4cyl. Timing Belt Change, Necessary to do it at Schedule Mileage?

[Brit101]

2000 Camry 4cyl. Have you found the timing belt to be in very good condition when you changed it, and felt you could have postponed the maintenance?

Mine is at 106k mi and there is no way that I can see to check it without removing lots of bits.
Non interference, so what do you say, change it, run it until 130k mi or check it some way?

Drive the car little and wondering what your advice is.

Have CAA/AAA Gold and timing belt and waterpump in the trunk.

TAI.

[Yuko]

Changing the T-belt out is more to avoid the inconvenience of being stuck on the side of the road. There won't be any engine damage but it's troublesome to fix it unexpectedly. I would make time to change it out with the water pump as well as the tensioner and idler pulley. Having said that, I had a Quest that went 185K on the original timing belt and the letters were still visible.

[mazdaverx7]

timing belts are maitenance items that should be changed every 60K miles. mine was changed at 62K and i'm at 131k and the belt looks to be ok. looks can be decieving though. you should remove the timing cover and check it for stretching and any stress cracks or glazing.

[mazdaverx7]

somehow got a double post. stupid work computers..

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by mazdaverx7

timing belts are maitenance items that should be changed every 60K miles. mine was changed at 62K and i'm at 131k and the belt looks to be ok. looks can be decieving though. you should remove the timing cover and check it for stretching and any stress cracks or glazing.

The interval on the 2000 Cams is 90K. It's amazing how long some folks go before their timing belt breaks. Personally, I wouldn't let it slide too long, but I don't like being towed, either.

[bolink654]

My wife got our 98 Camry before I met her, it had about 110k on it. The previous owner kept records of everything, and a timing belt nor water pump was not in the records... And neither her nor her parents ever had it done, so I am to assume it was original.

The water pump went out at 165k or so. Changed the timing belt at the same time. IF it was in fact the original, it looked really good, looked worse for age, than it did for wear. (which is kinda why I believe it was original - it looked 10-11 years old)