My friend has a 96 RAV-4, 111k miles, now with a leaking water pump. At 77k miles she’d taken it to the Toyota dealer from which she’d bought it with complaints of engine noise. They replaced the timing belt (& other belts) but not her water pump.
Should they have done both at the same time?
When she has the water pump replaced now, should she also have her TB replaced?
Thanks.
Replacement of the water pump with the timing belt is not REQUIRED, it’s just a good idea.
If the vehicle needs a water pump now, the prudent thing would be to install a new timing belt as well. The belt is not very expensive, and the labor is part of the water pump job anyway, so the only extra cost is the belt itself.
This assumes, of course, that the pump is driven by the timing belt.
If the water pump is not driven by the timing belt there is no reason to replace the timing belt.
The water pump is driven by the timing belt in this case. Even if it was not though, one should still consider changing the timing belt at the same time
Sorry, hit “submit” too soon. I meant to say that in those cases where replacing the water pump requires considerable disassembly, you might consider replacing the timing belt at the same time. Not in all cases, of course, and then it’s still optional.