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When following car maintenance and repair advice, the emphasis is almost always on maintaining the proper fluid levels and making sure that your oil and air filters are changed regularly, if not more often, during long, dusty summer drives while on vacation.
Plus, some models, such as the Toyota Tacoma has its share of common problems and requires some special maintenance checks aside from the usual.
That said, aside from your Toyota, other makes and models should have added to your maintenance checklist another vital maintenance check that is even simpler than an oil change and takes only a few seconds―inspecting your engine's drive belts for cracking, wear, tension, and wobble.
Engine Drive Belts Come in a Variety of Styles and Types
An essential part of an engine's accessory system, engine drive belts are flexible loops made of rubber or synthetic materials that transfer power from the engine's harmonic balancer to various components in a vehicle.
The harmonic balancer is the primary pulley connected to the engine's crankshaft on the outside of the engine. It provides power to other components through a belt system.
In older model cars, the belts commonly used were multiple V-style belts that separately powered the water pump, alternator, power steering, radiator fan, and air conditioner. Today, your car is more likely to be designed and fitted with a serpentine-style belt that uses one belt to provide power to multiple components.
These belts come in a variety of styles and types manufactured with tough yet pliant materials that include Neoprene rubber or other rubber polymers, reinforced fibers consisting of cotton, polyester, Kevlar, or fiberglass cords.
Depending on the belts used in your car, you can expect them to last between 50,000 to 100,000 miles. However, because they are exposed to high temperatures near 300 degrees Fahrenheit and often become contaminated with engine fluids either from leaks or spilt fluids during servicing, even the best of belts can and will fail prematurely.
It is fair to say that monitoring the condition of your belts is similar to monitoring your vehicle's tires; failure to do either can result in serious damage to your vehicle.
What Are The Symptoms of a Worn Engine Belt Problem?
Because of the nature of the purpose a belt provides, the most frequent symptoms include belt squealing noise from slippage on a pulley, overheating due to the water pump not being actively driven, loss of cool air from your air conditioning system, sluggish power steering, and a check engine light warning indicating the alternator is not charging your car's battery properly.
In a worst-case scenario, the most dreaded symptom is the belt breaking while driving, requiring an immediate stop to avoid further damage.
The Cause of This Toyota Tacoma Owner's Recurring Engine Drive Belt Problem
In a recent Toyota Maintenance YouTube channel episode, the host presents a 2004 Toyota Tacoma SR5 with the 4-cylinder 3RZ-FE engine with only 115,000 miles on it that was brought in with the complaint that the drive belts were winding up replaced more often than expected.
The host explains that when you see signs of a belt shredding along its edges, this is often due to either the belt(s) having been installed improperly or the pulley bearings having worn, which causes a pulley to ride front and back, putting wear on the belt edges.
However, another all-too-common consideration is that a service tech installed the wrong size of belts during a maintenance check.
Related article: How To Maintain Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Without Breaking The Bank and Going To The Dealer
A less common cause, however, is the topic of the video―the discovery that the harmonic balancer was worn and wobbling significantly enough to cause the engine drive belts to wander against one or more pulleys in the system, leading to shredding along the belt edges.
Most harmonic balancers consist of a metal hub and a metal outer ring separated by a rubber insulator. Over time, exposure to heat, oil, and engine vibrations causes the rubber to dry out, crack, or separate from the metal components.
Follow along with the host as he demonstrates how to inspect for this problem source and what harmonic balancer wobble looks like so that you can add this to your to-do car maintenance checklist and easily diagnose your worn engine belt problems.
Shredded Engine Drive Belt. Why? Harmonic Balancer Failure.
For additional articles related to your Toyota DIY maintenance and repairs, here are three useful ones for your consideration:
- Easy Toyota RAV4 DIY Fix That Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars
- Never Do This to Your Toyota Warns a Toyota Mechanic
- Toyota Tacoma Parts Advice for Older Tacoma’s
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWritesfor daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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Image source: Deposit Photos
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