[Scotman]

Hi everyone. I have a 98 Rav4 2 wheel drive that I just fiinished putting a timing belt and a water pump in. After I put it in it would not start and it smoked a lot out of the tail pipe when I tried it. I am hoping this is maybe due to having the front end & motor jacked up for the last day and a half. I went out a half hour later after being depressed and pondering what I could have done wrong and it started. It started rough and smoked a bit but it did start. A little water even came out of the tail pipe. Again I am hoping this is due to being jacked up and maybe changing the water pump and fluid had something to do with it. It quickly started idling better and I drove it around and it runs just fine.
I didn't check the timing before I started this project but after driving it around I put a light on it and it was 4-5 degrees BTDC at idle which was about 700 rpm . Is that about right? I hope so because I see no way of adjusting it except to take it apart again and adjust the belt.
Also, when I drive it there is a slight water slushing noise that seems to be coming from behind the glove box ......heater core? Should I have drained and refilled the coolant system in a special way? It sound like I may have an air pocket in the system somewhere.
I have no leaks anywhere.
Thanks in advance for any advice you might have,
Scott

 

[Jeff]

I assume you drained and refilled your coolant when you performed the above mentioned work. Anyway, the slushing sound you hear are the air pockets moving through the system. I always get a little air in the system when I flush the coolant, and it always works its way out on its own within a week or two. Just check the coolant level every few days, because as the air makes its way out the coolant level goes down.

Can't help you on the timing belt because I have a timing chain.

 

[Stelly]

I read this post last night and looked in my Haynes and haven't come up with a conclusive answer. I have replace 3 timing belts on these and have had one done. I have always set it at DTC, lined up the marks, double checked it before putting back together and the have been right on. I believe the computer does the fine tuning and adjustment. Nothing is mentioned on how to reset the timing.
Sorry I can't help you on this.

And I agree with Jeff, the air bubbles will work out in a couple days.

 

[Scotman]

Well my wife took it to work today and she said it ran fine. I'd feel better about it if it would have started right up the first time but it seems to be OK right now.
As far as the timing goes if you pay $10 you can access technical info on the Toyota website. I did that and it says that to check the timing you need to hook up the code reader thing or whatever it is to the plug under the dash and then use a timing light. It said the timing should be 8-12 BTDC. This concerned me but when I read further it said that to double check it you can just use the timing light and it should then be 0-10 BTDC. I just used the light because I did not have anything else and mine is at 4-5 BTDC. That makes me think I got it right. I was very careful to mark the crank pulley and the camshaft pulley before I took the old belt off at TDC. That is why I was so irrirated when it would not start at first, I could not figure out how I could have done anything any better. I was thinking I could have scratched that timing sensor but I was careful around that. Hopefully it is as it seems and everything is OK and the air pockets will work out as you say.
One interesting note when I bought the power steering belt and the A/C /alternator belt (Gates) at OReilly's I priced the water pump and a new one was $35. The dealer one was $95. I bought it from the dealer thinking there had to be a difference in quality for that much of a price difference. I also bought the timing belt at the dealer.
Thanks for your help. I'm just glad to have it running with no extra parts or bolts
Scott

 

[xosop]

Scott,

Where did you find the tech info on Toyota's website? I looked around for it but I couldn't find anywhere you could pay for tech help. Is it a one time access for $10 or do you get unlimited access?

 

[Jeff]

http://techinfo.toyota.com/

Daily $10.00 US
Monthly $50.00 US
Yearly $350.00 US

 

[Scotman]

I paid the $10 dollars and ended up getting most of one day and till midnight the next day.
I spent about 3 hours downloading all the PDF files for my Rav4 in case I ever needed any of them in the future.
Scott

 

[ag0w]

If your car has OBDC I - you check the timing by shorting TE1 and E1 in the Diagnostics block and this tells the ECU to move the timing to what it thinks is 10 BTDC and you then adjust it to 10 with a timing light by adjusting the distributor

You cant set the timing without putting the car in diagnostic as you have no way of telling how much it is retarding or advancing the ignition

 

[xosop]

Just a quick question for you guys that have used the TIS system with Toyota. Do you have broadband or dial-up? I still have a dialup connection and was just curious how large the files are. I want to download the info for my 97 and if I could get all the files within the one day time period that seems like a good deal. Also, are the files the info from the Toyota factory service manuals?

thanks

 

[franco90]

share the goodies

hey Scotman
Can you hook me up with pdf's I am planning to change my timing belt and water pump when I get back to the states in Oct. how hard is it to replace timing belt. also what else do I need to do to get a good tune up on my rav4.
thanks franco 8)

 

[alkoholik]

I need help on my timing. My dad took it apart. And I put a new belt on thinking he didnt turn anything. But the Rav would not start. Chilton's manual says, for you to set crankshaft to 0 and camshaft to TDC. It starts, but engine dies idling, bad fuel flow to sparks. Checked my sparks and they're all black. Will set mine at 5 today.

Scotsman may I get some of those pdf about timing belt?

 

[wojeepster]

The timing belt sets cam timing (when the valves open and close in relation to the piston) it does not have any effect on ignition timing (when the spark plug fires in relation to the piston) unless you have a distributor that is turned by the timing belt. Mine is dis (distrubutorless ignition system) If you set the cogs correctly with the belt tensioned properly you are done.

 

[tmc-au]

http://techinfo.toyota.com/

Daily $10.00 US
Monthly $50.00 US
Yearly $350.00 US

Of course you can't use this service if yuore say... in Australia or UK. The registration system demands an USA based address that matches the CC address..

Sucky

 

[brett gazdzinski]

Yes, ignition timing is set by the crank position sensor, not the timing belt or cam.
Cam timing has to be right, and I think it can be 180 out of you turn things after the belt is off.
The CPS is triggered by the damper (big pully) on most motors.

The best tip is to make sure the distributor points to number one sparkplug,
or the crank position sensor trigger lines up when both valves are closed on number one.

Water out the exhaust is NORMAL on starting a cold engine, its from the catalytic converters and condensation.


Brett