Rule of thumb used to be 100k. I wouldn't mess with such an important piece of your motor. Stick to the service manual.

 

Agreed. Follow the service manual.

 

90k or 9 years, WHICHEVER COMES 1ST

If the timing belt hasn't been changed, get it done NOW.

 

I just did mine at 100,000... It looked like it could have went another 50,000! But I am still glad I did it at 100,000... it is not hard if you are good with working on cars, it took me a day for the water pump, timing belt, generator belt, and power steering belt...

You can get all parts in a kit by company called asian I think... its all oem relabeled. OR you can get it from online parts dealer for cheaper than your local dealer... Good luck!

Make sure you put a sticker on the belt cover so someone else knows when it was done!

 

Timing belt on 3.3




Glad to hear it went well. I showed my friend how to check service history on Toyota Owners site. When weput in the VIN for the '05 V6 4WD 7-pass Highlander he just bought it stated that the assc. belts were replaced, but said nothing of the timing belt?? Aren't they usualy replaced all at once?? Assc. belts, and timing belt?

 

if you replace the timing belt you have to take the other 2 belts off... at least on the v6 2002 highlander... but you can somewhat easily replace both other belts without getting into the timing belt job...

Hardest part was getting the crank pulley off and back on... also the alternator belt was a pain for me.... it was very tight getting off and on... make sure its very tight too or it will squeel bad... later

 

Can anyone cite an official Toyota Motor Corporation publication stating that 90K is the interval when a timing belt should be replaced.

You can find a lot of postings stating that people had their belt changed and they were surprised by the good condition of the old belt.

I was looking at 1999-2006 Haynes Highlander repair manual. When I inspected the manual, I found no mention of a replacement interval for the timing belt. In fact, I found no mention of an inspection interval. (The manual does describe how to get at
the timing belt and discusses things to look for such as cracked or missing teeth to determine if the belt should be replaced).

Ditto for the "factory" service manual. Maybe I missed it - but I didn't see any mileage specified.

The Owner's manual for my vehicle states that it is copyrighted by the Toyota Motor Corporation. In the owner's manual, it states "...refer to the 'Scheduled Maintenance Guide' or 'Owner's Manual Supplement."

There was a document that came with my vehicle titled "Scheduled Maintenance Guide". It is true that it says replace the belt at 90K. However, the document is no where copyrighted by Toyota Motor Corporation. As far as I know, this booklet was inserted by the dealer or regional distributor. I have no way of knowing. I do know the dealer gets a bundle for this repair - and fear is the motivator to get people to spend the big bucks. (Have you ever gotten one of those "customer refuses service" in the invoice?)

Being a camry owner at the time, I recall discussing timing belts when I purchased the SUV. My recollection (but I am not positive, it was some time ago) of the conversation was that periodic changing of the timing belt was not required.

Regardless, I am not inclined to merely trust this uncopyrighted document when in fact service manuals do not state that the timing belt should be changed at 90K.

 

It's your call, If you're concerned about it, check it and change it for your piece of mind. Those numbers are just that. Timing belt lasting is also dependent on how well the belt was made, the environment it is operating in and how the vehicle is driven. (Hard accleration, high speeds can wear it out faster).

 

I've seen broken belts that looked great. They looked great everywhere expect the failure point.

There is NO WAY TO INSPECT a belt to state that its good. Time or mileage whichever comes 1st on an interference engine is a must. Whether it is or isn't in the owners manual, factory service manual, maintenance schedule.... doesn't mean anything. A timing belt is a service item.

My cars have never been serviced by a dealer. So, I've never received any 'service refused' comments or other dealer scare tactics.

Haynes isn't a factory service manual.

 

Thanks

Hopefully this info will save a friends 3.3 v6 from the disaster of valves hitting gold.