skiptomylo

I have a 1996 ES300

I got an oil change yesterday and one of the mechanics told me that the Power Steering belt was cracked. I opted not to get it replaced at the moment and wanted to consult with the board about the belt.

Is having a cracked Power Steering belt a big deal for our cars? What happens if the belt breaks?

EEngineer

if your radiator fan is driven by the power steering fluid, then you are fudged.

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Its a 10$ belt FFS. You really want to **** your power steering system up by running it 'dry' when it breaks?

MikeLex

A P/S belt replacement is a cheap job, so there's no point in not doing it. When it breaks you lose power assistance to steer. It can be dangerous if happens on a sharp turn for instance.

skiptomylo

I would have changed it, but the guy wanted $200. The figure didn't sound right to me so I said no. How much do you think it should be?

97'ES

I believe you have to pull the wheel and the splash guard if I'm not mistaken... 200$ is still steep. That being said mine was original on my 97' at 127k. It looked pretty good and never made noise. I changed the main serp. a few times that's a 5 minute job.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

The car you have is known as a 2ES and that one is a little different from the later years (97-01). The difference being is that your powering steering powers your cooling fan. So instead of being an electric fan, it is hydraulically driven. If the belt snaps, you will have a really hard time turning the wheel, and you risk overheating the engine and breaking your PS pump.

Honestly, the guy that did your oil change probably just wanted to to sell you a bunch of things that you don't really need. It's kind of like how you get asked to open up a store credit card to get 15% off on your purchase. I obviously haven't seen the belt, so I don't know how bad it is, but I bet it's nothing to really worry about. Just get it done whenever you can. What you could have done is asked the mechanic to show you the belt, so that you could judge for yourself. Having said that, it shouldn't be a $200 job. I think the biggest problem is that in order to get to the PS belt, you need to remove the Alternator/Air Conditioning belt - so it's a good idea to replace both of them.

Lexus MSRP is $40 for the A/C belt and $29 for the Power Steering. I get my parts from Pembroke Pines Lexus and their online prices are $28 and $20 respectively. You don't have to get OEM accessory belts, any reputable brand will do.

EEngineer

^+1

well, $200 might be a little too much for just the PS belt, but sounds ok if it's for both driving belt and the ps belt.
the pain of doing the PS belt is to loosen the PS pump and tighten it again.

skiptomylo

Thank you very much for the replies everyone, especially MrBooby. I'll look for a second opinion and probably get it changed along with the alternator belt.

iawegian

There is a danger of it snapping and having it take out the sensor near your crankshaft vibration damper. I believe it's the crankcase position sensor. That happens and you are dead in the water dude.
I live in the country and once had the pleasure of helping a limousine driver who had experienced a broken seperntine belt on his Lincoln. It took out the cam sensor and that was that. He cranked but no start. I found the broken sensor but no duct tape would fix that. he had to get towed ack to Peoria.

skiptomylo

Is the Power Steering belt the same as the Serpentine belt? I took my car to another mechanic and he said my belts are fine. He said nothing needed to be changed and ensured me the Serpentine belt and alternator belt are good.

He showed me the belts, which were located on the left side of the engine. I could see 1 big belt which he told me was the Serpentine belt that works the power steering; the other belt was smaller and to the right of the Serpentine belt. Both belts looked they were in good condition so I'm wondering if we're looking at the wrong belts or was the 1st mechanic trying to pull a fast one on me?

Thanks again for all your input.

MikeLex

The big belt (serpentine) drives the alternator and the A/C compressor. The smaller belt drives only the power steering pump. For peace of mind ask another mechanic to check again.

pacheco308

yea i would def ask another mechanic to take a look at it or you the first one may have only been trying to get some more money out of you but checking again wont hurt

GS4_Fiend

iTrader: (22)

Power Steering belt snaps = no power steering. Very dangerous especially turning. It will be very hard to turn.

skiptomylo

So, is the smaller belt considered the Power Steering belt?