Good point. All the more reason to make this a habit rather than an exception when dealing with TB equipped cars.

 

Thanks a lot for such a nice sharing....I completely agree with your thoughts.....

 

Would you also recommend replacing the water pump also?

 

Jim has it right although a minor update, the VVTi was placed into the LS for the '98 onward. Break a TB, it was costly so to save a few $$ to eek out 10K or so...might not be worth it. Now if given a perfect scenario, we change the belt but one has to also account for the water pump and idlers. If a bearing on one of those seizes up...the potential gamble in savings is lost.

Basically anywhere from 90-100K miles is a reasonably safe margin. Push 100K, some $5 bearing may be the downfall.

 

Let us be thankful we don't have a GM 3.6L V6 with the stretchy timing chains. My 04 and 06 Cadillacs with the 3.6 engine didn't have these issues. Then again, I drove both only about 50K.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...-ever-end.html

 

All manufacturers add a "safety factor" into anything they build. They will NEVER quote you the weight or stress that something broke at in say 95% of their tests, because you know what? If they say it will go to 90K miles (or something 2 tons) and the belt snaps at 85K or truck can't pull 2 tons, the buyers is going to be pissed.

With exception of a manufacturing defect, the LS belt will easily go to 90K and pushing to 100K would not be a hard gamble. I would not go much beyond that of course, and definitely not to 120K because then you've gone an extra 1/3 of original usage interval.

I think Jabber put it best... you're saving $75 of "possible" interest by not replacing the belt... why risk that for $4000+ of definite damage if the belt does snap?

 

I now have 132k on my 2004 LS430. I did the timing belt and water pump right @ 100k, and asked the dealer to put the old ones in the trunk. I looked at them with the service guy, and he commented they (the old ones) still looked like brand new and didn't need replaced. I will do it again though @ 200k just for the peace of mind. I took my car to a Toyota dealer and paid just less than 1k for the timing belt/hoses/water pump.

 

why do we keep discussing the when to do it and lets have some R E A L facts on the problems others had due to not changing the TB at 90K,,

seems everyone is fearful of what will happen, anyone out their real a real world horror story to help scare us further into the 90K change,,

Derry

 

ha ha.... I don't think we'll have anyone here that had a failure around 90K. It just is not going to happen. Plus, if there was a person that it failed on at 90K, the the engine was probably totalled and the owner is so ticked off ***** is either trolling around other forums bad-mouthing Lexus, or he/she is dead from the engine seizing up and crashing. I just don't see anyone coming up with a story of the belt being bad.

As for the belts that were removed and "looked like new"... there could be interior sheering that is not apparent on the exterior that could easily have failed and snapped the belt. Like the cover models of magazines, you can't just look at the airbrushed surface photos, you have to look underneath all the makeup to see what's underneath.

 

If there are any owners with timing belts that have failed, they are not on these forums. I have yet to hear of one such failure....at least with a LS430. I'm pretty confident that our belts can go way over the 100K+ limits but I guess we are just not going to find out how much over on this forum.

 

As one poster implied, even if you had a magnifying window on the timing belt, you just can't see the failure signs until it fails, generally. It is safest and cheapest all around to get the tb, water pump, pulleys, and etc. changed at the 90k mark. After all, the labor and parts prices are only going to increase the longer you wait. Save your car engine and your wallet; do it at 90.

 

I have experienced a timing belt failure with a Subaru about 15 years ago. I doubt most people can even imagine how "total" the failure is ....

Probably, most people feel "Well, if it should happen, I'll just pull over to the shoulder; call for a tow; and then face a big bill". Not so, usually.

Mine failed while doing 70 mph in the truck lanes on the NJ Turnpike near Newark Airport. I was surrounded by semis.

There was no option to just look for a place to pull over there on the shoulder. There is no power steering; no power brakes, (- and no time) .... In my case, there were plenty of air horns, the screeching of brakes all around me, and pure luck (to be able to steer with with much effort towards the center guard rail with only the momentum the car had left in it).

So, if it happens while backing out of your driveway, no big deal.

If on an Interstate or the NJ Turnpike, VERY big deal ! And cost or amount of engine damage is really the last of your concerns ....

Walt

 

If you have a non-interference engine (which I don't think the 430 is), then you'll loose all the power and you'll have a hard time of steering to a stop, but atleast your engine won't seize up and basically lock.

I think that problem is that a lot of people do think that "ah, the belt snaps... then I'll just pull over and call AAA." No... belt snaps, say SAYONARA to your LS430 unless you have a good $5K or so sitting around for a new/rebuilt engine.

 

My 05 LS 430 has 108k and I just got it out of the shop last night. The mechanic showed me the old timing belt. It had lost all of its rigidity, and even for a non-mechanic like myself, it was clear this puppy could have jumped or slipped a cog at any time. I was careless this time; I won't be next time.

Here's what I got for $1,180 for any of you in the Atlanta area who don't mind a trip to the South side: timing belt (complete kit--tensioner, pulley, etc.), water pump, thermostat & seal, radiator flush and winterize, fan belt, air filter, fuel filter, cabin filter, brake check (they were ok), spark plugs.

I also had him deploy the rear deck shade and disable it in the deployed position. The constant up and down (every time you put the transmission in Reverse) got annoying, and the frame was beginning to deploy and retract unevenly.

It feels great to be "good to go" for another 90k. I love this car.

 

I always have my mechanic change the water pump when changing out the TB. The labor is extensive and the location of either component gets you to the other. It just makes good sense to do both while you're in that far. It's one less worry on a long road trip.