Looking for guidance after Dealer Diagnosis
11-13-2018, 07:12 PM
#1
Looking for guidance after Dealer Diagnosis
So I just left the dealership, and received a long and expensive list of repairs one of which is the dreaded timing cover seal failing. On top of the bad news, I found out my extend warranty expired 200 miles, or so, ago. 
I know a lot of this maintenance stuff can be done cheaper, but I'm looking for opinions on what to do. Do I keep the car, or sell it? I asked the service adviser how long I can go before I have to change the seal on the timing cover, he said as long as I keep adding oil, it isn't an issue. However I should be worried about a potential fire hazard, from oil dropping on the manifold and causing a fire. I can and would replace the brake pads and rotors myself, probably do the belts myself, but the timing cover and power steering is a bit over my head, or at the least over my time constraints.
Attached is the copy of the invoice from the dealer for reference.
Any advise from those more experienced than I care to chime in?
Thank you,
Austin
I know a lot of this maintenance stuff can be done cheaper, but I'm looking for opinions on what to do. Do I keep the car, or sell it? I asked the service adviser how long I can go before I have to change the seal on the timing cover, he said as long as I keep adding oil, it isn't an issue. However I should be worried about a potential fire hazard, from oil dropping on the manifold and causing a fire. I can and would replace the brake pads and rotors myself, probably do the belts myself, but the timing cover and power steering is a bit over my head, or at the least over my time constraints. Attached is the copy of the invoice from the dealer for reference.
Any advise from those more experienced than I care to chime in?
Thank you,
Austin
11-13-2018, 07:46 PM
#2
Administrator
iTrader: (8)
$2845 for the timing cover gasket? I thought that was a $1500 job at the dealership. Wow.
iPhone port... LOL, who cares? No.
$937 for dashboard components because your clock is out? Hahaha, no. Again, who cares?
Tires, that's on you. Figure it out.
It can't possibly cost $99 for two air filters. Buy yourself some K&N drop-ins.
Rear brake job, pads, resurface the rotor, bleed the lines... Hey, you need brakes in a car. It's a thing.
Transmission mount can be installed in less than one shop hour.
Power steering fluid always weeps around that big tension nut, and that does not mean you need to replace your entire steering assembly. Holy fck.
$139 to drain & fill diff fluid? Nope.
I know it's easy to go to the dealership, because they're there, and they take you right in, give you freaking muffins and WiFi. But this invoice feels whacked. You know, the DFW area is huge. There has to be all kinds of shops to choose from. Heck, I bet you can even find more than one that markets their experience with the G/Z platform.
I feel for you, Austin, and can almost feel that big ball of despair sitting in your stomach. Man, that just sucks.
iPhone port... LOL, who cares? No.
$937 for dashboard components because your clock is out? Hahaha, no. Again, who cares?
Tires, that's on you. Figure it out.
It can't possibly cost $99 for two air filters. Buy yourself some K&N drop-ins.
Rear brake job, pads, resurface the rotor, bleed the lines... Hey, you need brakes in a car. It's a thing.
Transmission mount can be installed in less than one shop hour.
Power steering fluid always weeps around that big tension nut, and that does not mean you need to replace your entire steering assembly. Holy fck.
$139 to drain & fill diff fluid? Nope.
I know it's easy to go to the dealership, because they're there, and they take you right in, give you freaking muffins and WiFi. But this invoice feels whacked. You know, the DFW area is huge. There has to be all kinds of shops to choose from. Heck, I bet you can even find more than one that markets their experience with the G/Z platform.
I feel for you, Austin, and can almost feel that big ball of despair sitting in your stomach. Man, that just sucks.
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Jonesmeister11 (11-14-2018)
11-13-2018, 07:57 PM
#3
Administrator
iTrader: (8)
Here's what you do: prioritize according to safety.
That means you start with the rear brakes. Use that project to test the waters at an independent repair shop. There absolutely has to be a number of speed shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Call them up and network around to see where they recommend. Avoid the big-box brake businesses.
