If you search for a Subaru Sambar alternator belt, you'll find seven different belts — and they are not interchangeable. Order the wrong one and it will either be too short to fit over the pulleys or too long to tension properly.
The good news is that narrowing it down takes about thirty seconds once you know what to look at.
Three questions decide which belt you need
1. Which generation is your Sambar?
The KS and KV chassis codes cover roughly 1990–1998. TT, TV and TW cover 1999 onward. If you're not sure which you have, our model code guide walks through identifying it, and how to find your chassis number shows you where the plate lives.
2. Carbureted, EFI, or supercharged?
All of these are EN07 engines, but the accessory drive differs. Carbureted trucks are the earlier ones. EFI arrived partway through the KS/KV run. Supercharged models have an extra belt-driven supercharger — more on that below.
3. Does your truck have air conditioning?
This is the one people miss. A/C adds a compressor pulley to the belt path, which means a longer belt. A Sambar with A/C and the same truck without it take completely different part numbers.
The chart
| Your Sambar | Engine | A/C | Belt | Size code | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1996 | Carbureted | Yes | Alternator Belt 1990-1996 Carbureted with AC | 4PK895 | $36 |
| 1996–1998 | Carbureted | Yes | Alternator Belt 1996-1998 Carb with AC | 4PK840L | $30 |
| KS / KV | Carbureted | No | Alternator Belt – Carb without AC | MPMF1285T | $32 |
| 1995–1996 | EFI | Yes | Alternator Belt 1995-1996 EFI with AC | 4PK825 | $30 |
| 1997–1998 | EFI or Supercharged | Yes | Alternator Belt – Supercharged or 1997-98 EFI with AC | 4PK940 | $30 |
| KS / KV | EFI or Supercharged | No | Alternator Belt – Supercharged or EFI without AC | 4PK650 | $30 |
| TT / TV / TW | Supercharged | — | Alternator Belt – TT/TV/TW Supercharged | 4PK920 | $36 |
Supercharged? You have a second belt
This trips people up constantly. On a supercharged Sambar the supercharger is driven by its own belt, separate from the alternator belt. Replacing one does not replace the other, and a worn supercharger belt will slip under boost long before it snaps.
- KS / KV supercharged: Supercharger Pulley Belt – KS-KV — 4PK735, $36
- TT / TV / TW 1999–2004: Supercharger Pulley Belt – TT/TV/TW 1999-2004 — 4PK725, $36
If you're in there anyway, do both at the same time. The labour overlaps almost completely.
Read the code off your old belt
Every one of these belts has its size printed on the back — something like 4PK895. That code is the answer, and it beats guessing from year alone:
- 4PK means four ribs in a poly-V profile
- 895 is the effective length in millimetres
So a 4PK895 is a four-rib belt, 895 mm long. If your old belt is legible, match the code to the chart above and you're done. If it's cracked, glazed or the printing has worn away, work through the three questions instead.
One caution: a previous owner may have fitted whatever was on the shelf. If the code on the belt you pull off doesn't match what the chart says for your truck, trust the chart — or send us your chassis number and we'll check.
When to replace it
An accessory belt is a wear item. Replace it if you see:
- Cracks across the ribs, or chunks missing
- A shiny, glazed look on the contact face — that's slip
- Squealing on cold start or when the A/C kicks in
- Charge warning light flickering at idle, which can mean the belt is slipping on the alternator pulley
Belts are cheap and the failure is inconvenient: lose the alternator belt and you lose charging, so the truck runs on battery alone until it doesn't. Not a thing to ride out.
While you're under the hood
If your Sambar is anywhere near 100,000 km on the original timing belt, that's the bigger job and the more expensive failure. The EN07 timing belt interval and what's involved is covered in our timing belt guide, and our 5-piece timing belt kit covers all EN07 engines across TV, TT, KV and KS.
Still not sure?
Send us your chassis number and we'll confirm the right belt before you order. We'd rather spend two minutes checking than have you wait on a return.