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timer Bell


Linh

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Hi

I recently went to Toyota to change the oil on my mom's car (Camry 2000) and they made an inspection. They said she should changed the 'timer bell' since it should be change every 5 years. Is that true? Even if she only has 51000km ??

And the cost is about 400$ ???

thanx

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What you heard was timer bell. What they said was timing belt. Per the instruction manual it should be changed at 90K miles. (or 144K km) . The timing belt is made of rubber so it ages with time and miles (or kilometers). I too have a 2000 Camry with over 100K miles on it. I have not chnged the belt yet. I would say in the next year you should consider getting it changed since it will be 10 years old. I have heard of people getting much more mileage than 90K miles out of a timing belt but why risk it. I would say after 10 years just get it done. You might investigate what other items ( like serpentine belt, water pump) should be changed at the same time since they are easy and cheap to replace when replaing the timing belt. Perhaps other can give you a more complete list of items to consider replacing when the timing belt is done. Good luck.

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Yep. Timing Belt and or Serpentine Belt. They run just about anything that spins on the engine. We had the same "pitch" and get it when the mileages (on our two toyotas) reach milestones. The last time, the gentleman in front of us had NOT heeded the warning and the belt broke while he was driving. It caused so much damage to various components of the engine that his bill was nearly $4000 !! !!. We scheduled ours on the spot due to an impending hip replacement and subsequent frequent trips to rehab.

The $400 seems high but not when you compare it to not doing the replacement. When you consider how many rotations that thing makes even idling in 100K miles... it's pretty cheap preventative medicine...comparatively. Especially when you peak under there and see all the stuff that the belt runs.

We have found that shopping around to various dealerships can save a few hundred dollars on a large bill...may want to consider driving to a nearby town too. We drove 80 miles and saved $250 for the same service.

TL

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Yep. Timing Belt and or Serpentine Belt. They run just about anything that spins on the engine. We had the same "pitch" and get it when the mileages (on our two toyotas) reach milestones. The last time, the gentleman in front of us had NOT heeded the warning and the belt broke while he was driving. It caused so much damage to various components of the engine that his bill was nearly $4000 !! !!. We scheduled ours on the spot due to an impending hip replacement and subsequent frequent trips to rehab.

The $400 seems high but not when you compare it to not doing the replacement. When you consider how many rotations that thing makes even idling in 100K miles... it's pretty cheap preventative medicine...comparatively. Especially when you peak under there and see all the stuff that the belt runs.

We have found that shopping around to various dealerships can save a few hundred dollars on a large bill...may want to consider driving to a nearby town too. We drove 80 miles and saved $250 for the same service.

TL

A note on shopping around with various dealerships: compare the services line by line. Sometimes it's cheaper or more expensive for a reason. For example, here in the desert, I have to replace air filters & cabin filters in my GS a lot more often than people in the Midwest would because of dust. So I'll have to pay a bit more, but I get more.

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  • 1 month later...
A note on shopping around with various dealerships: compare the services line by line. Sometimes it's cheaper or more expensive for a reason. For example, here in the desert, I have to replace air filters & cabin filters in my GS a lot more often than people in the Midwest would because of dust. So I'll have to pay a bit more, but I get more.

Yes the recommended replacement is 90K. This engine is a "non-interference" engine, which means if the timing belt breaks you don't get engine damage. Yes it is inconvenient because your engine will not run and you're stuck where you are. $400 seems a bit hit from the dealer. My dealer here in AZ charges $275 for the timing belt. $400 might be right if they are also changing the water pump which is driven by the timing belt.

I'd shop around the see if you can find an independent shop that will do the job. It is not terribly complicated, it just takes some special tools. ;)

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