Coming out of a merge lane to get into traffic (that exit ramp coming off 264 going towards Princess Anne/ Independence) I got on it. I shifted hard into 2nd under the tunnel and "heard" a spark and thought I saw one out of the corner of my eye. I immediately let off. Then the parking brake and battery lights began flashing on and off as they still do. Can anyone give me an idea what happened and what can be done about this? I feel like a moron.

 

Either the alternator belt broke or it's loose or you have an electrical short somewhere. The alternator could be going bad also.

 

I was thinking a short. Why else would the parking brake light be on?

 

I say alternator

 

I agree a swhort, aspecially if you saw it out of the corner of your eye. The only problem you could have with your alternator that could cause a spark or overvolt in the passengers compartment would be a bad voltage regulator.

 

2nd that

 

I was looking at the battery earlier. There was a long hole in the metal that wraps around the post. But I guess I should prepare to buy a new alternator...

 

Well, upon looking closer at the alternator, I realized that the serpentine belt actually flipped over on the pulley. The flat part is supposed to be facing up, right?

 

wow...Never heard of that, and yes the grooves should be aligned with the grooves in the pulley(flat side up).

 

I'll probably take a pic of it before I fix it.