Normal, aftermarket Gates belts will look like this after a short while but stay in this condition for years.
problem with Gates serpentine belt kit
- Thread starter UNC174
- Start date
It was replaced when I put the Bando on. My thought was a bad tensioner (Gates) but it checked out. Swapped the belt and the noise was instantly gone.
The Bando was definitely a bit longer than the Gates, more so than you’d expect with only 6k miles on it. Makes me wish I had paid attention when I swapped out the OE belt.
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Aren't we talking about serpentine belts and not timing belts?
good to hear...it was such a pain in the a** to get on that I'd rather not repeat the job any time soon!
Quit buying Gates years ago, like Bando and use it most often
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- Aug 3, 2024
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- 230
I put a new Gates belt on my Frontier to replace the old Gates belt I installed 5 trouble-free years earlier (I replace serpentine belts every 5 years regardless of condition). After barely a year I started getting chirping noises that lasted for several minutes after a cold start. I used a mechanic's stethoscope on every accessory but couldn't isolate the source of the noise. I did a little research on this very site and the common conclusion was the belt itself and OEM was the way to go, so that's the way I went.
Problem solved, next time it'll be buy once/cry once.
Problem solved, next time it'll be buy once/cry once.
Similar to hoses, OE EPDM belts rarely need replacement now. 15 years/150K is not uncommon on the original belt.
Gates is definitely junk now. I recommend users to avoid their products, if there are other options available. Not to mention the service department at gates is terrible also nowadays. It's unfortunate, gates was a reputable oem supplier once upon a time. Times have changed.
This more or less happened with me also. I even called gates to try and get warranty or some kind of help and they didn't care. Gates insisted I had the correct belt. According to Their computer! I sent them photos and explained I replaced all parts as a kit. I highly recommend avoiding gates. I'm sharing my experience with gates belt kits so others can save themselves the time and money.
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- Dec 11, 2025
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- 9
I just installed a Dayco kit on my Tundra, belt, tensioner, idler, Everything fit fine , except the new idler pulley was squeaking, confirmed with a stethoscope. Exchanged just the one pulley and its quiet now...Last belt I installed was a Continental, just started to crack after 50,000 miles.
Gates. I can't remember now. It wasn't the exact Sam looking but
Bando for the win theese days!
I just replaced my OE belt (12 years, 103K miles) with a Continental. Here's a pic of the OE belt. I found it interesting that it has absolutely no text anywhere on it...is that normal for factory parts? It could have all worn off too, but I would imagine still being able to see a spec of paint even if worn. I assume being Honda the OE was either Bando or Mitsuboshi.
I just wanted to edit, it was this one not the 307A.I had the Gates TCKWP307A kit installed on my '03 Subaru Baja on 06/25/25 and it's been problem free and performing great
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