Drive Belt

[marathiboy]

Hello,

When I start the car I get some noise as if belt is bit loose. When I start driving the noise goes away. I took it to the dealer for inspection. He told me that my drive belt is dry and that is making the noise.

Is this something I can du? lube or tighten etc or need to be replaced?

Is drive belt same as timing belt?

Delarer quote me $185, is that normal?

Is it safe to drive this for car for few days?

Thanks

Shailesh

[steviej]

Hello,

When I start the car I get some noise as if belt is bit loose. When I start driving the noise goes away. I took it to the dealer for inspection. He told me that my drive belt is dry and that is making the noise.

Is this something I can du? lube or tighten etc or need to be replaced?

Is drive belt same as timing belt?

Delarer quote me $185, is that normal?

Is it safe to drive this for car for few days?

Thanks

Shailesh

The serive guy is referring to the accessory belts. There are two of them and neither one is the timing belt. These two thin rubber belts that run the power steering pump, the alternator and the AC pump. These belts run about $40 each. The major part of your quoted price is the labor charge (~$120/hr) and they will charge you for at least an hours work.

Dry/cracked belts cause squeals and can break very easily. There are sprays and liquids that can be applied to the belts to stop the noise but they are merely covering up the sourse of the problem. The best solution is replacement. These belts should be replaced every 60k miles or 5 years as the life expectancy of rubber belts drops significantly at that point.

This same service can be done at a Toyota dealership for less. Find out which of the two belts (or both) the dealer wants to replace. Call around. You may find an independent mechanic that will do it cheaper than Toyota. You can even get the Toyota belts online for less than what you would pay at the stealership. (ie: www.sewellpartsonline.com, www.irontoad.com)

steviej

[bstlexus]

Hello,

When I start the car I get some noise as if belt is bit loose. When I start driving the noise goes away. I took it to the dealer for inspection. He told me that my drive belt is dry and that is making the noise.

Is this something I can du? lube or tighten etc or need to be replaced?

Is drive belt same as timing belt?

Delarer quote me $185, is that normal?

Is it safe to drive this for car for few days?

Thanks

Shailesh

The serive guy is referring to the accessory belts. There are two of them and neither one is the timing belt. These two thin rubber belts that run the power steering pump, the alternator and the AC pump. These belts run about $40 each. The major part of your quoted price is the labor charge (~$120/hr) and they will charge you for at least an hours work.

Dry/cracked belts cause squeals and can break very easily. There are sprays and liquids that can be applied to the belts to stop the noise but they are merely covering up the sourse of the problem. The best solution is replacement. These belts should be replaced every 60k miles or 5 years as the life expectancy of rubber belts drops significantly at that point.

This same service can be done at a Toyota dealership for less. Find out which of the two belts (or both) the dealer wants to replace. Call around. You may find an independent mechanic that will do it cheaper than Toyota. You can even get the Toyota belts online for less than what you would pay at the stealership. (ie: www.sewellpartsonline.com, www.irontoad.com)

steviej

Steviej is right. Just had these accessory belts replaced 2 days ago on my 00 es300. One is the alternator belt and the other is a power steering belt. your timing belt should be located inside a plastic cover, usually on the right hand side of the block to keep the camshaft and crankshaft in time. You can apply petroleum jelly (temporary fix), or belt dressing to help stop the noise but the better solution is to replace them. I usually do the timing belt and water pump at the same time becaus eeverything is already accessable. Look at both your belts and note physical appearance, are they cracked? Frayed? etc.? also check the tension by placing your finger midline between the two pulleys and pressing down. DO you get more than 1/2" of play? If so, it's time for a replacement. Also note: Keep an eye on the timing belt, as far as when was the last time it was changed? Some models have an inteference engine causing it to shutdown when the belt breaks and if not and your going at a considerable rate of speed it will cause massive engine damage. I know this is a little off topic but anything to help you out.

bstlexus