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This is the same question I asked my mechanic. His recommendation was to replace them after 80,000 miles. If I recall correctly, the owners' manual lists only an inspection at 90K or 100K. I had just over 96K when mine were replaced and my though is why risk a break down. Keep the old ones in your trunk in case you ever need a quick temporary replacement.
Check for cracks in the belt and also a light squeal at start up. Also for a car your age check the tensioner. Mine was held together by the center hex bolt onto the engine bracket. I was able to open it up by hand as pictured. You should not be able to do this. Also the spring tension was weak compared to a new one. Once replace there should be NO noise from the belts. Prior to fix my car would squeak in cold humid temperatures or when a ran thru a carwash that sprays the undercarriage. Only 2 bolts hold the tensioner in place. Very easy get to and to change. You will need a hex socket for the center bolt, Not sure of the socket size off hand. There is a diy with the size on this site.
Should I sticl with Toyota parts or use the premium parts sold at rockauto actually might be easier to get Toyota parts don’t have to get them shipped but just so I know
Should I sticl with Toyota parts or use the premium parts sold at rockauto actually might be easier to get Toyota parts don’t have to get them shipped but just so I know
I used genuine parts for peace of mind, cost is not much more then aftermarket.
Check for cracks in the belt and also a light squeal at start up. Also for a car your age check the tensioner. Mine was held together by the center hex bolt onto the engine bracket. I was able to open it up by hand as pictured. You should not be able to do this. Also the spring tension was weak compared to a new one. Once replace there should be NO noise from the belts. Prior to fix my car would squeak in cold humid temperatures or when a ran thru a carwash that sprays the undercarriage. Only 2 bolts hold the tensioner in place. Very easy get to and to change. You will need a hex socket for the center bolt, Not sure of the socket size off hand. There is a diy with the size on this site.
is this the tensioner you are talking about? Thanks
Checked some bills that came with the car and the belt was changed a year ago.. so the belt is good for now but nothing for me to rush to do, this pulley however, if it fails is it going to cause the same issues at what was posted in the other thread? Or what is going to happen?
Lexus doesn't make their own belts, OEM for any manufacturer will be Bando or Dayco, both of which are excellent quality. Instead of worrying about whether or not the belt SHOULD be changed, just go ahead and change it. It's only 15 bucks or so on Ebay and it;s also a very simple DIY (maybe a half hour).
Lexus doesn't make their own belts, OEM for any manufacturer will be Bando or Dayco, both of which are excellent quality. Instead of worrying about whether or not the belt SHOULD be changed, just go ahead and change it. It's only 15 bucks or so on Ebay and it;s also a very simple DIY (maybe a half hour).
i don’t have a garage nor the place and tools to do this... anyways as per my previous message, non issue previous guy changed it last year, no point of doing it again.
I am however interested in the tensioner and how that could break and what consequences
A tell tale sign is a small squeaks at start in cold and humid temperatures. The noise goes away when warm. a worn tensioner will have weak tension on the belt and will cause noise. I change my belt twice and the noise always came back after several months. It was a weak tensioner all along.
There is a bolt that runs thru the tensioner. It was literally holding the 2 pieces together. You would not be able to split the new one in half as pictured.
I suppose if I never changed it the center hole would get stripped out and the tensioner would fly off or the tension would be so weak that the belt would come off.
Push down on the belt or have a mechanic do it. It there is plenty of tension and no noise then you are fine
A belt can also exhibit this squeak, so a good way to rule it out, is to take your dipstick and rub a little of the oil on the belt as it spins. If the noise disappears, it's the belt.
12-11-18, 12:34 AM
i dont know when previous owner changed serpentine belt... how do I check if its good
