How to Look for Wear or Cracks on Belts in a Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma was the first truck Toyota actually gave a name to, with other models simply being known as "Truck" or "Pickup." Some owners prefer to do routine maintenance checks themselves, which should include inspecting your engine's drive belts periodically. Toyota recommends inspecting the belts every 15,000 miles to ensure you're not driving with the risk of a belt breaking.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Open the hood of your Toyota Tacoma. If you've driven your truck within the last 30 minutes, give it some time to cool off before getting started.

2. Look for three drive belts. You can find these belts near the alternator, water pump, air conditioning compressor and power steering pump. You won't have an a/c compressor, if your truck isn't equipped with air.

3. Do a visual inspection of the belts in your Toyota Tacoma. Look for any cracks or fraying in the belts. If you have a newer Tacoma that has ribbed V-belts, check the sides of the belt for cracks, as well.

4. Run your hands along the length of the belts. If you feel any smooth spots or glossiness, this is a sign of a worn belt. If your truck has the ribbed belts, feel to ensure that the ribs are still prominent. If they're getting worn down, it's time to replace the belt.

5. Check the Toyota Tacoma's belts to see if there is any oil on them. If you find any, this could be a sign of a serious oil leak, so replace the belt right away and correct the source of the leak.

6. Close the hood of your Toyota Tacoma. Think about what you've found and replace the belts, if you find any damage on them. Note that it's wise to replace all the belts in trucks with multiple belts, even if only one needs it at the time.

Resources

• Replacement belts for Toyota Tacoma (1995-2007).

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