Q45 mechanic, valve gasket leaking

[ahmed_wasim]

Hi,I have a 95 Q45 with 144k on it. It needs new valve cover gasket and I am quoted $1250.00 for gasket and hoses (if any) by dealer. Do you guys know of any mechanic in VA who can do a good job for less money.Regards,Wasim

[gniknave]

WOW $1250 is a LOT! For that it would be worth your time to drive down and see Dennis personally.

[ahmed_wasim]

Hi,I am about 10 hours from Atlanta otherwise I would have loved to take it to Dennis. Can it be done by a mechanic who has not done it before, like by a ASC certified mechanic? Or may be by Nissan dealer? What do you guys suggest.Regards,Wasim.

[vicQ45]

any mechanic should be able to do a valve cover gasket. even on the impossible to work on Q. it takes a little longer than normal, but its not a big deal. if you wanna save about $1230 then you could take a shot at it yourself. it's not terribly dificult. i hear it's good to do the plugs while you have everything apart.

[gniknave]

Best thing is to have someone who has touched a g50 (90-96 q45) before and wouldn't complain about working on one again. Did you verify that is indeed the valve cover gaskets? Do you know where to look?

If you're willing to go to a Nissan dealer, it's worth a few extra dollars to have it done at the Infiniti dealer which see's these things everyday. I disagree with Vic when he says it can go to any mechanic. I've seen mechanics that have never touched these cars take hours to do something I could knock out myself now in 15 minutes. Someone who knows the car will know the motor and what should also be done along with the valve cover gaskets without you telling them what else you want done.

Remember, the Q is very finiky. Little things can cause the biggest or most annoying problems. Take it to someone who's seen one before and feels comfortable working on it. You won't regret it.

[ahmed_wasim]

Hi Guys,Thanks for your help. I got quote from Nissan dealer today and they are willing to do it for $750. Someone has mentioned Nebel Street Automotive in Rockville, MD. I'll called them and they'll give me the quote. Any of you know these guys?I probably can't do it myself because I have never worked on cars. If you know of anyone in Washington, DC or Maryland who can do a good job please let me know.Regards,Wasim.

[gniknave]

Just make sure that Nissan dealer is familiar with the g50. Maybe you should call Infiniti back and tell them the price quote you got from Nissan and see if they'll match it. I'm sure they'll at LEAST come down on the original quote of $1250. Is Nissan doing it with the hoses??? If not, I'd rather spend $1250 and get them done too (assuming you're talking about under plenum hoses).

[ahmed_wasim]

They will charge $750.00 for the valve gasket job. For plenum hoses they will only charge me the cost of parts. Do you know how much they cost?

[96Qowner]

I don't think they're planning to do ALL the under plenum hoses for $750 labor. You should clarify that. There are a couple hoses that have to come off to get the covers off, but the full hose replacement is a bigger job - the plenum has to be entirely removed. The hoses aren't that costly - less than $300.

Usually, when the valve cover gaskets go, it's also time to replace the under-plenum hoses, but I suppose you could put that off until something starts leaking.

T3 charges over $2000 complete, for covers, plenum and ALL hoses, and Byron is about as experienced and quick as they come.

[Edit] That T3 price also included both knock sensors with harness ($400-500), new spark plugs, and some other little stuff. If you consider doing the plenum job, be sure to replace everything under there - not worth paying to take it off again later.
Modified by 96Qowner at 2:35 PM 3/3/2005

[pretzelboy]

costa mesa infinity quoted me $1107 to do both valve covers...the ***** that gave the estimate looked at me like I was an idiot when I requested that she do the passenger side that is leaking.......needless to say I grabbed the complete history on both my q's(reason I showed up there) and left........Am I the only one who sees a problem with over $1000 to change to gaskets?

[ahmed_wasim]

Nissan dealer told me if there is any hose that needs to be replaced while they are at it, they'll change it and only charge the part cost. Do you have to do extra labor for under plenum hoses?

[96Qowner]

Someone who knows better should chime in here, but yeah, it has to be at least a few more hours labor. For the valve cover gaskets, you don't have to remove the plenum - for the under hoses you do.

But if you can spend the extra $1000 or so, my advice would be to go ahead and do it now. Replace the knock sensors, their harness and the spark plugs (all of which require taking the plenum off to replace later) and have all the injectors checked out. At your mileage, something is getting ready to fail, soonish.

Otherwise, just do the valve covers. Do all or nothing on the plenum stuff - too much labor involved..

[maxnix]

Nissan dealer told me if there is any hose that needs to be replaced while they are at it...

At this point, I would have to ask the service writer how they intend to view the inside of each hose while it is on the engine? The hoses degrade from the inside.

[gniknave]

Ahmed, just take it to Infiniti. From what Nissan is talking about I'm getting the idea they don't know what they're getting into. If they're going to replace under plenum hoses for only the cost of the part, they're losing at least $350 on that job. The fact that service writers at dealers work on commission tells me the guy didn't know what he was talking about. There's no way he'd take the hit on $350 if he had a clue.

[Q-less]

Check this out first:I figured I would share my mechanic with you guys. His shop name is Nards Automotive and he specializes in Nissan and Infinti. He is a factory trained ASE Master. His phone # is 423-288-7011.

He always goes above and beyond when he has my car...and I only get my oil changed there. He quoted me $350 to do both valve cover gaskets and replacing under plenum hoses on my 94 Q45 awhile back, quote is with me bringing him the parts I already have. I go in and get a $23 oil change and he checks/fills tires, and all fluids. If you are not a DIYer and want an honest mechanic in this area, Nard is the one.

Hell he might even be a member, I gave him some NICO cards a few months back.

I'll post a picture of his business card when PhotoPost is back up.

[ahmed_wasim]

Thanks a lot buddy. I'll definately contact them. Its worth 7 hour drive if you can a good job done in $350.00.Regards,Wasim.

95 Q45 144k96 I30 251k

[Q-less]

Let me know and I'll put you up for a day or two.