Do I really need a NEW valve cover?? 2008 Infiniti G35X 155k miles


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Old 01-19-17, 06:24 AM
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Do I really need a NEW valve cover?? 2008 Infiniti G35X 155k miles

Car is at dealer to correct a previous unrelated repair. They told me there was oil visible by the right side valve cover, and the repair would cost $578 ??? They want to replace the entire cover, not just the gasket, why would that be? He stated the O-rings (apparently attached to the valve cover?) are bad. He even gave me a price on replacement of BOTH valve covers in the event I wanted to replace them in pairs. Really?? Every time I go to the dealer, it's something else, and several thousand dollars by the time I leave.

He then said there is a leak in the oil cooler, near the bottom of the radiator, and needs a new o-ring, at a cost of $219. I do not see any oil on the ground, and the oil level was fine. May just wait this one out, I feel like they are looking for repairs to makes since the corrective repair its in for will most likely be no charge.

Lastly, it was recommended to replace the upper radiator hose, at a cost of $198, apparently coolant was seen around the clamp. hose was replaced in 2013, would it really need to be replaced again already? I may just keep an eye on it, and attempt to replace myself if need be, found the hose online for $12. I know these cars are harder to work on, but I did most of my own repairs & maintenance back in the day on my 79 Pontiac.
 
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Old 01-19-17, 07:59 AM
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I would think the only reason to replace the valve cover is if it got damaged/warped. Might be time to find a good independent shop ..... or go back to working on it yourself
 
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Old 01-19-17, 09:05 AM
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They have a nice waiting room and a cappuccino machine, right?

I second mark's suggestion of a good independent garage. I never recommend dealer service departments except for warranty, recall, and a few proprietary equipment service/repairs. Other than that any good garage can handle your service needs.

 
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Old 01-19-17, 02:15 PM
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Dealer does have a nice waiting room and coffee/bagels, but the real perk is the "free" loaner, which I need to get to work and kids activities. If I need to leave the car a few days for diagnosis/parts order and then repair, that won't work, and not all can be done on a Saturday.

I just watched a u-tube video on installation of oil cooler o-ring, and once the oil filter is off, it's a 5-minute procedure. Why on earth would the dealer charge $200?? I will definitely challenge that one tomorrow.
 
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Old 01-19-17, 02:22 PM
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Why on earth would the dealer charge $200??
Because they can ..... and many won't even question it
 
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Old 01-19-17, 04:16 PM
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Mark knocks another one out of the park.
 
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Old 01-19-17, 07:28 PM
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sorry to say they are not trying pull a fast one on you. first they used cheep rubber that hardens over time , and then they molded them into the valve cover. so far Nissan and infiniti are the only ones to do it. and guess who the only suppler of the valve covers are???? as for the hoses they love to crust up on the metal when you have the hoses off be ready to scrape and use a screw clamp.
 
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Old 01-20-17, 10:53 AM
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Rockauto shows valve cover gaskets available for this car .. why would you have to change the covers?
 
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Old 01-20-17, 11:56 AM
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Here's something I've been doing quite a while and it seems to help. When I remove a hose for replacement or some repair, I grease the outlet/inlet with a product called Sil-Glyde. Not in the hose but on the engine, pump, radiator "nipple" itself. Use it like pipe dope and put a decent film around the leading edge so that as you put the hose on, it pushes the material back. Give the hose a few twists then tighten the clamps. Even thousands of miles later the hose will normally come off with a simple twist and pull. The lube will not hurt plastic, rubber, aluminum, etc and is heat resistant to 400 degrees.

I just pulled the hoses off my Verona at 81K miles. Never been off before. Didn't have/couldn't find the right pliers to take those monster grip factory spring clamps off. Had to use whatever worked. Took almost an hour for just the lower rad hose.

There were moments when $200 would have seemed cheap to me.

Personally, I can't believe you should have to pay $578 for a single valve cover replacement. I found new covers on Ebay and Amazon for around $200. This is one of those times when finding a good independent shop is worth it. I presume it's out of warranty? Dealers go by what the computer tells them the job is worth, even if it really takes half the time. An independent may know a trick or shortcut that allows them to do it in 1/2 the time at a standard hourly rate.

Had a 98 Dakota that I was too stupid to replace the thermostat hose on when I replaced the timing chain. Split 200 miles from home. The standard repair is to take all the accessories off the front , remove the one piece mounting bracket for said accessories, replace the hose and reassemble. All this for a $5 hose. Dealer said 4 hrs, about $250. Took it to a small shop, guy said 1 hr, $54 an hour. He took the serp belt off, disconnected electrical and pulled the front bracket with accessories attached all as one unit. Replaced the hose and reinstalled everything. About 30 min total.

Find a specialized shop and support the independent.
 

Last edited by Gunguy45; 01-20-17 at 12:28 PM.
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Old 01-20-17, 01:59 PM
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Just like Lexus, Infinity is a large pile of stuff flies like to hover above, just lesser quality and reliability. You touch it with long pole and it produces a lot of expensive stink.
Entire job is about an hour for a rookie and about 60-70 bucks. And this is why this is(no, not Sparta) DIY forum and things like this should not be paying for dealer new wingtips.
Or, even an independent. As most of them ain't much cheaper either. It's a straight cut DIY job.
 
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Old 01-20-17, 05:53 PM
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off it's a 5 minute job (they are also doing an oil service while the car is there). So why so costly? He says they don't need to take the oil filter off to replace this seal ... they can go from behind or underneath. ?? Well, I watched 2 utube videos on this repair, 1 was a 07 or 08 M35 (next model up from mine) and the other was a Nissan Xtera. Once filter was off, removed the center bolt, and off comes the cover for the seal. I won't know until I get in there, but can my car be that different?? I'm thinking no.

Will need to research the valve cover a bit more before tackling myself. My only concern is what needs to be disassembled just to GET to the cover. I've replace many valve cover gaskets in my day, but they were pretty accessible on my 403 big block!

I want to thank everyone for your input, these are the kinds of things I need to hear to motivate the DIY'er in me!
 
 

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