just want to get opinions on this. going to replace my serpentine belt on my 05. i work @ napa, so i can get either a bando (which says is an OE manufacturer) or gates. the bando belt only has a 1 year warranty, but the gates has a lifetime. what would you guys use & why?

 

I'd go with the Bando. They both will give you years of trouble free service, though..

 

When I did the timing belt on mine last week I replaced the serpentine belt/tensioner/idler too while I was at it. I bought the Gates kit on Rockauto and was very impressed by the quality. The castings were made in Canada, while the bearings were made in Japan and looked indistinguishable from the oem parts that were removed.

 

You might as well buy the least expensive of the 2 because once it's installed you'll never know any difference. I currently have a Bando serpentine and a Gates Timing belt on my car. Not just a coincidence as they were both purchased and installed by me...

 

thanks for the input guys.

 

I'd get (and did) Bando as it should be OEM meaning they make belts for Toyota for around $20 (not to be confused with OE which is a lot more expensive i.e. Lexus OE).

As far as Gates goes, I used all their belts hoses idlers on my Maxima, no issues.

 

My search on google revealed that OEM are Lexus genuine parts that are the same as what was installed on the car when produced. As far as Lexus is concerned there are no "OE" parts for the Lexus. They are not authorized by or guaranteed by Lexus. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to pass off "like kind or quality" parts on owners to install cheap junk ( windshield replacement is the prime example that everyone has to deal with - and generally lose).

 

Soooo by that rationale a KOYO Japanese timing idler bearing is cheap junk if it comes in a Gates box? But the same bearing in a Toyota or Lexus box is OK...?
Yes KOYO bearings were installed at the factory.

 

Not at all what I said. I just know from experience that non-OE windshields forced on me by insurance companies are junk. You might or might not be happy with a KOYO bearing, no guarantee however.

 

I'm with you. The below is from my observation.

I don't know why the Japanese or maybe people here say "OEM" means what came with the car, when with German cars, and with American cars, OEM means original equipment manufacturer, i.e. it is NOT what came with the car, but it is a part made by the co. who made the original part for the car. Both the Germans and Americans are transparent and let you know, this part is OE, and this part is OEM. It's up to you if you would like to save money by getting the OEM. And yes, it's made in the same factory and by the same people who made the OE, but it does not come in a box labeled for the car mfg.

With Germans it's OE, OEM, and aftermarket. You can get a OE BMW spark plug made by Bosch. It is blue, has the BMW logo, and has a part number on it, the Bosch number, and the BMW number. You can get the OEM plug made by Bosch, it is green, has the Bosch number, and is the same part, but costs less. For whatever reasons, it's not at all easy to do the same with Toyota. So you have a $20 belt, and an $80 belt, which appear to be the exact same, but cannot be confirmed. I think this is to boost revenue. How else can a LS430 have a brake sensor wire pushing $137? Even a BMW OE is around $32. Because $137 pushes revenue at the dealer and even for DIY'ers who want the factory part.

So I noticed that on this forum, there is a tendency to say OEM, when referring to what came from the factory. By German and American car standards, that's misusing the acronym. My .02

Back to the original question Bando made in USA is for me the best choice, as Lexus costs 4X and is likely the same part

edit a picture is worth a thousand words, here's GM. I know for a fact because I bought them. The air filter for my wife's GM SUV, I bought the OE, and OEM, and compared. Believe it or not, ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE, NOT EVEN THE PACKAGE ITSELF. The OE had an additional sticker on it, with a hologram and the GM part number. Peel that off? The two plastic bags were identical and said AC Delco.

https://www.acdelco.com/gm-original-...-products.html

 

I bought an inexpensive replacement belt awhile back (hint - not made by the Jayco travel trailer company). No issues with fit and it seems to work fine BUT when the temperature drops below 40 degrees it has a loud (you can hear it inside the car with the windows rolled up) "chirp". Now this might just only be my particular car but it's like nails on a chalkboard to me. Luckily I live in a warm climate so there are very few days below 40 degrees. Next time I'll pay a little more for a Bando or Gates.

 

And hate the parts pricing. I've owned more than a few cars over the years, my fleet is currently all Toyota.

In the past I have owned both MB and Porsche. The Porsche guys especially like to complain about parts pricing. Compared to Toyota? They have nothing to complain about.
Love the cars, the parts pricing and the dealers? Not so much.