Replaced belts, now belts stop when turning wheel and no power steering

I replaced all the belts and now when I turn my wheel it pulls on the belts screeching and slowing them down. It also makes it have no power steering along with a brake light illuminating on my dashboard. Any ideas what I did wrong?

This is for a 1985 xj6 series 3 vp

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Hi Adam, welcome to the forums.
It sounds as though you don’t have sufficient tension on the belt(s)

Could be your harmonic balancer coming apart

I’ve had trouble with the water pump belt slipping and shrieking exactly as you describe, on and off ever since I’ve had my 85, even after I replaced all the belts about a year ago. Just gotta make sure they’re tight I guess.

If you cold start it, pop the bonnet and move the wheel a bit you’ll see which one is slipping.

As you turn the wheel, Adam, the pump requires more power to make pressure - and a slack belt just slips. As the belt slips there is not enough pressure to assist the steering. As other has said; tighten the power steering pump belt (and check the other belts’ tension) - both power steering and AC compressor belt must be very tight indeed…

And of course; incorrect belts are likely to slip - whether too long for the adjustments to work…or wrong profile…

Which brake light illuminates and when…? It’s unrelated to the belts in any case…

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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