While there with the brakes, you can feel around for other projects, like some fluid swaps (power steering, diff, coolant, transmission). They're harmless, always good for the car, and you can shuffle their priority around like chips in a card game.
Transmission mount... meh. Put that on the back burner, along with the power steering issue/non-issue.
Other fluff like clocks and music ports, forget about it.
The big project is the leaking seal, which you will have been feeding oil while you figure this all out.
That means you start with the rear brakes. Use that project to test the waters at an independent repair shop. There absolutely has to be a number of speed shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Call them up and network around to see where they recommend. Avoid the big-box brake businesses.
While there with the brakes, you can feel around for other projects, like some fluid swaps (power steering, diff, coolant, transmission). They're harmless, always good for the car, and you can shuffle their priority around like chips in a card game.
Transmission mount... meh. Put that on the back burner, along with the power steering issue/non-issue.
Other fluff like clocks and music ports, forget about it.
The big project is the leaking seal, which you will have been feeding oil while you figure this all out.
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Jonesmeister11 (11-14-2018)
The following users liked this post:
Jonesmeister11 (11-14-2018)
11-13-2018, 09:49 PM
#5
Registered Member
As far as the pops you hear when playing music from an iPhone/iPod via the USB port, this happens when the tracks have ReplayGain set. The processor in the factory head unit can't deal with this properly for some reason.
Re-encode the tracks without ReplayGain (volume normalization).
Re-encode the tracks without ReplayGain (volume normalization).
The following users liked this post:
Jonesmeister11 (11-14-2018)
11-14-2018, 01:59 AM
#6
$2845 for the timing cover gasket? I thought that was a $1500 job at the dealership. Wow.
iPhone port... LOL, who cares? No.
$937 for dashboard components because your clock is out? Hahaha, no. Again, who cares?
Tires, that's on you. Figure it out.
It can't possibly cost $99 for two air filters. Buy yourself some K&N drop-ins.
Rear brake job, pads, resurface the rotor, bleed the lines... Hey, you need brakes in a car. It's a thing.
Transmission mount can be installed in less than one shop hour.
Power steering fluid always weeps around that big tension nut, and that does not mean you need to replace your entire steering assembly. Holy fck.
$139 to drain & fill diff fluid? Nope.
I know it's easy to go to the dealership, because they're there, and they take you right in, give you freaking muffins and WiFi. But this invoice feels whacked. You know, the DFW area is huge. There has to be all kinds of shops to choose from. Heck, I bet you can even find more than one that markets their experience with the G/Z platform.
I feel for you, Austin, and can almost feel that big ball of despair sitting in your stomach. Man, that just sucks.
iPhone port... LOL, who cares? No.
$937 for dashboard components because your clock is out? Hahaha, no. Again, who cares?
Tires, that's on you. Figure it out.
It can't possibly cost $99 for two air filters. Buy yourself some K&N drop-ins.
Rear brake job, pads, resurface the rotor, bleed the lines... Hey, you need brakes in a car. It's a thing.
Transmission mount can be installed in less than one shop hour.
Power steering fluid always weeps around that big tension nut, and that does not mean you need to replace your entire steering assembly. Holy fck.
$139 to drain & fill diff fluid? Nope.
I know it's easy to go to the dealership, because they're there, and they take you right in, give you freaking muffins and WiFi. But this invoice feels whacked. You know, the DFW area is huge. There has to be all kinds of shops to choose from. Heck, I bet you can even find more than one that markets their experience with the G/Z platform.
I feel for you, Austin, and can almost feel that big ball of despair sitting in your stomach. Man, that just sucks.
I figure for the iphone port, I will ether solder a new one in, or order a new unit off ebay. Bluetooth quality is terrible in my car. Well its ok, I've put up with it for about 3 months. Same thing goes for the clock light being out. Agreed, who cares, but I saw a tutorial on how to fix the issue, and it seems the factory solder is less than stellar.
