Originally Posted by Zen31ZR

Sounds like your alternator is overheating. Seems to me it and the PS are on the same belt. Been a while so maybe I don't remember exactly right, though. Might explain the odd electrical problems as well as the power steering going dead. Unless the belts are very loose on both, but you'd be greeted by a strident squealing noise when you first start the engine....... First things first, check the belt tension. There should be a little give, not more than an inch in the middle between 2 pulleys. If belt tension seems ok, I'd pull the alt and have it tested at your local parts store. The battery too. A bad battery can make the alternator go bad. Check your power steering reservior level. I don't this unit is part of the problem, but there is no point in not checking it. There's no way to check PS pump pressure output except maybe at a garage, so we'll leave this alone for now.