Hey guys,

I posted on here last week about buying an ES330 vs RX330. Well I pulled the trigger and bought a 2005 es330 today! Pretty pumped. Anyway, the car was a one owner (apparently an older gentleman) who was meticulous with his services. There are 6 pages at lexus.com which was a big factor in the purchase. Here's my question. The only gap in service is from 80k to 110k. The big 90k service is mysteriously absent from the records. Lexus of Palm Beach has no record of a water pump or timing belt ever being replaced. The dealership attempted to contact the previous owner with no success. My thinking is that the guy made the cost effective choice of having the work done at Toyota or a local shop, but again there's no record. My question: Is there any way to determine if the timing belt has been changed without ripping the everything apart? I saw an earlier post that mentioned a sticker sometimes being placed in the engine compartment noting this, but again I think the dealer would have noticed this. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

How many miles are on it now? You could try looking at the crankshaft bolt and seeing if it has any "bite marks".

 

Currently at 135k

 

If it was done properly with OEM parts, there should be a sticker on the belt cover, on the part that covers the front cam pulley. The sticker is included with the belt so the tech can leave a note indicating the date and mileage when it was changed.


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I don't believe this car has an inspection cover. If not, I would say to have this repair done ASAP.

More than likely, Toyota dealer will be cheaper than Lexus.
Don't forget the water pump, thermostate, and belts and hoses.
Worth the money in the end.

 

Welcome to the bandwagon!

Let me start off by saying that you've made a good choice choosing the Es330 instead of the RX (less mechanical parts = more reliable).

Last week I drove 1,300+ miles to and from Canada without any problems. Such a nice roadtrip car.

Pics of your new car would be nice

 

Congrats! Post some pics, and great choice

 

Thanks! I think so too. I'll post pics as soon as she arrives from Florida (ETA 3 hours)

 

What do you mean it doesn't have an inspection cover? No sticker?

 

Congrats on the ES

 

Some cars have a little flap or peep hole that can be opened to allow the tech to look at the belt. I don't think the Lexus has that. And yes, the dealers do generally put a sticker on the cover when they do the belt. My 06 ES has one.

 

^ Won't work if its been in for the crankshaft pulley recall

You could also check under the hood, or the door jamb. My Solara had a Toyota Timing Belt Replacement sticker on the driver side door jamb.

Regardless, if there are no records from the Lexus or Toyota dealer or the previous owner, your going to have to bite it and change the timing belt and water pump. Check out RockAuto for the Aisin timing belt component kit.

I had no record of mine being changed (purchased @ 180Km, 111K miles), but I bought the parts and had my belt and pump changed. Lucky I did it because the timing belt area was full of brown dust from the belt wearing down and the water-pump was weeping.

Most people probably won't put $600+ of preventative maintenance into a car if they know they won't keep it in the long run and it runs just fine without changing the belt. They won't recuperate that $600 on resale regardless.

Lets see some pics of the car! How are you finding the transmission and throttle response?