Air filter, agreed I figured K&N could be bought for less than factory.
Brakes I have done many times, but never a flush. I might just have a local tech do the flush. Partly due to hazardous fluid disposal, I don't think Autozone takes it but I could be wrong.
Considering going with Z1's solid, but leaning towards their poly trans-mount to match the diff. Again I know that's an easy job.
I was shocked the tech said my diff fluid was dark considering I changed the fluid when I installed the rear diff bush, but that has been 20+ thousand miles. So I just shrug that one off.
I need to update my signature.... I actually moved to Gilbert AZ for college. I've got a garage so this is all very feasible, just kinda... omg lol, especially when you find out you missed your warranty by 200 miles. I swear it expired after 91k. I've got 89k on her now
Here's what you do: prioritize according to safety.
That means you start with the rear brakes. Use that project to test the waters at an independent repair shop. There absolutely has to be a number of speed shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Call them up and network around to see where they recommend. Avoid the big-box brake businesses.
While there with the brakes, you can feel around for other projects, like some fluid swaps (power steering, diff, coolant, transmission). They're harmless, always good for the car, and you can shuffle their priority around like chips in a card game.
Transmission mount... meh. Put that on the back burner, along with the power steering issue/non-issue.
Other fluff like clocks and music ports, forget about it.
The big project is the leaking seal, which you will have been feeding oil while you figure this all out.
That means you start with the rear brakes. Use that project to test the waters at an independent repair shop. There absolutely has to be a number of speed shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Call them up and network around to see where they recommend. Avoid the big-box brake businesses.
While there with the brakes, you can feel around for other projects, like some fluid swaps (power steering, diff, coolant, transmission). They're harmless, always good for the car, and you can shuffle their priority around like chips in a card game.
Transmission mount... meh. Put that on the back burner, along with the power steering issue/non-issue.
Other fluff like clocks and music ports, forget about it.
The big project is the leaking seal, which you will have been feeding oil while you figure this all out.
As far as the pops you hear when playing music from an iPhone/iPod via the USB port, this happens when the tracks have ReplayGain set. The processor in the factory head unit can't deal with this properly for some reason.
Re-encode the tracks without ReplayGain (volume normalization).
Re-encode the tracks without ReplayGain (volume normalization).
Thanks for the help guys, it was a little over whelmingreceiving a $9k bill! I know in the past I've almost pulled the trigger on selling the car, but the cars I can afford, I do not like. The cars I like, I cannot afford. But that is always the problem, unless you sit on cash right? So unless the powers at be say otherwise, I'll be getting the rear main seal fixed. I might call some Nissan dealers and see if they will do it, they should, AND give me a loaner. Is this going to be a recurring issue for the life of the car? I know Nissan used a paper or cardboard gasket, but is the replacement still paper? I'll know more in a week!
11-14-2018, 07:42 AM
#7
Administrator
iTrader: (8)
Regarding the PS... wipe clean the big tension nut and surrounding area, then keep an eye on gunk build-up, while also actively making note of your PS fluid levels. I bet you it will take a while for the gunk to collect again, and your fluid level remains unchanged. However, if you're losing fluid, and your steering feels less than smooth or noisy, well then maybe you do have a problem.
Last edited by Rochester; 11-14-2018 at 09:55 AM.
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11-14-2018, 09:44 AM
#8
thats is one helluva bill!
Sounds like you have your plan let us know how it goes. wrt the timing gasket you should probably replace the timing chain tensioner and guides and water pump while you're in there, the labour should be about the same, maybe an extra hour, an independent shop should be able to do it all for way less than the dealership quote for just the gasket. good news is once thats fixed the car should be solid for a very long time.
out of curioisty, how much oil are you losing? I always thought the sign of the timing gasket going was losing coolant
Sounds like you have your plan let us know how it goes. wrt the timing gasket you should probably replace the timing chain tensioner and guides and water pump while you're in there, the labour should be about the same, maybe an extra hour, an independent shop should be able to do it all for way less than the dealership quote for just the gasket. good news is once thats fixed the car should be solid for a very long time.
out of curioisty, how much oil are you losing? I always thought the sign of the timing gasket going was losing coolant
11-15-2018, 01:01 AM
#10
Nissan changed the materials used there in 2012.
