I just bought a used Tribute and have been getting conflicting information on whether it has a timing chain or timing belt! It has 102,000 miles on it so it's kind of important to find out which one! Any factual information would be greatly appreciated!

 

Well the 3.0 V6 does not have a timing belt. It has a timing chain.

Suppose thats good news

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think you can see the chain when you remove the oil filler cap.

 

On the V6 engine you can see the timing chain thru oil filler opening. Tribute with V6 engine has always used a timing chain from 01-06. The 2.3l 4 cylinder used in the Tribute in 05 and 06 is also chain driven.
The 2.0l 4 cylinder engine in the 01-04 Tribute is the only one that has a timing belt.

 

ahhhh, ok, so lesson learned for me...to post what kind of vehicle. It's a 2001 mazda tribute dx, 2.3L 4 cylinder. I guess that's why I keep getting different answers! Even the dealership told me today it was a CHAIN. But if babybuey is correct it's a BELT. That may be the least of my worries anyhow, tonight I lost all power to it on my way to work! So if anyone can help with this I am changing the subject a little, I know, but.....I have a manual transmission, and today when I would take it out of gear into neutral it would rev up to about 3.2 on the RPM gauge.After I would come to a complete stop it would go backdown to 1.0 like normal, it was only if the car was moving that it reved up (and I was not touchingeither the gas or clutch pedal.Then tonight I lost all power. And I do mean ALL. Thanks all you guys for your help! Feeling like my first car buying experience without a husband has gone very very very badly!

 

Babyhuey is 100 % correct, I purchased the "Haynes" repair manual for Escape/Tribute 2001-2003 and it's stated there and it shows pictures of both engines without thevalve covers.

 

I own a 2001 Mazda tribute V6 with 202,000klm's and have NEVER changed the timing belt/chain. Am I pushing my luck?

 

Nope, it has a chain for each cylinder bank and many many Tributes in NZ have 250,000Km's and more on the original chains.

If they aren't noisy then all is normally well, if they go noisy then it should be investigated to see if a tensioner has failed.

The spec on life of the chains is, I believe, the life of the engine...

 

Thanks Simonsi, you've saved me an expensive visit to a dealer