LexusK

iTrader: (14)

Took my wife’s car to the Toyota dealership for an oil change which is done very 10k miles. The car is at 80,600 miles (was purchased new) and the service advisor said it’s time to change the drive belt. Is this the timing belt?

What other services need to be done at this time and what items should I be on the look out for upcoming months as we put more mileage on it?

lesz

A timing belt and a drive belt are two different components. The 6th Generation ES, both ES350 and ES300h, don't even have a timing belt. They both have timing chains, which don't need to be replaced periodically.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hyb...14-es300h.html

There is an engine drive belt, but I don't see anything about replacing it on the list of recommended 80,000 mile or other maintenance.
https://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrive...ance-schedules

At 80,000 miles , you should be getting an oil change and a tire rotation. At 90,000 miles, the brake fluid should be changed. Otherwise, various inspections should be performed.

tronimrich

Drive belt is the serpentine belt that does wear with age, and most would say that around 100k is when it should be replaced

Indicators that the serpentine/drive belt need replacing would be a squeaking/squealing sound on engine start up that fades shortly after, and is typically a louder squeel in wet conditions. If you hear absolutely no squeaking or squealing he is probably trying to get extra work done (that will still eventually need to be done anyway)

Around your mileage I would get my transmission fluid flushed if that has yet to be done. other things on the radar would be possible water pump replacement, making sure the suspension is in working order, power steering fluid change and possibly brake fluid change

lesz

I believe that, while the ES300h has a drive belt, it isn't a serpentine belt because, with the hybrid, the air conditioning does not run on power supplied by the engine. So, the drive belt just runs between two pulleys.

Also, whether or not to flush the transmission fluid is a hotly debated topic, and you will find multiple long threads on the CL boards debating the wisdom or lack thereof of flushing the transmission fluid.

If it was my car, I'd be following the recommendations/requirements that Lexus has made and that I referred to (and linked) in my previous post.

tronimrich

Flushing an 80k miles transmission is not a problem and should be done as a proactive measure against trans fluid browning

I wouldn't expect an unflushed transmission to last more than 150k miles, or the last suggested maintenance interval.

wbmx1981

Drive belt and serpentine belt are used interchangeably and should be replaced. It can be replaced in less than 20 mins. Put a breaker bar socket on the tensioner and rotate counter-clockwise to release the belt. You can get to it from the top but some folks like to remove the wheel and the trap door in the wheel well.

Bando is the OEM brand (under $30). I believe the scheduled maintenance says to have it checked at 60k.

lesz

Regardless of whether you use the two terms interchangeably, it isn't technically correct to do so because, while a serpentine belt is a kind of drive belt, a drive belt isn't necessarily always a serpentine belt.

wbmx1981

You are correct. I did notice that some 2.4l Camry’s have two belts, one drive, one serpentine.