Regarding the PS... wipe clean the big tension nut and surrounding area, then keep an eye on gunk build-up, while also actively making note of your PS fluid levels. I bet you it will take a while for the gunk to collect again, and your fluid level remains unchanged. However, if you're losing fluid, and your steering feels less than smooth or noisy, well then maybe you do have a problem.
Regarding the PS... wipe clean the big tension nut and surrounding area, then keep an eye on gunk build-up, while also actively making note of your PS fluid levels. I bet you it will take a while for the gunk to collect again, and your fluid level remains unchanged. However, if you're losing fluid, and your steering feels less than smooth or noisy, well then maybe you do have a problem.
thats is one helluva bill!
Sounds like you have your plan let us know how it goes. wrt the timing gasket you should probably replace the timing chain tensioner and guides and water pump while you're in there, the labour should be about the same, maybe an extra hour, an independent shop should be able to do it all for way less than the dealership quote for just the gasket. good news is once thats fixed the car should be solid for a very long time.
out of curioisty, how much oil are you losing? I always thought the sign of the timing gasket going was losing coolant
Sounds like you have your plan let us know how it goes. wrt the timing gasket you should probably replace the timing chain tensioner and guides and water pump while you're in there, the labour should be about the same, maybe an extra hour, an independent shop should be able to do it all for way less than the dealership quote for just the gasket. good news is once thats fixed the car should be solid for a very long time.
out of curioisty, how much oil are you losing? I always thought the sign of the timing gasket going was losing coolant
I can understand preventive maintenance, but why would I do the tensioner, guides, and water pump? Do these fail on the VQ37? Is it better to replace with OE or go aftermarket? I assume there are not quality aftermarket tensioners, guides, or pumps. Just want to ask the right questions.
I can check tomorrow for a better idea on what my oil level is at with the miles I've driven.
On a side note, I have noticed a lack of throttle response/ lack of acceleration. I do not know if there is a correlation between the a leaking timing cover gasket and less acceleration or not, just wanted to share.
Last edited by Jonesmeister11; 11-15-2018 at 01:48 AM.
11-15-2018, 08:12 AM
#11
I can understand preventive maintenance, but why would I do the tensioner, guides, and water pump? Do these fail on the VQ37? Is it better to replace with OE or go aftermarket? I assume there are not quality aftermarket tensioners, guides, or pumps. Just want to ask the right questions.
The guides are plastic and wear and the chain stretches minutely over time... at your mileage these along with the tensioner may have less than 25% of their service life left in them....that being said they will probably just make the engine a lot louder and wont necessary fail for much longer than that but again, cheap insurance...
The price difference on aftermarket parts vs OEM is not very significant so its probably not worth going aftermarket... but Rockauto does sell kits with most if not all of these included(I dont know how to post a link, but with the msot expensive water pump its $250 before a 5% discount is applied) and Z1 has a really good price on a a kit with all OEM parts (https://www.z1motorsports.com/camsha...t-p-12470.html)
the bottom line is that if you are going to keep the car long enough to service the Oil gally gasket your're going to want to change these too while you're in there, you can likely cover the cost of the parts in the difference between quotes from independent shops
11-15-2018, 08:50 AM
#12
Sorry to hear of all that bad news
Would surely get the parts to replace while they're in there getting that gasket addressed if you plan to keep for several more years. Don't hear of many water pumps failing on these cars, but like Hashim said they aren't a lifetime part (typically). Look for Aisin water pumps (they are an OEM supplier for many asian makes). And yes the gasket like John mentioned has been changed, it's now a lined metal based gasket rather than a $1 dollar piece of paper, smh
Would surely get the parts to replace while they're in there getting that gasket addressed if you plan to keep for several more years. Don't hear of many water pumps failing on these cars, but like Hashim said they aren't a lifetime part (typically). Look for Aisin water pumps (they are an OEM supplier for many asian makes). And yes the gasket like John mentioned has been changed, it's now a lined metal based gasket rather than a $1 dollar piece of paper, smh
11-16-2018, 12:48 PM
#13
The water pump will eventually fail on almost all cars, it may be very slow (you lose coolant through the weeping hole), or quick and catastrophic usually you should expect it to last to about 100,000-150,000 miles at your mileage you are getting pretty close so its probably a good idea....its cheap insurance against having to go back into the car for $2k....this is the very bare minimum I'd change while you're in there.
