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dreaded valve cover leak

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Old 08-21-2009, 12:08 PM
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dreaded valve cover leak

g35driver has saved me a ton of cash once again! based on the sticky on the sedan forum i checked my spark plug tubes last night. i removed 2 and they were dripping with oil so i stopped and put everything back together.

i'll be making another trip to my local dealer for some more warranty work. that's the only time they see me. this will likely be ~$1200 of work, which is crazy. but the covers are plastic with integrated seals so the whole cover needs to be replaced.

does anyone know if the spark plugs will be replaced under warranty as well?
 
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Old 08-21-2009, 02:24 PM
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Are you still covered under warrenty? U have an 04
 
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Old 08-21-2009, 02:56 PM
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I made this thread a while back

https://g35driver.com/forums/canada/...ck-thread.html

I thought I was going to have the issue cause I was a 03, however when I did a spark plug check, it was bone dry to my amazement *fingers crossed*.

I think the dealer can go either way with your spark plugs, if you a lot of milleage they will argue you are supposed to change it anyway.
 
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Old 08-21-2009, 03:13 PM
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i'm an '04 with 78k kms so yes i am still under warranty. powertrain is 6yrs/110k kms. i just got back from the dealer who confirmed that both sides need to be replaced next week when i take it in. i forgot to ask them about the plugs, but they are scheduled for replacement at 160k kms so i have lots of life left on the originals. i may want them changed out since they are soaked in oil - i'll make sure the dealer knows that.
 

Last edited by canucklehead; 08-21-2009 at 03:28 PM.
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Old 08-21-2009, 04:50 PM
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Good find Canucklehead. There certainly are more issues with the VQ then I would expect especially as Ward's keeps loving it.
 
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Old 08-23-2009, 08:37 PM
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is there not an upgraded valve cover for you guys? The 03 maximas had this problem, so the fix is to buy the 04 valve covers and problem is solved. Thicker plastic and better seals.
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 10:52 AM
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the work was done yesterday at AutoWest. great service. they replaced both valve cover & related parts, as well as inspected and cleaned the spark plugs. the plugs were not replaced with new plugs. i was given a G37X as a loaner, not crazy about the auto tranny though.

they also found a leak from the oil cooler and fixed that under warranty as well - and cleaned up the mess the leak had made. i had them do an oil change (using my oil) and a power steering service so all-in i paid $160. i don't feel bad throwing them a bit of business since they have been good to me - a tranny replacement last year was a breeze as well.

an interesting note is that only 2 hrs labour were paid by Infiniti for the valve cover replacement. the service rep said that normally they charge 3.5hrs for one, 5hrs for both. i would have paid ~$1500 for this work. this might be why some dealers rank warranty work as a last priority.

FYI - i have the part numbers needed for the valve cover job if anyone needs them.
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 11:01 AM
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Canucklehead, please post the part #s for the valve cover repair. I pretty much know what they are, but just in case it's nice to have a 2nd reference.

Glad you found this before the warranty was up. I missed it by 2 weeks.... yeah... no comment. I did contact Nissan about this, not much success, but still going to try a few other things before I throw in the towel.

As for the hours the dealer wants to charge.... they are nuts! I'm sorry, but this is NOT a 5 hour job! Once I to do this (leak is very minor at the moment), I'm going to replace them myself; I've been quoted $1000 for one side.... again, NUTS! Not to mention, I don't trust the people who would be working on the car.
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 11:20 AM
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ok, will do tonight when i get home.
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 12:05 PM
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2 hrs was paid, bc its only a 2 hour job. 5 hrs to do it is a compete scam

+1 on the part #'s
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 01:32 PM
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please post part numbers.
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 01:53 PM
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Originally Posted by str8dum1
2 hrs was paid, bc its only a 2 hour job. 5 hrs to do it is a compete scam
yup, as are most jobs that are done "by the book" that is used by the majority of dealers. that's why i go to independents that i trust for almost all work.

to be honest, i find 2 hrs a bit light. i think 3 hrs for both sides would be reasonable. there's a lot of junk to remove etc...
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 02:12 PM
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is this just a sedan problem or a coupe also?
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 02:54 PM
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^ universal. same engine, same valve covers etc...
 
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Old 08-28-2009, 03:52 PM
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^ i'm afraid to check now...but i'm guessing i'm out of warranty 2003.1 w/ ~70k km, and i'm guessing since I have the crawford plenum i'm voiding my warranty?
 


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