Why there is a diffrence in Timing belt Change Duration Between 3VZFE and 1MZFE Engines

[K8Canb]

Hello Everyone,

I have two Camry sedans, 1995 Camry Vienta with 3VZFE and 2005 Camry Altise with 1MZFE. The engines on these cars are quite similar construction; except that 1MZFE is a refined engine over 3VZFE and has few extras like knock sensors for each cylinder, aluminium alloy to make it lighter. The timing belt in both the engines looks similar in construction and also made up of similar material. However, the duration for timing belt change is quite different engines. It is 100000 kms for 3VZFE where as 150000 for 1MZFE. That is 50000 kms difference. I am wondering why?

Another difference is time to change the spark plugs; for 3VZFE 100000 kms and 1MZFE it is 90000 kms. Any reason for this difference?

Thanks in advance.

K8Canb

[K8Canb]

Hello Everyone,

I have two Camry sedans, 1995 Camry Vienta with 3VZFE and 2005 Camry Altise with 1MZFE. The engines on these cars are quite similar construction; except that 1MZFE is a refined engine over 3VZFE and has few extras like knock sensors for each cylinder, aluminium alloy to make it lighter. The timing belt in both the engines looks similar in construction and also made up of similar material. However, the duration for timing belt change is quite different engines. It is 100000 kms for 3VZFE where as 150000 for 1MZFE. That is 50000 kms difference. I am wondering why?

Another difference is time to change the spark plugs; for 3VZFE 100000 kms and 1MZFE it is 90000 kms. Any reason for this difference?

Thanks in advance.

K8Canb

I am curious to know this information, can someone knowledgable please provide the information?

Thanks in advance.

K8Canb

[Ronnyboy]

Not sure about this one..

Only thing that comes to mind is that 1MZFE is the new and improved model which was release in 2002 where as 3VZFE is from 1993, hence the reason the Timing belt can handle an extra 50K..

Andrew might be the best person to answer this as he is the Camry King :)

[Andrew357]

Not sure about this one..

Only thing that comes to mind is that 1MZFE is the new and improved model which was release in 2002 where as 3VZFE is from 1993, hence the reason the Timing belt can handle an extra 50K..

Andrew might be the best person to answer this as he is the Camry King :)

shhhh... SupaTouring Dave might hear you. He's the real Camry king.

For reference though, the production year of the 3vz-fe was 1991 (it was loosely based on the 3vz-e) and the 1mz-fe was released in 1994, but it is likely there have been a few revisions of the 1mz-fe since it's initial release.

edit: when I say likely, The Gen5 US Camry had the 1mz-fe with VVTi, No EGR, hydraulic engine mounts + active control engine mounts. Power upped to 156kW

I'm going to also put it down to the fact it is a newer engine design and newer technology (for the belt).

As for the spark change interval, I can't explain or even guess as to why. Developments in spark plug technology usually increase the time required for a change, not decrease.

[Ronnyboy]

shhhh... SupaTouring Dave might hear you. He's the real Camry king.

Ooooooooopsssssssss

[Wixy]

just a little heads up, when changing timing belt, never use crappy after market ones, if getting after market, get oe quality.

i had mine changed to a crappy off the shelf after market belt kit, and it sucks BIGTIME. sounds and performs poorly.

only reason why i had to go that option was because i was stranded in the middle of no where and that was the only belt kit avalaible - car broke down lol.

so there will be difference just between belt quality on the same engine type. i now have to change my in the next 50,000kms because though working properly up to 150,000kms, u wouldnt want to let it run past 50,000 as the knocking sounds the belt makes would seriously scare the pants off you.

[eviltwin]

A belt sounds and performs poorly? you have to be joking me right? if it performs poorly it breaks....

