Timing belts are important, but unless your Toyota owner’s handbook specifically advises it, they don’t need to be replaced on a regular basis. Between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, some automakers advise changing the timing belt, while others don’t. Many timing belts available now can last 100,000 miles or more before they need to be replaced.
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Can I change the timing belt on my own?
It does need some engine knowledge to replace a timing belt and water pump, so if you don’t have much expertise working under the hood, we advise leaving it to the experts. However, if you prefer making your own repairs and restorations, you can do it yourself and avoid paying hefty repair expenses in the process.
Starting with the tools you’ll need, we’ll walk you through the replacement of a timing belt and water pump step by step.
What You’ll Need to Replace the Water Pump and Timing Belt
- Set of Allen keys
- Wrench socket set
- tools for driving screws, such as Philips and slot drive
- leather gloves
- Tip-Ex, white chalk, and white paint (for marking the cogs for simpler reassembly)
- bags made of plastic and a permanent marker (for labelling nuts, bolts and parts you remove from the engine)
- jar or bucket (for collecting coolant)
- new antifreeze/coolant
- a fresh water pump
- a fresh timing belt
Step 1: Preparation
Get your car and work area ready first. Depending on your degree of experience, changing a timing belt and water pump can take anywhere from one to three hours, so make sure you have the time and space necessary. Before you begin, carry out the following:
- To reach the undercarriage beneath the engine, jack up the front of the automobile.
- Before starting, make sure the engine is entirely cool.
- Prepare all of your tools, and have bags and a pen on available to name and store the engine parts you remove.
- To stop the engine from spinning while you’re removing the timing belt, put the engine in drive and use the handbrake.
- Since coolant will spill out when you remove the water pump, place a bucket underneath it. To find the pump, see your car’s manual.
Step 2: Removing the Belts
You must first remove the fan belt and power steering belt because they are located next to the cover that protects the timing belt and water pump. To remove the belts, take the following actions:
- To access the timing case and crankshaft pulley, do the same with the power steering belt by moving it aside.
- Crankshaft pulley: Loosen. To access the engine and remove the bolt, you’ll need a long wrench arm.
- The fasteners holding the alternator in place should be loosened. The fan belt can then be removed by lightly tapping it.
How much does a Toyota Camry belt cost to replace?
Serpentine belt repair for a Toyota Camry typically costs between $94 and $114. Between $60 and $76 is the expected cost of labor, while between $34 and $39 is the estimated cost of parts. Taxes and other fees are not included in this range, nor are your particular model year or geographic area taken into account.
What occurs when the timing belt on a Toyota Camry malfunctions?
With a broken timing belt, your automobile cannot operate. You won’t be able to drive at all by the time the belt snaps because the harm has already been done. The vehicle will need to be towed to an auto repair facility.
A timing belt’s lifespan is 200 000 miles.
That concludes our examination of the timing belt’s nature, operation, and significance. Can a timing belt travel more than 200 000 miles? Not at all. And to be honest, unless you have a junker that you don’t mind giving up, you really shouldn’t try this out in person. Expect severe engine damage if you continue to drive your automobile with a timing belt that is worn out, installed incorrectly, or otherwise flawed.
The cost of replacing your timing belt is by no means a cheap one. You’ll have to pay several hundred dollars, or in some cases nearly or more than a thousand. But this is little compared to the $2,000, $3,000, or even higher needed to rebuild a broken timing belt-related engine that has failed. Who would have thought that this tiny piece of rubber could fail and give you such heartache?
Should a timing belt be used to replace the water pump?
Many modern engines now use timing belts instead of timing chains. The appropriate sequential operation of the crankshaft, pistons, and valves is guaranteed by both belts and chains. Compared to chains, belts are more efficient, lighter, and quieter.
Unless your vehicle has a time chain, which doesn’t often need repair, both parts are essential to the vehicle’s correct operation and should be replaced on a regular basis. See how these parts function below, along with information on the internal parts of the timing belt and water pump system that are related to them.
For information on when to replace your water pump and timing belt, consult your owner’s manual, or stop by and speak one-on-one with one of our service specialists. In general, whenever the timing belt is changed, the idler pulleys, tensioner, and water pump should also be replaced. Since the water pump is often driven by the timing belt, now is the ideal time to replace it. In addition, the manufacturer advises it.
A WORD FOR THE SMART. When requesting a “over-the-phone estimate for replacing a timing belt and/or water pump,” use caution. Less reputable businesses will offer you what appears to be a wonderful price to entice you in and not disclose the “full picture” (see above). The vast majority of the time, it is cost-effective and complete maintenance to replace the timing belt, water pump, tensioner, and idler pulley (where equipped) all at once. This is because, if one element needs replacement, the others are typically not far behind. For details, consult your owner’s handbook.
Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)
Let’s get to it: The less honest repair shop provides you a lowball estimate to replace the timing belt or the water pump with little to no labor and little to no cost for parts. When they get you in and your car is disabled on the hoist, they dial your number and ask, “Guess what you need? You guessed ityou need the complete timing belt and water pump package, which also includes the new idler pulley and new timing belt tensioner that your quote ought to have originally included! Hello!
Because you frequently need to remove the water pump in order to access the timing belt, the labor cost difference to perform both units at the same time is practically nonexistent in most vehicles! When compared to having to pay all that labor AND the expense of a water pump in the not-too-distant future when the water pump blows up, the cost of most water pumps is small.
In our humble opinion, it is misleading not to provide you with an accurate estimate of the total cost to replace the water pump, the timing belt, and any other small ancillary parts at the same time.
What symptoms indicate timing belt issues?
Your timing belt may be significantly damaged if you hear a ticking sound emanating from the engine of your car. Your car’s timing belt is connected to the crankshaft and camshaft of the engine through a number of pulleys. The connecting rods of the engine, which are connected to the pistons inside the combustion chamber, provide power. The rocker arm assembly and cylinder head valves are controlled by the camshaft, which delivers gasoline to the combustion chamber. The exhaust manifold is the next point of exit for the released gases. Your car’s timing belt may start to twitch inside the engine when it begins to wear out. This can potentially be a symptom of low oil pressure.
Are specific tools required to change a timing belt?
You must check the timing reference marks before replacing a timing belt, chain, or gear set on some engines. If you don’t know which timing marks to use or how to align them, some engines’ many timing marks may be confusing.
When changing a timing belt or chain, numerous engines demand specialized tools. To ensure that the timing belt is correctly tensioned, you should at the very least have a belt tension gauge.
When changing a timing belt or chain, many engines also demand specialized tools. To ensure that the tension on a timing belt is appropriate, you should at the very least have a belt tension gauge. On some dual overhead cam engines, specialized camshaft positioning tools (or a bolt or pins) may also be needed to hold the cams in place while the belt or chain is being changed.
A handful of the unique OEM timing tools that can be needed include the following:
How many belts are there in a Toyota Camry?
The accessories in or on the engine of your Toyota Camry are powered by the drive belt(s) by using the engine revs. Your alternator, water pump, air conditioning compressor, and power steering are a few examples.
Most Toyota Camrys feature one or two drive belts, which are sometimes referred to as serpentine belts. The belt can be formed of perishable materials like rubber, neoprene, or urethane and must be flexible to move over pulleys.
The driving belt belt(s) are tensioned and mounted on pulleys. This secures the belt in position and supplies the attachments with the energy they need to function properly. The accessories’ performance could suffer or cease entirely when the belt begins to wear, is damaged, or breaks.
Drive belts for the Toyota Camry should be changed as necessary or at the predetermined service period as specified in the service manual. Drive belts occasionally get damaged or need to be replaced earlier than anticipated, thus it’s advised to check them at every service.
Depending on the form of the drive belt or belts and whether other engine parts must be removed to gain access to replace them, the cost to have a Toyota Camry drive belt or belts replaced ranges from $100 to $400+.
When the drive belt tension has changed and it has to be replaced or rebuilt, you may occasionally hear a noise warning. Your drive belt may be signaling that it requires maintenance if you hear screeching during or shortly after vehicle starts.
How durable are Toyota drive belts?
A serpentine belt can endure between 50,000 and 100,000 miles since it is made of sturdy rubber. Learn more about serpentine belt replacement timing from Westbrook Toyota’s service department.
Does the Toyota Camry utilize a timing chain or belt?
- This subcompact’s timing chain-powered 4-cylinder engine was sold from 2000 to 2005.
- Cressida: The straight-six engine of the Toyota Cressida from 1990 to 1992 had timing belts.
- All Avalon models from 1995 to 2004 feature timing belts. Timing chains are used in the vehicles from 2005 through 2020, including the 4-cylinder Avalon Hybrid.
- Timing chain for all models, 20032013, shown as a matrix.
- Toyota Camry: The timing belt is used in all models from 1990 to 2001 as well as the V6 model from 2004 to 2006. The timing chain is utilized by the 20022020 4-cylinder and 20072020 V6 vehicles.
- Toyota’s well-known Corolla compact vehicle has a timing belt from 1990 to 1997. Timing chains, however, were introduced in models starting in 1998. The Corolla Hybrid and Corolla iM/Scion iM models are included in this.
- Timing chains are used in all Yaris vehicles produced from 2007 through 2020, including the Scion iA and Hatchback variants.
- Prius: From 2001 to the most recent models, all Prius models share the same timing chain. The Prius C, Prius V, Prius Prime, and Prius Plug-in are all included in this.
- Timing belt for all Paseo models from 1992 to 1997.
- All Tercel models produced between 1990 and 1998 had engines with timing chains.