Help - Is My Timing Belt Broken ?

[jaanah]

I have a 92 ES-300 with 85000 miles on it. I was driving on the expressway and the engine stalled while the car was in motion. I brought the car to a complete stop and cranked the engine a few times, but it did not start. After continously cranking, it sputtered for 30 seconds and stopped again. A really nice tow truck guy tried to assist - checked if gas was flowing thru by loosening a blot just above the manifold and gas did come out. He then loosened the two bolts on this black casing on the right of the car next to the windshield washer fluid and told me my timing belt was broken.

I was totally confused, I thought timing belts are on the front of the car. What is the belt inside this black casing that runs from the front to the back of the car right next to the windshield washer container ? How do I know if the timing belt is broken and if so the damage it caused ?

[amf1932]

That's the area of the timing belt all right! You have to remember that FWD cars have the engines installed sideways, so the belt is near the windshield washer tank, rather than the front on RWD cars. Most likely your engine would not be damaged because of the broken belt since it's called a non-interference type. Interference engines would have caused tremendous internal damage.

[bbsal]

yep thats the timing belt!be glad your engine isnt one of those interference types because then you would be replacing the whole motor!

[H8R Proof]

Which engines are interference types and which aren't? :(

[SKperformance]

any vvti engines are interferance

[jaanah]

Any ideas what it costs to replace the belt on the ES300

[yaupoman]

What is 'vvti'. Thanks.

[steviej]

Variable Valve Timing with intelligence. Introduced in 1999.

(more added bells and whistles and money)

sj

[nicecar]

you may want to replace the water pump as well, my local mechanic charged me $450 for both parts and labor, toyota dealer wanted $927.68 plus tax, was afraid to get a quote from lexus dealer so i didn't call them.

[yaupoman]

steviej. Thans for the infor re vvti. Are you saying that a timing belt break in a 99 es 300 will ruin the engine?

[amf1932]

YES!

[yaupoman]

WOO! Maybe it's a blessing to own an 98. Its seem like they are going backward in designing the vvti to cause more damage when the timing belt breaks. Then, I am no engineer. Anyone care to explain.

[amf1932]

Actually, VVTI engines are supposed to be more efficient than the previous engines that Lexus used in the ES models. They could only get this higher efficiency by redesigning the combustion chamber which necessitated making it an interference type. In other words.....when the piston goes up and the valves open and close(with the proper timing) there is no problem.....but when a timing belt breaks and the valves open at the wrong time they interfere with the upward stroke of the piston....Zoooweee...you have crunched internal parts. Bent valves, bent rods, broken pistons, scored cylinder walls can be the result!

In a non-interference engine with a broken timing belt the only thing that happens is the valves stop opening and closing......but they don't interfere with the motion of the pistons.