Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

NEW PROBLEM -NEED ADVICE PLEASE
I started the car and had a squeak / squeal which I thought may be the alternator belt slipping.
Next thing I know my battery light is on and I have no brakes (brake pedal is really stiff).
Are these 2 things related and what would cause this?
I looked under the bonnet and saw what I thought was the alternator belt still in place unless I'm looking in the wrong place.
Thanks in advance

Should have 2 belts down there..

If you had no brakes, surely the pedal wouldn't be stiff? A squeal could be a loose belt as you say, did you put a volt meter to the battery to see if the alternator has failed?

Cavalier342 wrote:If you had no brakes, surely the pedal wouldn't be stiff? A squeal could be a loose belt as you say, did you put a volt meter to the battery to see if the alternator has failed?

It's not long happened and I'm full of curry, it's dark and I don't have a multimeter
The pedal is really hard but thanks to the Facebook page I think I've found the problem.
I didn't realise there were 2 belts that should be there hence me thinking it was still in place

A stiff pedal would infer a jammed pedal or seized master cylinder or wheel cylinders.

Failed brakes usually give
a spongy brake pedal (hoses bulging) or

the pedal drops to the floor with minimal effort (air in the system).

Does the pedal "give" a little when you start the engine?
If it does, then the brakes sound normal.

If it doesn't drop, something is blocked / jammed or seized.
I am sure that ALL 4 callipers cannot be seized all at once... unless the car has been stood in the damp for several years.

If it drops a lot, then you have air in your system.

I am not a diesel expert, but are the brakes driven via a standard servo like all petrols,

Or

Are they pressurised via a separate belt / mechanical driven vacuum pump.?

I think if the servo / vacuum pump is not being driven, then it would give the same hard feel as non-servo assisted brakes.

Yep

on 1.7td's the vacuum for he servo comes from a pump fixed to the rear of the alternator rotor. No alternator belt - no servo and a very hard and unresponsive brake pedal

We can confirm this as correct, as he had new belts fitted today, and everything is reported to be fixed.

Result !!