I think she has a 2.7, 4 cylinder 4X4 over 100k miles.|||You only need to mess with the chain if you are hearing noise from it.
It is not a scheduled maint interval on a chain.|||It should be done around 70,000-90,000 miles.|||No.|||I would not change the timing chain, unless it was bad. But , no it is not part of the regular maintenance.|||I disagree with those who say that it isn%26#039;t part of regular maintenance. ANYTHING which can go bad should be considered part of normal regular maintenance.
Timing chains do have lifetimes. Some are less at 70-100K miles and others last 300K miles. Depends on kind.
Most ways, it%26#039;s expected to go about 100K miles. I drive a 1991 Corolla that had 180K miles on it before the chain broke on me, and i was lucky, because if the chain breaks while driving (which is ONLY time it would break!!), then the pieces of the chain can cause internal damage to engine. It didn%26#039;t to mine but I was lucky.
Virtually everything on a car has regular maintenance. Some things are frequent maintenance like brakes and some are longer maintenance like tires. Brakes usually go about 1 year before needing to replace the parts, but those parts are MADE to be replaced. You can keep drving on those worn parts, and that will cause greater damage to parts that shouldn%26#039;t need replacing. Same thing as if a chain breaks on you.
On the engine or motor, there are parts that you just usually don%26#039;t get around to replacing UNTIL they break. Alternator, water pump, are couple of them. But you can tell when things are getting worn.
On some cars, especially some Toyotas, you can take off part of the front cover over the timing chain/belt, and see its condition.
One good thing, is if you ever do replace it, check on condition of the waterpump, because it sits right behind the timing chain, and is much better to get replaced at same time, than wait til it breaks and then spend all the same labor costs all over again. The pump cost me only $70 (cheap car) and I saved $300 on extra labor if I%26#039;d have done it months later.
So, to be safe, you can always have the chain/belt changed out every 100,000 miles. It%26#039;s about $300 every ten years. So doing it now, and also checking the water pump, will be good, especially if you%26#039;re working on the original ones in the TAcoma!! Then you%26#039;ll be safe and SECURE in the knowledge that those parts are already changed and brand new, able to last another ten years!! Rather than just driving until it breaks, pay towing fee of $150, etc, when you could have set the time yourself to change it out, rather than let the break fix the time for you!!
Admittedly, timing chains/belts aren%26#039;t considered normal maintenance, but this is something that should be considered, especially if you want to keep your Tacoma in prime great running condition.
