CriticalCommonEngine

Toyota Land Cruiser: 1HZ timing belt, tensioner and water pump replacement overdue (4.2 1HZ diesel)

1HZ timing belt, tensioner and water pump replacement overdue (4.2 1HZ diesel) is a common engine fault on the Toyota Land Cruiser on the 1990–2007 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs ≈A$550 to ≈A$1,100 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 46 documented faults on the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Vehicle: Toyota Land Cruiser
Engine: 1HZ
Years: 1990–2007
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Toyota Land Cruiser as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Land Cruiser faults46 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Timing belt or Water pump yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The 4.2 litre 1HZ diesel drives its single camshaft with a rubber timing belt; the crank and injection pump run through gears in the front case, but there is no timing chain. Toyota's interval is 100,000 km, and a snapped or wrongly fitted belt stops the engine and can cause expensive damage, so an unknown belt history should be treated as due. The kit normally includes the tensioner, cam, crank and pump seals, and most owners fit a water pump in the same job.

What you would notice

No record of a belt change in the last 100,000 km or 5 to 6 years
Oil weeping from the front of the engine behind the timing cover (cam or crank seal)
Squeal or ticking from the front of the engine at idle

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the engine behind the timing belt cover

Ask for invoices showing the timing belt kit with date and odometer reading; many owners also write the date on the timing cover or stick a label on the radiator support, so look with a phone torch.
Look under the front of the engine for oil drips from the cam or crank seals, which contaminate the belt.
Listen at idle for squealing or ticking from the timing cover.
If a workshop inspection is possible: remove the top timing cover to inspect the belt for cracks, glazing and oil contamination and check the tensioner.

Parts involved: Timing belt, Water pump.

What it costs to put right

≈A$550 to ≈A$1,100 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, converted to Australian dollars, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“When was the timing belt last replaced, and at what odometer reading?”
“Do you have the invoice or a sticker showing the belt change?”
“Were the tensioner and water pump replaced at the same time?”

Now check the Toyota Land Cruiser you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car still has money owing on it, has been written off or reported stolen, what kms it showed in past sale ads, whether it has had accident repair claims and what it is worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate and its state for the A$17.90 Vehicle Check, or the full history from A$24.99.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Wikipedia: Toyota HZ engine (1HZ uses a timing belt to drive the camshaft)
australiancar.reviews: Toyota 1HZ engine (SOHC driven by timing belt; 80 Series 1990-98)
ExplorOz forum: Timing belt 1HZ motor (valves contact pistons if the belt fails)
HD Automotive: timing belt kit inc water pump 1HZ 1HDT for HZJ80
Bunnings/Basco timing belt kit for Landcruiser HZJ70R HZJ75R HZJ80R 1HZ

Toyota Land Cruiser buyer questions

Is 1hz timing belt, tensioner and water pump replacement overdue (4.2 1hz diesel) serious on a Toyota Land Cruiser?

We rate it critical and common on the Toyota Land Cruiser. The 4.2 litre 1HZ diesel drives its single camshaft with a rubber timing belt; the crank and injection pump run through gears in the front case, but there is no timing chain. Toyota's interval is 100,000 km, and a snapped or wrongly fitted belt stops the engine and can cause expensive damage, so an unknown belt history should be treated as due. The kit normally includes the tensioner, cam, crank and pump seals, and most owners fit a water pump in the same job.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Land Cruiser?

≈A$550 to ≈A$1,100 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Land Cruiser years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1990–2007 Toyota Land Cruiser. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Ask for invoices showing the timing belt kit with date and odometer reading; many owners also write the date on the timing cover or stick a label on the radiator support, so look with a phone torch. Look under the front of the engine for oil drips from the cam or crank seals, which contaminate the belt. Listen at idle for squealing or ticking from the timing cover. If a workshop inspection is possible: remove the top timing cover to inspect the belt for cracks, glazing and oil contamination and check the tensioner. Look here: Front of the engine behind the timing belt cover