Timing Belt 3S-Fe Engine (Yr 2000)

[NigelAvensis]

Hi,

I have finally made some progress on investigating the problem with my Avensis that failed 2 months ago with a what appeared to be a failed cam belt.

Having taken covers off the belt is very loose but not broken and the tensioner looks all good too. The belt is so loose the cam no longer turns.

Got a new belt but it appears too long (this cant be true as it is the correct belt for the engine and its fitted correctly to the car). Compared to old belt and both much the same.

So my question is: is there something I am over looking on the Avensis 2.0 petrol 3S-FE auto (year 2000) engine when changing the belt ? I can only guess its something to do with the tensioner but even at max the belt is way too loose. All other aspects of the engine look fine.

Is there anything else I should be checking?

Any help really gratefully received

Nigel

[cooper12000]

r u sure the origonal belt is right???/ no way a belt should suddenly go loose unless somthing broke.

if a cambelt snaps or slips there will be engine damage . unless u have taken the head off stripped it and had a good look at the valves and pistons u could well be wasting ur time and money.

i have a mk2 scirroco that went to the garage to get the carburetter sorted,... they dropped a 8mm nut down the manifold didnt tell me and i got 100 yards along the road b4 the engine went bang bang rattle bang and stopped. it had smashed the nut to peices... bent the no 3 exhaust valve and bent the camshaft and damaged the posts the camshaft baring caps fix to. as well as damaged the surface of no. 3 piston. the cam shaft and baring cap posts were all undetectable untill i tried to put the new exhaust valve in and it all went bang and the camshaft snapped in two.

moral of the story is a little thing can cause a hell of a lot of dammage

coop

[gazza1286]

Did you buy an original part or is it after-market?

The 3S engine had several variants and listings on after market parts can be confusing. Does the new belt have the same number of teeth as the old one? I assume the car previously ran correctly with the old belt fitted. These belts don't stretch so the slackness is very strange.Can you post a photo?

There's some helpful videos on youtube:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

The third one should be the most useful.

(edit - didn't expect the videos to be directly embedded??)

[NigelAvensis]

Both,

Thank you for your replies.

Some background: I have owned the car for some 3 years and last March I asked the local garage to change the water pump (it was failing with bearing issues).

I didnt use the car much that summer but September 12 I started to use it again and all was fine. I have travelled some 3000 miles since then. I dont drive like a loon, so was surprised to have a problem at all this January (2013).

I was pulling away from some traffic lights (20 mph) when all power went and the car rolled to a stop. It was a bit of a blur but I recall the engine did not stop suddenly, but once gone would not restart.

Anyway it sat around (having being towed back to the garage) and its been looked at now.

The garage are confused on why the belt the original was a toyota one and seems it perfect condition (other than it now is too long). This was the one in the car for the 3000 miles so was working fine.

The 3S-FE engine is, as far as I can gather, a non interference engine so in the event of cam failure should have been OK. (Although that is subject as to why the cam belt failed!) The head has come off and no damage appears obvious (the cams are OK are are the all the other parts visible from the top)

So I am really asking on behalf of the garage (trying to speed this up a bit as the car has been there since 3rd week Jan) who are most confused.

I will check its the right belt and will watch the vids to check the approach is right.

Thanks for the replies, I would be so upset if the car has died, especially as I had all the work done so recently to avoid just this situation!

Nigel

[cooper12000]

ummm why did they take the head off to check the valves if its a non interferance engine????????the only thing i can think of is they have routed the belt wrong but with out seeing it and seeing how its supposed to be routed i have no idea... from what i have understood they r yanking ya chain racking up as much time as poss.

coop

[NigelAvensis]

Coop

Thanks for your thoughts.

I think the head came off to check the cams were OK and not damaged or seized.

So I phone Mr T to see what the part codes should be for this and if there is anything else I ought to be checking. They suggested the wrong water pump may have been fitted and it has the wrong size pulley, so I have suggested that to the garage.

Will let you know how I get on

Thanks for the help

Nigel

[cooper12000]

ummm why didnt they just take the cam carrier off????? no need to take the head right off.

coop