Cambelt vs chain ?

[ALLCOCKSU]

I have a 2002 reg Yaris Verso which is just about to turn over 60K miles. I've had it almost 2 years but it has done a very low mileage for just about all its life.

The local independent garage who do my servicing etc say that this is about the right time to change the cambelt. However, the user manual states all belts should be changed at 6 years or 70K miles whichever comes first.

To complicate the issue I have seen a post from another Yaris owner which has a query on replacing the timing chain - so now I'm very confused.

Any advice ? I don't want to spend a lot of money before I need to, or run the risk of wrecking the engine.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Petrol or diesel - though think both are chain.

[Madasafish]

All Mark 1 Yaris (verso and standard) are chain drive.

There are auxiliary belts - used to drive aircon,power steering and water pump plus alternator..These should be checked for cracking and replace if cracked or worn.. (Our 2003 yaris D4D is on its original drive belt..)

Edit if the belt driving the water pump goes, and you keep driving, the engine WILL overheat and you may ruin the Head Gasket £££s or the engine ££££s

[mick holmwood]

going on the year its 10 yrs overdue

[ALLCOCKSU]

On 6/1/2018 at 7:20 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

Petrol or diesel - though think both are chain.

It's petrol. Another member has confirmed it's chain drive. In that case would I get the warning of increasing chain noise ?

[ALLCOCKSU]

3 hours ago, mick holmwood said:

going on the year its 10 yrs overdue

Yes, fair point. The previous owner had it for 9 years, was disabled and seems to have only used for the proverbial shopping trip. She bequathed a partial service history, maybe the belts got done but not documented.

[ALLCOCKSU]

7 hours ago, Madasafish said:

All Mark 1 Yaris (verso and standard) are chain drive.

There are auxiliary belts - used to drive aircon,power steering and water pump plus alternator..These should be checked for cracking and replace if cracked or worn.. (Our 2003 yaris D4D is on its original drive belt..)

Edit if the belt driving the water pump goes, and you keep driving, the engine WILL overheat and you may ruin the Head Gasket £££s or the engine ££££s

Thanks, that's really detailed and helpful.

So presumably if it's chain drive, I would get warning of the need to replace as the chain got noisier ? 

I take your point about the drive belt for the water pump going. It happened to me once on a very old diesel-engined car I used to have - fountains everywhere. As the power steering pump belt was also linked it wasn't driveable anyway - had to be recovered.

[Madasafish]

A worn chain will be v. noisy on startup when the engine is cold and has been unused for a day or more - all the oil will have drained out of the engine . When oil pressure builds up (the chain tensioner is powered by oil pressure), the sound will disappear on a non worn chain.

 

Start it up when cold, open bonnet and listen..