[Hiro]

The standard belts you get in just about every parts shop (Dayco, Bosch etc) are in most cases the same as the OEM belts, so unless it was a $2 special there shouldn't be "performance" issues. More likely it was either fitted incorrectly, or the tensioner is stuffed (which should usually be changed with the belt anyway, or at least every second change)

[Wixy]

The standard belts you get in just about every parts shop (Dayco, Bosch etc) are in most cases the same as the OEM belts, so unless it was a $2 special there shouldn't be "performance" issues. More likely it was either fitted incorrectly, or the tensioner is stuffed (which should usually be changed with the belt anyway, or at least every second change)

Yea...no, not joking. The Dayco kit that the dealer used for my Camry while it was stuck (literally in the middle of nowhere) was a poor quality timing belt kit. Yes, this is also the first I’ve heard of it. Full timing belt Dayco kits approved by manufacturers are of better quality as supposed to the kit that was used on my Camry. I was shown (in my mechanics garage) that while the timing belt was assembled properly, the belt grooves – grooves that catch the engine bearings/gears/whatever you want to call them – were of a slightly different shape compared to an existing Toyota approved Dayco belt in my hand. I might have exaggerated with the term ‘knocking’. It’s more of a distinct ‘ping-ing’ sound.

My suspicions also lead me to believe that the timing belt was not assembled properly, and that it would ‘break’ due to the dodgy ‘ping-ing’ sounds it was making, but my mechanic has assured me that if the timing belt breaks and causes any engine damage, or just ‘breaks’ in general, he would compensate me for all expenses incurred, plus reimburse me for towage to his centre, plus any material inconvenience caused, full stop (I also know where he lives..). I was advice to change it in 50,000kms time, or when the belt gets too ‘loud’ for me to handle, but not immediately, as it would almost seem like a waste for me to do so...

[eviltwin]

So he's fitted an incorrect belt?

[Andrew357]

Sounds like you didn't get the right belt as opposed to the belt not being up to standard.

[Wixy]

mmm but the whoop whoop dealer gave me the dayco box?

has the proper engine numbers and bearing weights and sizes on it....

maybe some black market dodgy timing belt product like those dodgy genuine toyota rubber brakes and tissue paper oil filters?

apparently its not the first time my mechanic has seen this type of quality on dayco products for gen 4 and 4.5 camrys

[eviltwin]

I maintain the belts incorrect , it would be a belt with rounded teeth rather than squared off teeth , theres a much better term for it but that would explain the noise your hearing.

[Guest]

I maintain the belts incorrect , it would be a belt with rounded teeth rather than squared off teeth , theres a much better term for it but that would explain the noise your hearing.

x2 dayco make a quality belt.

[Wixy]

I maintain the belts incorrect , it would be a belt with rounded teeth rather than squared off teeth , theres a much better term for it but that would explain the noise your hearing.

lol u changed your dp, couldnt stop laughing lol

yea could be the wrong belt, but that would mean dayco would somehow be retarded enough to give end users the wrong belt type....and that could be ultimate retardation if they screwed it up with differences of greater margin.

either way, the box states all technicals correctly, so i can only lay the blame game on dayco atm. i'll ask my mechanic how many 'incorrect', or rather, round teethed timing belts he's had to change for customers making complaints about these dodgy belt allocations.

[K8Canb]

Thanks everyone who replied to my post, in recent years car servising distances have been increased by most new models. It used to be 10000k or six months now it is 15000k or 12 monts whichever comes first. European carslike BMW servising is 25000k. It scares me bit as the oil should get dirty for suck long distances.

Thanks again for everyone who replied.

K8Canb

[Wixy]

Thanks everyone who replied to my post, in recent years car servising distances have been increased by most new models. It used to be 10000k or six months now it is 15000k or 12 monts whichever comes first. European carslike BMW servising is 25000k. It scares me bit as the oil should get dirty for suck long distances.

"german engineering" was always around the 20k/25k mark for service interval, and even though u may think u are saving lots by doing 20k services/pa, u really dont - they just charge you a craploads at each interval. Either way, i guess its about the design of the engine, rather than a need for a universal principle of 5k/10k service intervals for all engines. Ive seen a well looked after non oxidized fury red 89' 5series been driven to 350,000kms. Yes it may cost a bomb (literally) to service, esp at high intervals, but the engine still runs brilliantly - thus their so called "engineering" seems to work.

[69.NIX]

There isn't :o. I did mine every 100,000 on my 3vz along with the sparks and leads.