I just found out that my recently purchased 95 Legacy wagon had its timing belt changed at 91,000 miles in 1999. That's good, because now I know it has been done and know for sue it doesn't need taken care of. Are we supposed to wait another 100,000 miles to change the belt a second time, or is it different after the initial swap?

Hi,

 

In theory, the replacement interval should be the same, belt after belt. My personal philosophy is that other things besides the belt itself may impact the interval and so I would do it a bit sooner than recommended.

 

Since you didn't do the replacement yourself, you don't know whether the idler was replaced or what condition it's in. A worn idler can markedly shorten belt life. Also, will the teeth in the cams and crank build up oily junk which will degrade the belt? Of course, if you get the infamous oil seal leaks, you'll be in there much earlier :-)

 

A personal decision, but weigh the downside of a broken belt with the minimal hassle of replacing the belt early.

 

Regards,

Adnan