Hi everyone. I have an 84 Trans Am 305 HO. My alternator belt broke then the choke light came on and stayed on but the car still idles around 1000 rpm. I drove around the corner and smoke started coming out of the steering column. Any ideas as to what the issue may be here with this smoke? Is this belt somehow related to the power steering system? Thanks in advance for your help. Bob

 

I assume you have the 4 v-belt setup. The choke light came on to tell you that your alternator is no longer charging the battery, like it is supposed to do. If that belt broke and didn't get bound up in the other pulleys and belts, then there shouldn't be any smoke related to that. The power steering has it's own separate belt, so it is unrelated to the alternator.
Unless when the belt broke it managed to somehow do bad things to some wiring, I can't see how smoke should come out of your steering column.

 

I read this on the forum today from "Vader". Could it just be a snapped alternator belt? Was also thinking maybe the smoke is from the belt and just came into the cabin of the car after the belt snapped.

As for the charging system, the CHOKE light is part of the charging circuit and was intended to indicate that alternator output was insufficient to operate some of the engine and body circuits (including the electric choke heater). It would have been better labeled as a BATTERY or CHARGE indicator, but that's not what they chose.

 

Also, does the alternator belt operate any other components of the car like the water pump or power steering systems?

 

There's a little handle by the driver's feet just inside the door with a picture of the hood open. Pull it, then walk around to the front of the car, lift up on the hood and there will be a lever near the middle, lift the lever and the hood will lift up. That way you can look and see what else the belt might be driving or not driving in this case.

 

Thanks you NoEmissions84TA. Really appreciate your post. I started it up again & pulled into the garage without an issue. The belt snapped. Not sure why exactly but it looked pretty worn--still does not seem like the belt should snap unless something was going on. The alternator pulley was moving freely but I am not sure of the other components that the belt is driving.. I have not worked on cars since I was in my teens with my dad. Just getting back into it. I am going to get a new belt & put it on see what happens. The choke light thing is weird but makes sense. I love this car. Its so much fun. Cant wait to get back on the road. Thanks Bobby.

 

The belt drives any pulley with a groove that is perfectly in-line with the belt groove on the crank pulley. Or in your case.... probably the other pulleys that don't have a belt wrapped on them right now, eh?

I threw a belt once when I missed a shift at high rpm and the belt slapped around and broke some wires.

 

Thanks Drew! Appreciate your post. Yeah, I haven't worked on cars in a long time. I do have an obsession specifically with 82-84 Firebird & Trans Am. My first car was an 83 Firebird V6. My dad and I used to work on that car--he could fix anything--me? I try, but not nearly as good as the ole man. So anyway I bought an 84 TA 5 spd here in NJ for my 50th birthday. It is so much fun. My kids love it. we cruise around & I let them shift the gears.. My wife thinks its cool. I'm going to replace the belt--hopefully I don't mess anything up... Thanks again & God bless!!

 

I changed the belt & seems to work fine. The choke light still comes on intermittently and I hear a buzz when I first start the car though. After I drive around for a bit it stops. I made a video of me and the kids driving around yesterday--see link below. When I take it out on the G.S. Parkway it makes some noise when I get over 65-70mph. Otherwise the car is running nicely & we are having a blast with it.

 

That means you need an alternator. The diode trio (an internal part) has gone bad. You could theoretically swap out just that one part, but that makes no sense, as the diods trio costs about half as much as an alt; and the whole thing is all just as old as the diode trio is, and with the kind of luck that always seems to follow such things around, if you change out just that one part, most likely another part will break in about a week.

When in doubt, swap it out.

 

Thanks again Sofakingdom. Really appreciate your advice. Can you give your recommendation on where the best place is to buy parts?
Thanks, Bobby

 

Phone book. Yellow Pages. A. Auto. Auto Parts. Look for names like Auto Zone, Advance Auto, Oreilly Auto. Or check out Rockauto.com, I swear they have parts for other cars not just Fred Flintstone's family truckster.

 

LOL!! Thanks Drew. Yeah, my other car is a Flintstone Family Truckster. We call it the Vans Am..