Cambelt & Timing Belt?

[DAVIDKAO]

My RAV4 was imported from JPN in 2004 (Made in 2005),

& till now I have driven for around 70000 Miles.

Service guy told me I should change the cambelt and timing belt now, should I?

Bcuz it is quite expensive ... not affordable ...

Recently, I found my RAV4 may spend more petrol to drive in the winter season,

but even I did not turn on the air con or heater, it will be more than before, around increase 30 - 40%,

is it normal?

Also, I found the color of the colling water has turned to purple?! weird ...

Any experienced pals can share ur comments with me? thank you!!!

[bothwell_buyer]

Hurraw there !!! N welcome to the forum.....!!!

On the cambelt thing, I think I read that after 2001, it became a chain that was used..??? Someone else will confirm shortly.

On the petrol consumption, it depends if you're using the car for short journeys only as the engine will take longer to warm up. If you are using it for longer journeys, then it shouldn't change that much. When was it last serviced?

The colour of the coolant - I thought it would be brown/blue depending on the amount of antifreeze used. Unless different stuff is used to what i buy in. Purple sounds rather nice???

[anchorman]

Yes thats right bothy.

If its a 2.0 VVTi it has a chain and as long as it has had the recommended oil changes it should last the life of the engine.

I wonder if the anti-freeze has been mixed as there is long life pink and ethylene glycol blue. There was also that red stuff (was it alcohol or methonol based). I don't like mixing them and would be inclined to get it purged out so you know what the score is. Good quality anti freeze should be mixed to 50% with water for best results.

Cheers - Oh yes and welcome to the club.

PS do you mean it was made in 2004 and imported in 2005???

[Uncle Bob]

My RAV4 was imported from JPN in 2004 (Made in 2005),

& till now I have driven for around 70000 Miles.

Service guy told me I should change the cambelt and timing belt now, should I?

Bcuz it is quite expensive ... not affordable ...

Recently, I found my RAV4 may spend more petrol to drive in the winter season,

but even I did not turn on the air con or heater, it will be more than before, around increase 30 - 40%,

is it normal?

Also, I found the color of the colling water has turned to purple?! weird ...

Any experienced pals can share ur comments with me? thank you!!!

Welcome to the club David

Just to confirm the petrol RAV4 from 2001 to 2006 had a timing chain so no belt to change :) .

As to using more fuel in the winter...most cars use more fuel in the winter due to the extended warm up time so not to worry about that point :) as to the air/con , modern air/con systems are so efficient these days i think it would make very little difference to running costs whether you used it or not , and its a bit of a priority keeping the windows clear this time of year so if you have it ..use it

[DAVIDKAO]

Sorry for the typo.

Imported from JPN in 2004, Made in 1995. :)

and sometimes when I start up the engine in the early morning, I will hear a annoying noice, as high frequency squeak ... but after few mins, the noise will trun down less and less.

My car has got 120000km, around 80000 miles, I did not maintain service in 01/2007 around 68000 miles. FYI.

Thanks for your explanation. :)

and my pleasure to know this club and this board. ^^

Merry X'mas.

Yes thats right bothy.

If its a 2.0 VVTi it has a chain and as long as it has had the recommended oil changes it should last the life of the engine.

I wonder if the anti-freeze has been mixed as there is long life pink and ethylene glycol blue. There was also that red stuff (was it alcohol or methonol based). I don't like mixing them and would be inclined to get it purged out so you know what the score is. Good quality anti freeze should be mixed to 50% with water for best results.

Cheers - Oh yes and welcome to the club.

PS do you mean it was made in 2004 and imported in 2005???

[anchorman]

Sorry for the typo.

Imported from JPN in 2004, Made in 1995. :)

and sometimes when I start up the engine in the early morning, I will hear a annoying noice, as high frequency squeak ... but after few mins, the noise will trun down less and less.

My car has got 120000km, around 80000 miles, I did not maintain service in 01/2007 around 68000 miles. FYI.

Thanks for your explanation. :)

and my pleasure to know this club and this board. ^^

Merry X'mas.

Yes thats right bothy.

If its a 2.0 VVTi it has a chain and as long as it has had the recommended oil changes it should last the life of the engine.

I wonder if the anti-freeze has been mixed as there is long life pink and ethylene glycol blue. There was also that red stuff (was it alcohol or methonol based). I don't like mixing them and would be inclined to get it purged out so you know what the score is. Good quality anti freeze should be mixed to 50% with water for best results.

Cheers - Oh yes and welcome to the club.

PS do you mean it was made in 2004 and imported in 2005???

Don't worry about the squeaks it is just the serpentine drive belts and they quieten down when the heat makes them supple.

Happy Christmas to you.

[DAVIDKAO]

Normally, when should we change the Cambelt & Timing Belt?

if my car was around 120000km / 80000 miles,

based on previous service history, I did not see someome has changed that,

so when should I change that ...

&

when should I change the other oils such as:

Gearbox oil

Front differential oil

Transfer box oil

Rear differential oil

Petrol fuel filter - injection

Due to sometimes I will hear a clang noise transfered from the down rear side between the rear side wheels.

Especially when I brake and after 1-2 s speed up again ... it will be easier to make the clang noise to happen.

Is it caused by rear differential .. or it reminds me to change the oil? ... :(

Don't worry about the squeaks it is just the serpentine drive belts and they quieten down when the heat makes them supple.

Happy Christmas to you.

[bothwell_buyer]

Hello again

If the car was made in 1995, then it will have a cam belt > The engine will/ should be a 3SFE engine in which case it will have a cam belt.

