I think it is about time for me to replace my timing belt on my 1995 SC400. Does anyone have a price range on what it will cost to have it replaced by a mechanic. I think I was quoted $300 by a local mechanic.

Thanks,

Tim

 

You can buy the belt at an auto store, I got mine for about 70 at Pep Boys. You can replace the belt fairly easy, just loosen the tension pulley and put it in the same way the one is in now and then tighten it back up. I really doubt it will cost anything near 300.

 

I had mine replaced at the Lexus dealer for 600 dollars. 150 for the belt and 450 for the labor fee....
first and the last time I went to lexus dealer.....

 

tensioner idler pulley $94.28
Idler pulley $62.69
TIMMING BELT $52.23
water pump $153.39
o-ring $4.26
o-ring $4.64
crank seal $10.03
gasket water inlet $3.00
thermostat $15.15

Im doing a Tbelt on myself on my SC this weekend, my car has 156K on it and i think its never had a Tbelt change, kinda like to change all moving parts, worn, seals, in the area when doing so. these are the prices, but i do get a 20% off at lexus, so add 20% to get list price.

if its under 100k then you can probaly get away with just the TBELT itself, but i rather freashen everything up while your there, its better than having your WP go out in the middle of nowhere.
but its mainly on your budget.

if you do it yourself you save a good amount.

 

What are the two o-rings for?
and I think you need two idlers.

 

yep, you do need to idlers, if you look on the list you will see there the top 2 i believe. the orings are for the pipe that hooks up to the water pump, and the thermostat housing.

 

Yeah, changing timing belt and water aren't that hard and DIY save you a bundle to cash. You could save even more if you could replace the idler bearings instead of the entire idlers. Don't forget to change the cam seals while you're at it.

 

hyperopt, i'm changing the bearing on idler pulley but does not come out easily. Do you know if they are glued together?

 

Be careful. Don't confuse the timing belt with the drive belt. The DB is a lot easier to change than the TB. Personally, I'd stick with OEM belts instead of whatever Pep Boys has to offer.

 

I just changed my timing belt, water pump, plugs, wires, dist. caps and rotors. I put everything back together and the car would not start. Well actually it started for a few seconds then cut off. I also noticed that the alarm was not working either, it is the origianal factory alarm. Does anyone know what the problem might be? I can not seem to find the problem. Everything seems to have been working fine before the work was done.

Thanks for any help,
GT

 

I must agree 100%. If you get a non-Lexus belt (TB,DB, AC, etc) make sure you match it up to the belt being replaced. Sometimes the non-Lexus belt grooves may not be the same or the length may even be different. The counter person goes by a cross-reference number in a computer, the belts sometimes have mutiple uses. I have learned by experience with Toyota, GM, and Chrysler that non-brand belts are not always the same. A difference in as little as 10mm can cause the belt to "jump the pulley"

Brand name belts should not be twice the price of an alternate brand.

GT- retrace your steps. It sounds as if something (wiring) is not hooked up right or a connection is not being made.
By chance, was the battery disconnected during your work? If so, the alarm may have to be reprogrammed. It sounds as though the factory alarm has a kill switch and it has been activated, I have heard of this in similar luxury cars. A sequence of various buttons may have to be pushed (sort of a code) to reset the alarm system to your settings.
Check the manual or call the dealer.

steviej

 

StevieJ,
Thanks I will let you know how it turns out.
GT

 

gthenry1
what model is your lexus?

 

A 92 sc400

 

Maybe your timing gear was not at TDC when you installed the timing belt? Don't forget to check your timing with the timing light. Your engine might have a bad idle speed and running at high temparature or it could overheat too.