[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Should I get the belt changed?It's a 4 year car and has done 42000 km.

What do Toyota recommend to be the time / km interval for V-belt replacements?

IMO, first get someone to check if belt tension is correct (not too tight, not too loose).

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

What do Toyota recommend to be the time / km interval for V-belt replacements?

IMO, first get someone to check if belt tension is correct (not too tight, not too loose).

Toyota does not say anything about replacements - only first inspections at 100 K km/72 months and repeat every 20 K km... see insert.

Have these drive belts been known to fail or otherwise require adjustment well before the recommended inspection interval?

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

IMO, first get someone to check if belt tension is correct (not too tight, not too loose).

Got it looked at by the senior mechanic at Toyota's ASC. His opinion is that yesterday was a rainy , and muddy day. Quite possible for some mud to have gotten on the belt with water , which caused the squeal. I do recall having driven through a rather large puddle on the road, following which the noise had appeared for the first time.

He squeezed the corner of a rag wet with brake oil onto the pulleys and belt itself. I was told, it's a light oil - which loosens up debris and does not affect the rubber.

On closer inspection the belt turned out to be OK i.e. no serrations or cracks. I am told, the tensioning mechanism is automatic which means the tension is probably applied at the time the engine starts. So, there's nothing that can be done by way of pre-tensioning the belt.

I asked him to try reproducing the problem himself tomorrow morning , but he told me to give a call in case it was heard again. Innova is now resting at home.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

I asked him to try reproducing the problem himself tomorrow morning , but he told me to give a call in case it was heard again. Innova is now resting at home.

And the sound came back today morning at first crank. I called up the mechanic but was told to ignore it.
I guess this is the beginning of rattles and noises in the car now (over 4 years old).
There are somethings which need to be addressed immediately, some which can be looked at on the next service, and yet others which need to be tolerated with a grin and a shrug.

I guess this one is in the last category...as maintaining the car to factory fit/finish is something few can afford or risk.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

He squeezed the corner of a rag wet with brake oil onto the pulleys and belt itself. I was told, it's a light oil - which loosens up debris and does not affect the rubber.

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

And the sound came back today morning at first crank. I called up the mechanic but was told to ignore it.

Can you please go back to the mechanic at Toyota and hit him on the head with a can of brake oil, and then pour some quantity down his throat, nose and ears, so that he stops making a whining noise?

A perfect idiot that he is - brake oil residue on the belt may not affect the rubber, but will cause even more belt slippage.

Use a good degreasing soap (such as Pril dishwash liquid), dilute 1 part to 20-25 parts water, and pour gradually on to the belt as it runs (engine at idling). That will wash off residual grease/oil, and allow the belt to grip the pulley better - the belt slippage noise will subsequently disappear.

Just to preempt doubts about whether this works, yes, this used to shut up the belt screech in my Indica V2 (notorious for belt screech in every car of that generation) for a few months at a time.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Use a good degreasing soap (such as Pril dishwash liquid), dilute 1 part to 20-25 parts water, and pour gradually on to the belt as it runs (engine at idling). That will wash off residual grease/oil, and allow the belt to grip the pulley better - the belt slippage noise will subsequently disappear.

Vim dishwah liquid was a little cheaper than Pril, and as I understand similar in action.
I tried with half a small bucket of water, and half a small container of Vim.
At the time of application the noise went away.
...only to return, much louder than before... today morning

The noise stayed for the next 60 minutes (dropping off kids to school), gradually reducing in intensity, so by the time I left for office - it was as if nothing was wrong.

BTW - is it possible that it could be bearing noise from idle pulley? But then, why should a bearing noise ebb, after several km of spirited driving.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Vim dishwah liquid was a little cheaper than Pril, and as I understand similar in action.
I tried with half a small bucket of water, and half a small container of Vim.
At the time of application the noise went away.
...only to return, much louder than before... today morning

The noise stayed for the next 60 minutes (dropping off kids to school), gradually reducing in intensity, so by the time I left for office - it was as if nothing was wrong.

BTW - is it possible that it could be bearing noise from idle pulley? But then, why should a bearing noise ebb, after several km of spirited driving.

See if it comes back tomorrow morning again on cold start, or not. I would expect it to disappear hereafter for a few months.

Idler pulley (or other) bearing noises get worse with a warmed up engine.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

See if it comes back tomorrow morning again on cold start, or not.

It did not...hoping it stays that way.
Any explanation for why it came the day after washing it, and why it did not come today - just curious.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

It did not...hoping it stays that way.
Any explanation for why it came the day after washing it, and why it did not come today - just curious.

Sometimes keeping your fingers crossed helps quell the curiosity! Take your pick: Too little soap / too much soap / too much oil / too cold / too much ambient moisture / too acute hearing / etc. etc.