by Lloyd » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:36 pm
If you get a new car and aren't sure of the mileage then its probably worth doing it anyway, just like doing all the fluids and things when you get a new car.
Do them before 100,000 whatever car it is, some (not toyotas) are recommended to change every 60,000kms.
Had a Celica in the other day, 3S-GE which hadn't had a belt done for 135,000kms. Car still ran fine and everything, but inside the timing covers the belt was breaking up on the edges to the point where there was only about 3/4 of the original belt still on there and it looked like a sheep had been caught up in the timing gear with the amount of fluff and crap that the missing bits of belt had given off. That fluff along with a leaking water pump meant that there was a buildup on all the timing gears and idlers which was slowly wearing away at the teeth on the cambelt too. Wasn't too far from letting go completely.
If in doubt, change it.