Toys4RJill

My 4Runner is going in for service tomorrow. Transmission fluid, oil and coolant. My current timing belt is 8 years old and has 70,000kms on it, service interval calls for 7 years or 144,000kms. What does everyone think. Should I do it? I don't feel like spending $500+tax

MedicalDoc

I would not do it until 10 years minimum; with ur low mileage you should be fine.

mmarshall

While I respect his opinion, I'm not quite as optimistic as MedicalDoc, particularly if your 4Runner has what is called an "Interference" engine, where the pistons and valves could collide and cause serious engine damage if the belt breaks. $500 for a belt-change is pittance compared to what a new or rebuilt/remanufactured engine will run....assuming you decide to keep and repair the vehicle if the engine goes. You also live in an area that gets very wide temperature swings between summer and winter, which adds to the stress and wear on the rubber in the belt. With 8 years on the old belt, I'd replace it now, particularly before winter comes and makes the belt shrink from the cold and possibly make a crack. Even if your engine is non-interference and doesn't self-destruct from a belt-break, it could still leave you stranded from a sudden engine-out and having to get a tow or ride back home.

You can save some money, though, by forgoing the water-pump replacement that repair shops often urge you to replace while the front of the engine is taken apart to get to the belt....in other words, killing two birds with one stone. You'll save some money by letting the water pump go...though the shops usually offer a discount on its replacement with the belt. It's usually the case with transverse-engines, which are harder to get to the timing-cover, but sometimes with longitudinal ones as well.

Good Luck, whatever you decide to do. Hope it works out.

riredale

Isn't this what an Owner's Manual is for? Do what they say. I doubt they intentionally shorten the service intervals as a way of draining their loyal customers dry.

Chances are your timing belt will run for many more years to come. But you'll start getting a pucker factor when depending on the car in the middle of foul weather, or when driven by a loved one. Yeah, it'll probably be okay...

Aron9000

Does the engine on the 4Runner have an easy way to actually look at the timing belt without taking a bunch of crap off of it?? I know the 2JZ-GE in my old Lexus had a cover on the top of the engine at the cam gears that came out with four allen bolts that allowed you to inspect the timing belt. I was kind of in a similar position, it had been 8 years but only like 40,000 miles since the last time it was replaced. Popped the cover, the belt looked almost brand new, never replaced it.

mmarshall

Sorry, but just looking at the belt won't cut it. It can deteriorate from the inside and still look like the day it was manufactured on the outside. You may have gotten away with it (I won't doubt your word on that), but you were clearly rolling the dice.

The best way to be (reasonably) safe is to change it within the time/mileage limits recommended in the Manual. Belts have been known to break before those limits (a ex-co-worker of mine had one break on her Subaru at 55K original miles and just 4 or 5 years)...but that is relatively uncommon.

Here is Motorweek's Pat Goss...the show's Lead Technician. He also owns a repair shop....and several cars and boats. He explains how belts can lose their teeth on the inside and not particularly notice it on the outside....which is actually a more common problem than breaking.

Here is Motorweek's Pat Goss...the show's Lead Technician. He also owns a repair shop....and several cars and boats. He explains how belts can lose their teeth on the inside and not particularly notice it on the outside....which is actually a more common problem than breaking.

LeX2K

Agreed. I've seen broken timing belts that looks good minimal cracking the rubber seemed fine. But it simply snapped. On an interference engine taking the risk is not worth destroying the engine over.

SW17LS

Toys4RJill

SW17LS

UDel

I think around 2000 or 2001 they switched to kevlar timing belts and it is extremely rare for them to fail before or anywhere near 100K miles, I think it is safe to wait to 90K miles/10 years as they are tougher then older non kevlar timing belts.

Johnhav430

We kick this topic around on the 3rd gen LS sub-forum. Many of us have posted pics of our timing belts done on time, or even based on age (9 yrs?). The timing belt is always almost new looking.

With that being said, it's not only a timing belt that can cause problems. It can be a water pump. An idler. A tensioner. A water pump weeping onto a belt and it slips.

Many have surmised that instead of 90k, they could go 130k all day long, and maybe double 90k.

Since I did not DIY and had an indie do it, my way of looking at it was now instead of $1,800 at the dealer, it's $750 to $900 at a Japanese specialist. Let's say $900. If that is supposed to be good for 9 yrs., that's $100/yr. If I did it 2 yrs. too soon, I wasted $200. I got peace of mind, and followed the mfg. recommendation. I'd be willing to waste the money and know there's zero chance of a failure.

I would do it. But at $500, is that the belt only? If it's water pump and idlers and tensioner, again I'd do it and not worry about the money...

edit: thinking about this some more...as far as betting that waiting is fine, that's a good bet. From memory, my car had 11.5 yrs of age, and 86k. This means that it was 2.5 yrs. late, but 4k shy, of the factory recommendation. The belt looked brand new. I'd still do it, but the betting man would win as far as doing nothing. Next time around I plan on DIY, it's become a bucket list type of deal, to do a Toyota 3UZ timing belt/water pump/tensioner job...

Toys4RJill

Johnhav430

How about the rear diff and transfer case on your car....my uncle said we can DIY those on my wife's GM since we have a lift and the vehicle should be level (people on the 3rd gen LS forum seem to be ok with breaking this rule as they often use ramps). I know the general rule is to make sure you can open the fill plug prior to opening the drain plug, and her rear diff plugs looked awfully rusty at 74k. I think these things are 100k items, not positive. 90k is the rear diff on the LS430...oil is cheap...

Toys4RJill

Front and rear diffs along with transfer case have been done within 2 years. My main concern is transmission which I don't think I have done.