The guides are plastic and wear and the chain stretches minutely over time... at your mileage these along with the tensioner may have less than 25% of their service life left in them....that being said they will probably just make the engine a lot louder and wont necessary fail for much longer than that but again, cheap insurance...
The price difference on aftermarket parts vs OEM is not very significant so its probably not worth going aftermarket... but Rockauto does sell kits with most if not all of these included(I dont know how to post a link, but with the msot expensive water pump its $250 before a 5% discount is applied) and Z1 has a really good price on a a kit with all OEM parts (https://www.z1motorsports.com/camsha...t-p-12470.html)
the bottom line is that if you are going to keep the car long enough to service the Oil gally gasket your're going to want to change these too while you're in there, you can likely cover the cost of the parts in the difference between quotes from independent shops
The guides are plastic and wear and the chain stretches minutely over time... at your mileage these along with the tensioner may have less than 25% of their service life left in them....that being said they will probably just make the engine a lot louder and wont necessary fail for much longer than that but again, cheap insurance...
The price difference on aftermarket parts vs OEM is not very significant so its probably not worth going aftermarket... but Rockauto does sell kits with most if not all of these included(I dont know how to post a link, but with the msot expensive water pump its $250 before a 5% discount is applied) and Z1 has a really good price on a a kit with all OEM parts (https://www.z1motorsports.com/camsha...t-p-12470.html)
the bottom line is that if you are going to keep the car long enough to service the Oil gally gasket your're going to want to change these too while you're in there, you can likely cover the cost of the parts in the difference between quotes from independent shops
Sorry to hear of all that bad news
Would surely get the parts to replace while they're in there getting that gasket addressed if you plan to keep for several more years. Don't hear of many water pumps failing on these cars, but like Hashim said they aren't a lifetime part (typically). Look for Aisin water pumps (they are an OEM supplier for many asian makes). And yes the gasket like John mentioned has been changed, it's now a lined metal based gasket rather than a $1 dollar piece of paper, smh
Would surely get the parts to replace while they're in there getting that gasket addressed if you plan to keep for several more years. Don't hear of many water pumps failing on these cars, but like Hashim said they aren't a lifetime part (typically). Look for Aisin water pumps (they are an OEM supplier for many asian makes). And yes the gasket like John mentioned has been changed, it's now a lined metal based gasket rather than a $1 dollar piece of paper, smh
Yeah I'm still very confused why the engineers did not override the accountants on the gasket. Only thing I can imagine, the realized failure would most likely occur outside of factory warranty. Not Infiniti's problem now!
11-19-2018, 03:55 PM
#14
classic dealership laundry list right there. it is certainly a shock to see upon first glance. but it seems the OP is digesting the info and not quite so worked up anymore. as others have said, focus on critical items first and DIY what can be done. items that cannot be DIY take it to an independent.
i think the 'lowlight' of the list for me is $232 for drivebelts. are you freaking kidding? a $30 belt and 1/2hr labour. that's what i was charged. the $110 cabin filter is pretty good too. it's a $10-$15 part on rockauto and 5-10 minutes of DIY work. we all know the $100 air filter is a joke too. Nissan did us a huge favour with the ease of access on the G37 to make it a 2-3 minute job, and the parts are $20 or thereabouts.
when i see such a large net cast as this work order has, along with astronomical pricing, the dealer loses credibility in my books.
