blazer99

We bought my wife's 2000 RX300 last year. The individual we purchased it from said the timing belt had been changed but I just removed the cover to check for myself. I was hoping to see an aftermarket belt so I would be 100% sure it had been changed. However, the belt was a Toyota Belt (Made In The USA) and it looks to be in good shape. Do you guys think that this is the original 12 year old belt with 115K miles on it? Or has it been replaced? When I removed the timing belt cover one of the bolts was missing, so I strongly believe that someone has been in there.

carguy07

I would call that a new belt. The words should be worn down quite a bit if it had 100k on it and the teeth are still textured and look brand new too.

Ramblemutt

I think that if it was changed by a dealer or certified shop, it would have a sticker somewhere near the housing indicating that it had been changed. When I bought my 2000 (about a month and a half ago) the dealer pointed this out to me and showed me the sticker that the timing belt had been changed at about 89K miles and was due for another change at 180K miles. He told me this sticker should be on all engines when the belt changed. That doesn't mean yours hasn't been changed, of course, but hard to tell by looking. Yours does look pretty new, however.

salimshah

My vote is .. that the belt is new.

Sticker is the way to go, but you can look at service records or even an entry in the book.


Salim

Leines

This is what i was gonna say... i bought my car from a toyota mechanic who did the timing belt, and when i got the truck, he gave me the old belt, and pointed to the toyota tech sticker on the plastic housing that stated the date and milage when the belt was changed...

that does look new, and a backyard mechanic may not put that one there, but most shops and dealers would indicate it with a sticker or even grease pen..

blazer99

Thanks for your input, I am going to say it has been changed and not worry about it. I think that if it had 115K miles and it and was 12 years old it wouldn't look this good. The lady we bought it from did use a backyard mechanic for maintenance so that may be why it doesn't have a sticker.

Thanks again for all your help.

Lexmex

You'd be surprised on how they look over 100K. They may lose a little gloss/shine to them, but they are very hearty belts.

Still the one above looks quite new to me.