How Important Is It To Replace Timimg Belt

[wtotten]

I have a 1998 ES300 that I bought used with 49K miles on it. It now has 102K miles on it. I see that it's recommended to replace the timing belt. I've had Toyotas for years with over 100K miles on them and never had a belt go out. I'm wondering.. is it just a dealer money-maker or should these belts be replaced? I would appreciate your feedback/experiences.

Bill

[Steve]

It is so important to change these at the recomended mileage.. i have seen these go and the engine was useless afterwards!

if the belt goes while your driving it then expect the engine to commit suicide!

[Steve]

BTW.. not all cars have a rubber cam belt... some have chain belts and do not need replacing... but chain belts are noisey!

[m2pc]

That should have been replaced at 90K. I am sure this is a figure which gives some leeway, but you may be nearing the end of the life for the belt. if it goes, you are talking PROBLEMS. I would also replace the water pump while your at it, I have seen recommendations that the pulley??? be replaced as well - I have never done that though.

[wtotten]

I'm not a mechanic per se, but I've worked on cars many times (water pumps, heads, etc.). Does anyone think I can replace the belt myself or is it too difficult?

Also, how do I know if the belt is the rubber kind or not???

Bill

[SKperformance]

i am not sure why you want to know if the belt is rubber?

personally erplace it with a toyota original part only

i had my first timing belt to 120 000 km then changed

then 30 000 km more and the pump went so i changed the belt again with the pump as it has to be removed anyway

the belt is supposed to be 90 000 but that isw toyota being very cautious

it should be able to go 150 000 but i wouldn't push it

especially if you do run the car a bit hard

as tehre is alot of strain on the belt

the first 1mz-fe engines are non-interferance meaning

if the belt goes the valvedo not cause any harm to the pistons

but once the vvt-i came along it was supposed to change all that

so i might say 120 000 km is a good time to change it

and the pump

if you are good at doing the belts then go ahead

[squarehat]

Since you have a '98 (the last year before VVT-i), your engine will stall out, rather than get destroyed, when the belt goes. To answer the other question, Toyota does use rubber belts. Chains aren't a panacea either--if the tensioner goes, bad things can happen. I read the story of a guy whose timing chain tensioner failed on his Infiniti Q45--engine was interference, got ruined, and he ended up junking the car because the new engine would have been more than his car was worth.

I'm in the same boat as you, I just hit 91K on my 1996 ES, but I'm holding out until August to change the t-belt and water pump, I'm expecting a bonus at work.

[gav_logan]

Hey guys, sorry if this question is a lil stoopid... I have a 93, is this the type that would stall un-harmed also, or would it die in the !Removed!?

cheers

- Gav

[NeiLtYmE]

no.... same concept for all ES's ....

Motor depends on it.... so if broken... your "stall" could be a permanent one....

[1990LS400]

You might want to consider how and where you drive (and your tolerance to pain!) in deciding whether to replace the timing belt now. Since my wife drives her non-interferance engine 98 V6 Camry, similar engine as the 98 ES300, only within about 25 miles of home, we will probably just wait for the timing belt to break or for the water pump to show signs of failure before replacing the belt and the water pump.

The timing belt on my '90 LS400 was replaced when it broke when the water pump failed out at about 60,000 miles and the replacement belt and water pump are going strong many years later at 174,000 miles. I was told that early LS400 water pumps were notoriously failure prone but that the redesigned replacements were far more reliable.

It is unfortunate that Toyota started using the interferance engine design - especially in the Lexus line. It seems very out of character for a "luxury" car to be subject to very expensive engine damage when a belt or water pump fails. :(

[bbsal]

i agree i dont understand why lexus would do that.dont you pay enough for the car and then have to worry about buying a new engine if your belt brakes,i find that ridiculas.anyway thats just my 2 sense.