100 Series Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 470: Timing belt due, squeal or rattle from the front of the engine, or coolant and oil weeping at the front

Checks, in order

1. Service records
   Look for an invoice showing the belt, tensioner and water pump. No paperwork on a high-mileage truck means plan the job now instead of waiting for a failure.
   easy $ · under about $50
2. Water pump weep hole
   Shine a light at the front of the engine around the water pump and look for dried coolant crust or drips from the small weep hole. Any sign means the pump is done.
   easy $ · under about $50
3. Noise at the front
   Listen with a long screwdriver or stethoscope at the timing cover area and idler pulleys. A squeal or rattle that follows engine speed points to a pulley bearing or tensioner.
   medium $ · under about $50
4. Replace as a kit
   Common practice is belt, tensioner, idler pulleys and water pump together, often with the thermostat and front seals. The pump is easy to add once everything is already apart.
   hard $$$ · shop-level job, $500+
5. After the job
   If a cam or crank timing code or a rough run follows a belt job, recheck mark alignment and the sensor connectors that were disturbed before blaming the parts.
   hard $$ · about $50 to $500

Applies to: US-market UZJ100 Land Cruiser and Lexus LX 470, 1998 to 2007, with the 2UZ-FE 4.7L V8 (timing belt). AHC items apply to the LX 470 only; most US Land Cruisers have conventional shocks. Transmission is the A343F or A750F depending on year, so check the fluid spec for your truck.

Tools and parts for these checks

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Go deeper

• Toyota 2UZ-FE 4.7 V8: Specs, Reliability & High Mileage Guide

The same problem on other Toyotas

• Lexus GX 470 (2003–2009): Timing belt due or history unknown, coolant weep at the front of the engine

More 100 Series Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 470 problems

• Engine temperature gauge climbing, overheating or losing coolant (Cooling)
• Turn the key: click or nothing, engine won't crank (Starting & Charging)
• Engine cranks normally but won't start (Fuel & Ignition)
• Rough idle, stumbling or a misfire code (P0300 to P0308) (Fuel & Ignition)
• Check engine light with P0171, P0174 or air-fuel sensor codes (P2195, P2197) (Fuel & Ignition)
• Check engine light with secondary air injection codes (P2440, P2442, P2445, P0418), whirring at cold start (Emissions)

All 15 100 Series Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 470 symptoms in the interactive troubleshooter →

General guidance from owner experience. Confirm torque specs, fluid capacities and procedures in the factory service manual. Brakes, steering and anything structural: if in doubt, have a qualified shop inspect it before driving.