OP: question - how did they diagnose the leaking timing cover? the WO says they 'found it to be leaking'. but how? it is internal and shows no signs of external leaking. was your car throwing codes for low oil pressure?
another thing the dealer is dead wrong about was their response to the OP's question about the timing cover gasket, where the dealer said "he said as long as I keep adding oil, it isn't an issue." Wrong! if the problem is with the timing cover gasket, you will not see a leak, there will not be any fire hazard, and the real problem is with low oil pressure - not oil level or anything else. clearly the dealer is either talking about another part or they have no clue what they are talking about.
at the end of the day, the OP's car is likely 6-7+ years old. it will not be perfect. but after the routine maintenance items are corrected (or not if they were already done and the dealer is just fishing) the car will likely continue to servce him well. i'd push for more clarity on the timing cover gasket and have that repair honored under goodwill due to the recent warranty lapse. the issue would have been there 200 miles ago - if it is actually there at all.
i think the 'lowlight' of the list for me is $232 for drivebelts. are you freaking kidding? a $30 belt and 1/2hr labour. that's what i was charged. the $110 cabin filter is pretty good too. it's a $10-$15 part on rockauto and 5-10 minutes of DIY work. we all know the $100 air filter is a joke too. Nissan did us a huge favour with the ease of access on the G37 to make it a 2-3 minute job, and the parts are $20 or thereabouts.
when i see such a large net cast as this work order has, along with astronomical pricing, the dealer loses credibility in my books.
OP: question - how did they diagnose the leaking timing cover? the WO says they 'found it to be leaking'. but how? it is internal and shows no signs of external leaking. was your car throwing codes for low oil pressure?
another thing the dealer is dead wrong about was their response to the OP's question about the timing cover gasket, where the dealer said "he said as long as I keep adding oil, it isn't an issue." Wrong! if the problem is with the timing cover gasket, you will not see a leak, there will not be any fire hazard, and the real problem is with low oil pressure - not oil level or anything else. clearly the dealer is either talking about another part or they have no clue what they are talking about.
at the end of the day, the OP's car is likely 6-7+ years old. it will not be perfect. but after the routine maintenance items are corrected (or not if they were already done and the dealer is just fishing) the car will likely continue to servce him well. i'd push for more clarity on the timing cover gasket and have that repair honored under goodwill due to the recent warranty lapse. the issue would have been there 200 miles ago - if it is actually there at all.
11-25-2018, 11:20 AM
#15
Registered Member
Actually you sound like me. I wait till everything goes bad on my car before i fix it. I hate spending money too. I would just replace the front pads and rotors and rear pads yourself. Easy as long as you have a impact wrench. The rear rotors i took to the shop because it's kinda tight back there. Or you could just do the pads and see how it feels. Only need a pair of needle nose pliers for that. The Powerstop Z26 pads are what i recommend They sell a special tool for the drive belt for around $20 at the auto parts stores. Go to Walmart and get the one man bleeder kit for around $7 and you can bleed the brakes yourself, if you feel like it. Or go to a shop that uses the BG flush machine. Most places will only bleed the brakes instead of doing a full flush. I recommend STP dot 3 they sell at gas stations or Target. Just grab 5 or 6 bottles. It provides a firmer brake pedal then other brake fluids i've used. The power steering thing i recommend to just do the turkey baster or siphon pump thing and use Valvoline Maxlife ATF. I had a leak for YEARS in my Volvo and i would just top up every week. I tried all kinds of stop leaks over the years. I finally tried Valvoline maxlife ATF and the leak stopped and the steering is quite again. You can find sellers on Amazon selling OEM filters for under $30. I would just buy the piece that contains the clock off of Ebay. If you do decide to go to a independent shop make sure you bring your own parts and fluids, if you can. Otherwise you don't know what they putting into your car. Most of the time they use the cheapest no-name stuff they can find.
