Leave engine maintenance to a trusted professional

Toyota vehicles have a manufacturer warranty of up to 5 years or 100,000 km. The reliability of the engine, as well as the mechanism of each part, are regarded highly.

Of course, whatever the machine is, the proper maintenance of the machine is necessary, and it is undoubtedly best to have regular inspections every six months. Having a check-up by a professional is the best way to prevent trouble because it is so different from the perspective of the owner of the car.

If the owner asks a professional’s help, it is not still perfect, but if you are interested in how your car has deteriorated over time, you will be able to associate with your car for a long time and with comfort and confidence.

However, the engine has not been created for owners to take care of it by themselves. It’s no exaggeration to say that most engines do not have any maintenance.

For example, spark plugs, which used to be an item to be checked before and had to clean the carbon and adjust the electrode gap, were now excluded from the regular inspection items. Especially effective spark plugs (platinum and iridium) have pipes, so if there is no trouble, there is no need to take care of them.

What we need to worry about is the timing belt and the belts that operate auxiliary equipment. The rubber belt is degraded, consumed, and aged due to heat in the engine room, so it will eventually break when it reaches the end of its lifespan.

In the case of Hiace, the warning lamp for the timing belt (2KD-FTV) is automatically turned on when driving 100,000 km. When the lamp lights up, have your dealer deal with it. It will be a bit complicated maintenance, but if the belt runs out while driving, the internal mechanism of the engine will be damaged and it will be even bigger problem, so it is better to replace it with a new one in advance.

In addition, the V-ribbed belt that operates auxiliary equipment needs to be visually checked for cracks. If it makes a squeaking noise, it is necessary to immediately bring it to a dealer or maintenance work for inspection, adjustment, or replacement.

There are few opportunities to open the engine compartment but remember how to open it for checking oil, etc. First, remove the hooks under the feet area of a passenger seat.

The reason to cause a squeaking noise of the belt is not only the lack of elasticity. Excessive tension can cause the belt to break. It is necessary to adjust the deflection carefully.

When the hook comes off, lift the passenger seat and hook the B pillar to fix it. The angle can be adjusted in two steps depending on the location of the hook.