Help With Hicas

[StOjA32]

i have had this problem before but it went away for some time and has come back again.

hicas light comes on and power steering goes out but only if i am using electrics. for example at night when i have my lights on of when i get on the breaks and the break lights turn on. the problem goes away if my revs are over 2000rpm. its kinda like im not getting enough electrical power and its causing a problem... could this be an alternator problem? i changed my battery to a bigger n better one last week cos my last ne was dead for no reason... another reason why i beleive it may be alternator related.

please any help

(ps i hope i posted this in the right forum)

[jrm]

Have you checked your power steering fluid lately?

[blind_elk]

Have you checked the fan belt tightness?

[StOjA32]

Belts are tight .. havnt checked the fluid. will do when i get home.

would keeping the car above 2000rpm have anything to do with fluid? doesnt make sense to me

[heller44]

Check battery voltage, charge voltage - at idle and above 2krpm. Hicas doesn't like low volts.. Sounds like alternator problem, but check first before you decide to rip stuff apart, might be something as simple as a bad earth.