I brought my 2006 Prius to Mr. Tire for an oil change yesterday - I had a coupon for $21.95 which included the oil change and a tire rotation. Before the car was done, I saw a tech checking the car over (as most places do) trying to drum up work. The tech came out and told me "Your serpentine belt is starting to crack and should be replaced" I asked him what belt he was talking about... I asked if it was a timing belt. He responded "I don't know... its a belt that is winding through a bunch of parts and its starting to show signs of cracking" I asked him how much... he responded with "$144.00" I didn't do it... but I'm wondering what the belt is that he is talking about. The car has 130K miles on it.
cracks in drive belt | Page 2 | PriusChat Back when I replaced mine it was about a $25 part. It's the labor that costs so much. The question is do you feel comfortable replacing it yourself? If so there are instructions if you follow the links in that thread.
If a tech tells you "I don't know" then turn and run. Don't go back for another oil change. Even if they pay you to do it. That kinda talk is sheer incompetence. A cracked belt after 130k mi isn't unreasonable. Best to have it replaced before it breaks... it'll leave you stranded if it does, might even damage the engine. A belt costs in the range of $10-20 and takes a few minutes to replace. It's an easy DIY job if you're into that kinda thing. $144 is ridiculous.
Most manufacturers recommend replacing the serpentine belt every 60,000 miles. Since I have a 2010 I do not have a serpentine belt so do not know what Toyota's recommneded replacement interval is. If it has not been replaced before now it definitely needs replacing now. If I am not mistaken the only mechanical device on the Gen II Prius is the ICE water pump since the AC is electric. Some Gen II owners can chime in on this.
It is NOT a timing belt. It has to be the drive belt for the accessories. ALL Prii engines have a timing chain.
On the Gen2 Prius they call it a Drive Belt. It's a $20 -$25 belt and it's only purpose is to turn the water pump for the ICE. Any mechanic should be able to change it in about 20 minutes. $144 is a scam. Run away from that shop. Also check your oil level when car is parked on a flat service. If they overfilled the engine oil, take it back and demand they drain some out. Filling a Prius engine oil above the full line can cause you big time grief.
My drive belt also looked as cracked (slightly more) like the photo above but was in no danger of failing. But I changed it out in 20 min with the Toyota OEM (Brando) belt from above. I am not a professional mechanic but have many years working on cars and motorcycles. I would recommend everyone to put their hands and feel out the route of the belt before taking it off. Close your eyes and get a mental picture of the path and it will help you feel out where the new belt should go since you can’t really see it even with a flashlight. The belt is small and the path is so simple because it is literally there just to spin the engine’s water pump. The additional tensioner pully on top that the belt loops through is there to keep the belt nice and tight. With regard to the tension, be aware that when you adjust the belt tightness with the 12mm bolt, it will get even tighter when you tighten down the pully with the 14mm lock bolt. Feel the belt before and after you do that lock bolt. Be sure the belt isn’t too tight after you are done or it will put unnecessary strain on your water pump bearings. I had to loosen the two bolts myself and reset it to keep the belt tension reasonable. It is far better to have the belt too loose (where you might hear it squeal and so adjust tighter) than way too tight where it can damage your water pump over time to cause a leak and pump failure.
