Belts and Hoses

Your Toyota vehicle has many moving parts and systems at work, all of which rely upon belts or hoses to help them perform their best. Some, like your HVAC system, even employ both.

Types of Belts and What They Do

The timing belt is a notched belt that helps rotate the engine's camshaft and ensures that the valves and pistons pump in sync with one another. If your timing belt fails, you'll know because your engine will stop almost immediately. However, newer models may be equipped with a timing chain instead. These are more durable, lasting for your engine's full lifetime.

The serpentine belt, on the other hand, works with your tensioner, idler pulley, and crank pulley to operate parts such as the alternator and power steering. Drive belts are more numerous. They run off your crank pulley, helping move the water pump and other parts. If either a serpentine or drive belt goes bad, you'll have a short window of time to resolve the problem before troubles magnify.

What Hoses Do

Hoses direct fluids to and from parts that need lubricating or cooling, such as your radiator and engine. When a hose breaks, you'll want to address the problem before the affected part gets permanently damaged.

How to Spot Belt or Hose Failure

While your owner's manual details your maintenance schedule, you'll still want to check your belts and hoses regularly for issues. Signs of trouble include:

• Very loose or slack belts
• Belts that are too tight
• Fraying belt edges
• Cracked hose material
• Large puddles of liquid forming under your vehicle

Genuine OEM Belts and Hoses Perform Best

When you need to replace a faulty belt or hose, get the best for your vehicle. The belts and hoses that your manufacturer makes are the only ones guaranteed to be compatible with your model, delivering the ideal fit and performance. Our online auto parts store has everything you need in stock and ready to ship. Buy today!