If the V-belt of the power steering pump breaks on models with a 4-cylinder engine, the drive to the water pump is interrupted at the same time and the engine overheats. This permanently damages the cylinder head gasket and, in the worst case, even the entire cylinder head – with correspondingly high repair bills.
Therefore: if the steering on models with a 4-cylinder engine suddenly becomes heavy during a trip, you should immediately stop and check the V-belt over the pulleys of the water pump and the hydraulic booster pump. If the fears are confirmed: call a tow truck!
If trouble happened to other V-belts (V-ribbed belts), then it's not so tragic. In this case, you are driving either without a generator (cm. «Driving with a faulty alternator»), or with a non-working air conditioner to the nearest workshop,
In models with 5- and 6-cylinder engines, there is theoretically no danger of overheating, since the water pump is driven by a toothed belt.
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