.

Some days, I get a lot of belt squeal when starting and at idle for a few minutes. Turning the A/C on/off turns the squeal on/off. Sometimes the A/C works and sometimes it doesn't after squealing. I know it's trying to engage because the engine idle goes up when I turn it on.

I know all my belts are due for service (way over, I must admit based on the mileage written next to the valve cover).

So my questions:

1) What does the combination of battery/light lights mean?
2) What happens when these belts snap- are they like the timing belt and I basically shut down?
3) Can I replace the A/C and alternator belts without doing the timing belt?

I know the timing belt is gonna be a 2-3 day weekend job for a first timer (I plan on taking a Friday or Monday off to be able to pull in my uncles or cousins if something goes awry), but if I need to do the other belts sooner, how long would they take?

[camry314]

Well, I dont have an answer for you on #1, but #2 is if the belts snap, it will just stop with ever belt broke, ie, alt belt breaks, then the alt isnt working. Unless there is one belt that runs everything like alt, a/c, powersteering, if that breaks then they all stop.

#3: Yes you will be able to replace your accessory belt without touching the timing belt. Also if your belt is squealing, it might be too loose or too tight. You should be able to only twist the belt 45 degrees, so anything more or less, is bad. Check with that first! Good Luck!

[96paseo]

The tailight indicator has a couple of issues. There is a wiring harness in the left side if the trunk that can get stretched and frayed by the trunk hinge. Also, the bulb socket can develop a poor connection over time. The bulb may not be burned out but the light will still come on. You can use some di-electric grease on the bulbs and see if that helps. I had mine on for a while. At one point after replacing a couple bulbs, it would only come on when I applied the brakes. I ended up replacing all the bulbs and its been out ever since. First check that your harness isn't damaged then go about replacing the bulbs. As for your battery light, get your accessory belts replaced and see if it comes back. Chances are good with old belts that are slipping, the alternator wasn't getting enough drive and the voltage momentarily dipped low enough to turn the light on. Since the A/C and alternator share the same drive belt, both your problems should lie with the belt. The alternator belt is easy to get to. The power steering belt is better accessed by removing the RF wheel and splash shield. If you haven't done them before, I'd say 2 hours to replace.