Engine Maintenance: Timing Belt Replacement on Lexus GS 300s
Recommended replacement intervals for timing belts are all over the map these days. Mileage and time suggestions can vary widely, so examine accessory belts and factor in the use of the car and its maintenance history. In this article, we’ll discuss timing belt replacement on a 2001 Lexus GS 300 model with the 2JZ-GE engine.
Tech Feature: Think the Tension in the Economy is Tight These Days? Try Today’s Engine Belts
As I write this, one of the Godfather movies comes to mind (don’t ask which one, there were too many to remember) where Michael Corleone says something to the effect of "Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!" But instead of canolis and "the Family," I’m talking about belts. Back in the day, just around the corner from the horse and buggy, an engine had one, two or if it was really intricate, three "V" belts hanging on the front of it. Before the day of ….
Tech Tip: Check for Worn Belts and Hoses in Need of Service
When a customer’s vehicle is in your service bay, be sure to check its belts and hoses. The Automotive Car Care Council says that nearly 30% of the vehicles entering your shop need a new belt or a hose replacement. This is critical business given the fact that a belt can cause an overheated engine, loss of power steering and loss of the electrical charging system ….
Inspecting Belts and Hoses For Your Customers
Everybody wants a reliable vehicle to drive, but not many people are forward-thinking enough to practice preventive maintenance beyond the barest of basics. After all, preventive maintenance costs money and nobody likes to spend money “unnecessarily.” We put unnecessarily in quotes because we want to emphasize the fact that most consumers do not appreciate the
Tech Tip: Regular Belt Inspections are Important to Thwart Breakdowns
Serpentine belts are much longer-lived than V-belts, but they don’t last forever. After 50,000 or 60,000 miles, they often become glazed, noisy or cracked. A belt failure is bad news because all of the engine’s accessories that are driven by the belt stop turning. The vehicle looses cooling, power steering and charging output, and the engine quickly ….
Tech Tip: Inspecting the Spring-Loaded Automatic Belt Tensioner
The automatic tensioner has a coil spring inside that applies just the right amount of force against the belt to keep it tight. The tensioner also provides a little "give" so it can absorb and cushion shock loads on the belt that occur when the A/C compressor clutch cycles on and off. What’s more, the tensioner automatically compensates for wear and keeps the belt under constant tension.
Tech Tip: When to Change the Automatic Drive Belt Tensioner
While CARDONE water pumps, alternators, smog pumps and power steering pumps all do different jobs, they all have one thing in common: they are belt-driven. Without a properly functioning belt-drive system, these units can’t work as designed. Most late-model vehicles use an automatic belt-tensioning device of some design.
Tech Tip: Maintaining Belt Tension is Critical
Most late-model engines have serpentine belt drives for the engine-driven accessories. And most people know that belts are a maintenance item and eventually have to be replaced. But many don’t know the spring-loaded automatic tensioner that keeps a serpentine belt tight is also a wear item. Consequently, the automatic tensioner may also have to be replaced when the time comes to change the belt.
Chevy AVEO Timing Belt Service
As a rule, General Motors uses timing chains rather than timing belts on most of its engines. Timing chains are long-lived and reliable, and do not have a recommended replacement interval. Not so with timing belts. One GM engine that does use a rubber timing belt is the 1.6L E-TECH II engine in the 2004
Autodata Publications Inc. Introduces 2007 Edition Spanish Timing Belt Manual
Autodata’s 2007 Edition Spanish Timing Belt Manual features serpentine belt routing illustrations. OEM recommendations are given for the replacement of timing belts in domestic and import vehicles.