Hello all , this is my first post. I just picked up my first xterra ,a 2000 with 122k on it . My question is , is there any way to inspect the timing belt to see if any one has replaced it, or to see what kind of shape it's in ? I would like to get it squared away before the snow.

thanks for any help !

If there is any doubt, just go ahead and do it. The work to pull all of the stuff off of the front of the engine to see it, is the hard part. Getting to that point and not changing it would just be stupid.

What he said.

There is no way to look at it without taking off all the stuff needed to replace it. So why not go ahead and have the stuff done while you are in there.

Unless you can do it yourself then it should be easy to spot if it has been done.

Thanks for the information on the belt. I guess I'll just tear it apart and do it. Better safe than sorry.

x2 on what was said earlier.

The problem is, depending on where you got it, it may or may not have been done, I'd lean to probably not. It's supposed to be replaced by 105k, so at 122k, it "should" have been done, but I've known a lot of folks that press their luck and don't do it until 140k+. Now, it you got it from a private sale and the previous owner didn't say s/he had done it, most likely it hasn't. If you got it from a dealer, same thing applies, only the dealer probably WOULDN'T do it if they didn't have to. They'd just let it go to the next owner and let them pay the shop to do it (more $$$ for them in the long run).

So the end result is, you're probably pretty safe to bet that it hasn't been done. So go ahead and tear it apart and do it anyway.

-G

When my timing belt was replaced the dealer stuck a small metal decal under the hood that had the mileage etched in.

When you do the timing belt, don't forget the pins, and do the water pump too while you're in there, its typically due as well.

Bought mine used with 137K, and it had not been done. I took it to a mechanic, and he said that typically a shop will put a sticker under the hood if it has been done. I got to watch mine be replaced ... no good way to inspect it without tearing off just about everything you need to replace it. You may consider going ahead and doing your intake and valve cover gaskets as well, and going through the coolant connections from the front of the engine to the back. Mine was gunked up, so we just replaced the connection at the thermostat, the pipe leading to the back, and the connection at the back of the engine. If you dig that far down, I'd recommend replacing the various coolant hoses too, a couple of short ones on the backside of the engine that are hard to get to, but would be easier while you've got the upper intake off.

AND, make note of where the various bolts go for the covers on the front of the engine, because they are not all the same length, but it's not obvious that they aren't.