By Gary Goms
Import Specialist Contributor

Several years ago, the phone rang about 10 a.m. with a voice on the other end introducing herself as the service writer for a well-known import shop in a nearby state. The conversation revealed that the son of a very good customer had broken the timing belt on his 2000 Toyota 4Runner. Based upon the mileage of the vehicle, the import shop had previously recommended a timing belt replacement on the 3.4 L engine, but the owner had postponed the replacement until after his planned trip.

According to the service writer, the 4Runner had spent several weeks at a shop in a neighboring community having a new timing belt and water pump installed. The neighboring shop evidently couldn’t get the engine to start, so the service writer asked if I would have time to check it out and, if possible, get their customer’s vehicle on the road again. Obviously, there was more to the story than just a broken timing belt, but I, ne...