Escort LX somethings broke!!!!

apologies for my ignorance on the subject, but while driving last night something fell off my Escort as i was on the motorway at the time i couldn't stop and see what it was, the symptoms were.
1. loss of power steering.
2. all electrics e.g lights internal and headlights started to fade, to almost completely going off.

after checking under the bonnet this morning, there is a belt missing on the left hand side of the engine, there are roughly 4 or 5 metal wheels with grooves in them and one smaller plasticy looking wheel near the bottom, where this belt would've been.
could someone please point me in the right direction as to what has happened and what i need to get done.
cheers and once again sorry for being such a twange.

Sounds like you lost the accessory belt. It runs the alternator which generates electricity while you are running - the battery will keep everything going for a short time but without charge from the alternator, the battery will discharge (go flat) really quickly hence fade out.

The accessory belt also drives the power steering pump which provide hydraulic assistance for the steering. The other thing to look at last night was your engine temperature as accessory belts may also run the water pump which prevents the car from overheating (as well as the air conditioning compressor). If you ran the car without the water pump serious engine damage from overheating is possible...

Replace the belt (you'll find the specifications for the belt and instructions for fitting in the owner's manual) BEFORE driving the vehicle again. Otherwise you risk overheating the engine... you'll also need to charge the battery.

well, the battery can be fine, just charge it

but without that cable, you can defentally overheat, and kill everything!
what year is it?

thank you both for the advice, I did actually find the problem straight after posting the message, it was the "auxilliary drive belt" as you said, it runs the alternator, water pump, power steering and AC. It had completely snapped and fallen off, so my main worry was feeding the new belt on the correct way. i have done it now and everything appears fine.
cheers again.

glad to hear all's good!
:D

One other thing you should do is check the engine coolant (radiator fluid). Look for any oily residue as this may indicate a damaged head gasket (usually the first thing to go when the car overheats).

If you do not any of the above symptoms - try draining the radiator and block and replacing the fluid with fresh supplies of Anti Freeze/Anti Boil and water (in the correct proportions). Ensuring that you turn the heater to full on before draining (they share the same liquid).

(if you ever start overheating ie the water pump ceases to work - turn the heater all the way on - it's like having a small auxilary radiator!)

Check after a few days to see if the oily residue returns - also watch your engine temperature gauge for anything abnormal.

One other thing, check the belt tension in a day or two to ensure that has 'play' within tolerance ie to ensure that it is at the correct level of tightness allowing for some initial stretching.

Head gasket replacement is a job for someone who is familiar with engines - otherwise get a mechanic to do it. Worse case, you may have warped the aluminium alloy head which is either a full replacement or some milling to level the face surface...

check the oil, if theres water in the oil thats a big ass sign.