Need your collective opinions. My 2008 G35xS with 48K miles goes in for a re-look at the slight leak in the upper rad hose connection to radiator. The dealer had originally added a second clamp (the standard fix) and I had repositioned the clamp when I was still getting some coolant loss (only about an oz every couple months).

So, after looking it over and pulling the bottom engine cover, the dealer discovers that there is actually leakage from the head gasket on same side as the rad hose. So they order the gasket set and start the BIG tear down. This 15.0 hr job per the shop manual evolves into a few days and then I'm informed that they hear a clicking sound when testing after reassembly. When they removed the valve cover, they saw a hairline crack in the end of the right cam shaft.

They were almost begging me to tell them I had heard noise prior but that wasn't the case. They tell me to stop by for my loaner as it'll be 5 days before the NEW cam shaft and upper valve train gets in from Japan. When I get there and take a look, the entire front of the cam shaft is completely broken off. They claim that no one in their service dept is strong enough to snap a cam shaft but yet, there is the evidence. Hairline crack? Snapped cam shaft? hmmmm

This Infiniti dealer has butchered several jobs in the past for friends but mostly sloppy sunroof repair, etc...Usually they 'break something' during the course of 'fixing something'...but a broken cam shaft while replacing a head gasket? Seems very unlikely as the car had been driving fine other than the small coolant leak. Compression was fine, no cam or valve noise, etc.

What's done is done and I have a 2011 G37x as a loaner until the G35 is back in one piece. Am I being judgmental or does their reputation 'proceed them'? I've heard next to nothing on any cam shaft issues with the VQ35 and they admit this is their first time with this type of scenario.

Thoughts? Opinions?

 

I would call corporate asap. That is very unusual indeed.

 

Looks like newbie technicians get to practice on your car on Nissan's dime...WOOOT WOOOOT

 

They're not billing you for it, are they?

 

AseonVirus had a broken camshaft on his 07 as well..

 

No - under warranty - but there sure is a lot of carnage. I can tell by the way they are talking with me that 'something happened'...

 

^^ this




Sadly, I hear more and more of this kind of thing happening, and it's not just with Infiniti. I just think that, as a result of every repair being approached as a replaceable module, the technical competence of the average mechanic has gone way downhill from what it used to be. I hear the term "Master Mechanic" thrown around like it's supposed to mean something, but honestly, I don't think it means squat anymore... SAD. You might ask if they are continuing the repair with the same staff who messed it up in the first place, or if they are planning on having a corporate expert mechanic make a field trip out to your dealership (they do that!) since they've cracked open the engine.

 

I was hoping. Sounds like they effed it up for sure. The load that gets put on a motor would have revealed that real fast. I'd be politely demanding that the same mechanic NOT be allowed to continue the repair.

 

Hmmm broken cam shaft thats a tough part to just break, a hairline crack is possible, unless that camshaft just happen to be bad from the beginning of its creation. But aslong as theyre going to fix it i wouldn worry about it just make them put a different mechanic on the job.

 

I've seen a honda with a broken cam shaft once, it was due to the oil flow got blocked, and it overheated and seized, and totalled the motor (while driving on the highway).

 

Time to give credit where credit is due...Other than taking 23 days to complete and having to get Infiniti Corporate involved, the camshaft and valve train on the right side are installed and everything is back in working order. There are about 250 miles on the odo since the repair was completed Tuesday night, and all seems good.

There remains the 95% probability that there was NO camshaft issue until the head gasket repair was attempted on March 6th, but the dealer did what appears to be quality work once the new parts were received.

The repair invoice is 4 pages long and although pricing isn't itemized, I'd assume about a $6,000 charge back to Infiniti/Nissan.

 

Sucks that you had to wait longer then usual, but good mechanics aren't trained overnight. And you didn't pay for it so.....

 

^ nice!! glad everything worked out and infiniti took on the charges as they shouldve in this scenario! Keep us posted in a few thousand miles with hopefully a positive review on the repairs!