Being an import though, then it might just have a different engine - another member had a 3SGE engine which is a bit different.

The cam belt change is quite a lot of work - do you perhaps know a garage thats not a dealer/Toyota where the hourly rate is cheaper???

Toyota recommend that the belt be changed every 60,000 miles approximately.

If you fancy doing it yourself I can scan the pages of the manual for you. It involved removing things like the power steering stuff and an engine mount and so on. I've done it on a Renault engine but not on the RAV as I've left that to a mechanic to do.

If you post up the chassis number or VIN or whatever engine number, then one of the guys here can confirm the above or not.

[bothwell_buyer]

Normally, when should we change the Cambelt & Timing Belt?

if my car was around 120000km / 80000 miles,

based on previous service history, I did not see someome has changed that,

so when should I change that ...

&

when should I change the other oils such as:

Gearbox oil

Front differential oil 30,000 or 2 years (unless I'm confusing bits)

Transfer box oil - 30,000 miles or 2 years

Rear differential oil - 30,000 miles or 2 years

Petrol fuel filter - injection - replace every 30,000 miles or 2 years

Due to sometimes I will hear a clang noise transfered from the down rear side between the rear side wheels.

Especially when I brake and after 1-2 s speed up again ... it will be easier to make the clang noise to happen.

Is it caused by rear differential .. or it reminds me to change the oil? ... :(

The likelihood is that the stiff rubber mounting has gone a bit soft allowing the diff to rock slightly on accelaration/deceleration. You can replace it or you can get a special goo which you fill the gaps on the rubber bush and it stiffens it up. If it still happens, check out the remaining bushes that mount the rear suspension....a crowbar is useful with the wheels off the ground. These bushes would be checked at the time of an MOT which would show up any dangerous wear.

Don't worry about the squeaks it is just the serpentine drive belts and they quieten down when the heat makes them supple.

Happy Christmas to you.

[DAVIDKAO]

Thanks for your comment and advise.

But it seems too difficult for me to fix that by myself.

Will it be danguous and risk if I keep driving like this? before next time MOT test?

Merry X'mas.

Br//

[bothwell_buyer]

Thanks for your comment and advise.

But it seems too difficult for me to fix that by myself.

Will it be danguous and risk if I keep driving like this? before next time MOT test?

Merry X'mas.

Br//

Hi david -

as regards the diff mounting or suspension - I doubt its all that bad - when's the next MOT due?

On the cam belt, its one of these risks you take. it could last months or it not. Depends on how old the belt is and the sort of conditions the car has been used in.

One of the good things about an MOT test is that its a cheap way of getting the safety of the car checked out. They won't check the belt....

Anyone else any opinion????

[DAVIDKAO]

My MOT will be expired in 01/02/2008.

So, after NYH, I may go to do the MOT Test asap.

However, during the X'mas, I will drive from London to York,

hope that can be fine for this time journey ... ^^

Thanks for your comment and advise.

But it seems too difficult for me to fix that by myself.

Will it be danguous and risk if I keep driving like this? before next time MOT test?

Merry X'mas.

Br//

Hi david -

as regards the diff mounting or suspension - I doubt its all that bad - when's the next MOT due?

On the cam belt, its one of these risks you take. it could last months or it not. Depends on how old the belt is and the sort of conditions the car has been used in.

One of the good things about an MOT test is that its a cheap way of getting the safety of the car checked out. They won't check the belt....

Anyone else any opinion????

[bothwell_buyer]

My MOT will be expired in 01/02/2008.

So, after NYH, I may go to do the MOT Test asap.

However, during the X'mas, I will drive from London to York,

hope that can be fine for this time journey ... ^^

Thanks for your comment and advise.

But it seems too difficult for me to fix that by myself.

Will it be danguous and risk if I keep driving like this? before next time MOT test?

Merry X'mas.

Br//

Hi david -

as regards the diff mounting or suspension - I doubt its all that bad - when's the next MOT due?

On the cam belt, its one of these risks you take. it could last months or it not. Depends on how old the belt is and the sort of conditions the car has been used in.

One of the good things about an MOT test is that its a cheap way of getting the safety of the car checked out. They won't check the belt....

Anyone else any opinion????

If your MOT s only 5 weeks away, then I'd use that as a check.

As regards the belt - if you can't afford to change it then you take the gamble - chances are it could be ok!

[don21]

The M.O.T. is a good safety check for your car although you should remember the following.The M.O.T. test is designed to ensure your car meets a minimum standard.I emphasise as a tester the word minimum.An examiner has to be extremely careful not to cross the line between minimum and servicable.I would advise a presenter of potential problems I find during the test but these would only be things that I can physically see.

There are very strict rules in place about what you can and cannot do to a customers car during the M.O.T test.

As far as the cambelt issue goes as far as the M.O.T. test goes it is only a problem if the vehicle presented is a diesel.This is because the diesel emissions test requires anything from 1 to 6 maximum revs of the engine.For this reason a presenter is asked about the timing belt history and if it is not known then we can refuse to test the car.

In my opinion because the M.O.T. test is only designed to meet a minimum set of standards there is no substitute for a full service by a qualified mechanic this would include having all the wheels removed(which we are not permitted to do during the M.O.T.)and allows much more time for a proper look at the car.

As far as your cambelt issue toyotas are not known for snapping them in my experience.I think the quality is much better.Having said that the replacement interval is there for a reason and I would never exceed it if I could help it.It would be very expensive it if it snapped.Just think of how cold it has been lately.That rubber belt is under a lot of strain as you crank it in freezing weather.