4th gen v6 4Runner with timing belt?

Hey y’all, this past summer I bought an 07 v6 4th gen with 165k miles on her. While learning as much as I can about these 4runners I found out that the 4th gen V6 model is suppose to have a timing chain. Not sure why, but mine has a timing belt. Does anyone know why this might be?

 

The 4th gen 4.7 v8 has a timing belt. V6 4.0 does not.

 

If you're looking under the hood at the front of the 1GR (V6) the belt you're seeing is the serpentine belt, not the timing belt/chain. The serpentine belt is what transfers power from the engine to things like your power steering, alternator, water pump, radiator fan, etc.

The timing chain on the V6 is inside the engine.

 

Good to know! Apparently I'm still quite the newbie, this being my first car and all. What is the typical life of the serpentine belt?

 

They can last a few years. But, they're easy and inexpensive to replace. If it squeaks at startup, it's probably on it's way out. Look at it closely where it's wrapped around a pulley. If it has any cracks, it's due for replacement.

 

The answer will probably vary based on location but you should reasonably expect 30k+ miles but even that can vary. The best advice I can give is to check it's condition semi-regularly. If it starts squealing loudly that's usually a sign it's on it's way out.

I bought my 4Runner a year ago and it was running fine but I could see the rubber on the belt was a little dry rotted so I figured it couldn't hurt to replace it. When I removed the belt I noticed it had actually split in the center and was about 70% of the way to being two thin belts! When the belt is under tension you can't really feel for that sort of damage so I felt very lucky I caught it when I did.

If you don't know if/when the belt was replaced I would add it to your list of things to do. It's good peace of mind and definitely not something you want to find out needs to be replaced when it's too late. It's really not an involved process either, with a breaker bar and the correct socket you can change it out in 20 minutes if you've never done it before.

 

I have a 2005 V6 4runner, 150,000 miles 4.0L. When the mechanic at the "shop" changed the AC compressor (and car was up on a rack), I handed him a new serpentine belt, but he handed it back and said the 15 year old OEM belt was OK?

I'm sure the alternator and WP on my 4runner are all OEM. Never owned a car where the WP didn't fail after 5 years. WP has 15 years on it. Coolant level at canaster is always right on the line - never drops, and never an overheat.

BUT ... ... Looks like my 4.0L has the timing chain.. Does A Toyota 4Runner Have A Timing Belt Or Timing Chain? (autopadre.com)

 

You could always check the belt yourself. But, they can probably last a pretty long time. Just check it periodically and replace it when it's worn out. They're pretty easy to do.

Correct. The V6 had a chain. The earlier V6's had belts, and the 4.7 V8 (2UZ) had a belt.

 

Just bend the belt backwards and look for cracking on the grooved side if you want to visually check.

Its so damn cheap if you got the belt just change it.