Does $1,200 for valve cover replacement from the dealer sound fair?

3.2L 87,000 miles. He said there is some oil leaking, and the plugs should probably be replaced also.

I'm not sure what to believe. This is the same dealer who just told me $210 to have my battery replaced, I had just called their parts counter a week earlier and the price of the battery is $140. He also said they recommend the plugs being changed every 60k instead of at 100k as stated in the manual. :suspect:


I brought it in to have the serpentine belt replaced ($90) and they called me back with $1900 in quoted repairs.:banghead:

Your screen name says it all.

Sure you don't want to change it to "Shafted"?:histeric:

You might have a valve cover GASKET that is bad, but I doubt you have a bad valve cover.

Maybe thats what he meant but I thought he said Valve Covers.

Some dealers have no shame whatsoever.

Maybe thats what he meant but I thought he said Valve Covers.

Ask him if the gasket is made out of "unoptainium".

I would get another opinion.

That sounds very high without a complete list of what work they are quoting you.

Did he say anything about your kanuter valve going out? Now, those are expensive....

Did he say anything about your kanuter valve going out? Now, those are expensive....

you are in luck... i have a couple kanuter valves for sale for real cheap! 500 dollars a valve! and you will need atleast 4 of them...

seriously, go to another shop! if not, atleast as them to lube first.

You guys should be ashamed for making light of a serious problem by a member. He's asking for help!

I can't imagine a valve cover getting bent or warped. The gasket has got to be $50 or less. Check at NAPA. Can you see one side of your V6 leaking oil at the valve cover? Check with an independant garage for an estimate.

You could have bought a battery at Walmart for well under $100. Most Walmarts also install tires and batteries.

I'd walk away from that Dealership shaft!

You guys should be ashamed for making light of a serious problem by a member. He's asking for help!

I can't imagine a valve cover getting bent or warped. The gasket has got to be $50 or less. Check at NAPA. Can you see one side of your V6 leaking oil at the valve cover? Check with an independant garage for an estimate.

You could have bought a battery at Walmart for well under $100. Most Walmarts also install tires and batteries.

I'd walk away from that Dealership shaft!

A CTS has an unusual battery size. Most areas the only choice is ACDelco. You have to pay the piper.

I'd go to a good independant shop that you can trust, I have one for my other ride, as soon as the CTS is off warranty, I will take it there also, dealers will " Shaft You", every chance they get!!!

Every time I go in the local dealership the impression screams at me that they think Cadillac owners have more money than good sense and will ante up and pay any bill no matter how rediculous. The the irony is that a large percentage will.

the best part is if you're young and drive a caddy...they then proceed to make "repairs" that need done...

luckily there is a guy down the road that will work on all cadillacs...even an ome...i mean catera...

Thanks for all the inout guys. I did tell them just to do the belt, and fix a loose tirerod in the rear.

I will definantly get quotes from other place, I had hoped someone here had replaced their gaskets so I would have an idea of what i shoudl be paying.

The battery, I am going to shop around. I had already went to batteries plus but the model they sold for my car was too tall. I will check other places but iff all else fails Ill just get an acdelco and put it in myself. $210 for a battery is outragous.

Does anyone know what type of work goes into replacing valve gasket and plugs on a 3.2L?

Every time I go in the local dealership the impression screams at me that they think Cadillac owners have more money than good sense and will ante up and pay any bill no matter how rediculous. The the irony is that a large percentage will.
:Offtopic: Koz, I can't believe you had a typo!!! Rediculous? That's just ridiculous.

wait a minute.... dont u have the 100,000 mile certified cadillac warranty? couple months ago i took mine back to the dealership cause my battery and my subwoofer went bad and they fixed it all for free.....

Valve cover replacement pays 3.0 hours of labor. If you replace the valve covers instead of just the gaskets you are going to have about $200.00 in parts. If you just replace the gaskets it's less than half of that...

Here's the service procedure for the left side, right side is similar... Nothing special involved

Camshaft Cover Replacement - Left

Removal Procedure

Remove the intake manifold.
Remove the left ignition coil.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105930036

Disconnect the following from the front of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe bracket.

The camshaft position (CMP) sensor connector
The left knock sensor connector (1)
The vacuum pipe retainer
http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105930058

Disconnect the heated oxygen sensor connector (2) from the rear of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe (3).
Remove the bolt securing the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe to the engine rear lift bracket and position aside.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105930057

Remove the left camshaft cover bolts (1).
Remove the left camshaft cover (2) from the cylinder head.Important: Ensure all 8 sealing O-ring seals (4) are accounted for. The O-ring seals (4) may stick to the camshaft bearing caps or they may fall into the oil return journals in the cylinder head.

Remove the left camshaft cover seals (3).
Clean and inspect the cylinder head sealing surface.
Clean and inspect the left camshaft cover.Installation Procedure

http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663120

Lightly coat the new O-ring seals with clean engine oil prior to installation to assist in holding the O-ring seals to the camshaft cover.
Install the camshaft cover seals to the camshaft cover.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663121

Apply a thin coat of silicone sealer GM P/N 12346286 (Canadian P/N 10953472), to the corners of the front and back of the seals.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663123

Apply a 3 mm (0.12 inch) bead of silicone sealer GM P/N 12346286 (Canadian P/N 10953472), at the front and rear of the camshaft cover between the seals.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663080

Position the camshaft cover (2) to the cylinder head, aligning the datum with the hole in the cylinder head.Notice: Refer to Fastener Notice in Service Precautions.

Install the camshaft cover bolts (1). Tighten the camshaft cover bolts to 8 Nm (71 inch lbs.) .
Install the bolt securing the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe to the engine rear lift bracket. Tighten the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe bolts to 9 Nm (80 inch lbs.) .http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663124

Connect the heated oxygen sensor connector (2) to the rear of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe (3).http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663125

Connect the following to the front of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe bracket.

The CMP sensor connector
The left knock sensor connector (1)
The vacuum pipe retainer


Install the left ignition coil.
Install the intake manifold.

Damn James you are the Man!! I sure wish I lived closer. I'd buy my car there and let you guys take care of it!

The Fred..You in big trouble with the Koz! Binky will have a piece of your as$!!:p

The Fred..You in big trouble with the Koz! Binky will have a piece of your as$!!:p

I'm like him in that I dislike sloppy spelling, even if it isn't really anything important. I have seen Koz get on people for their typing illiteracy. I'm always impressed that he never has any typos, so I just found it funny that he actually had one!

I'm like him in that I dislike sloppy spelling, even if it isn't really anything important. I have seen Koz get on people for their typing illiteracy. I'm always impressed that he never has any typos, so I just found it funny that he actually had one!

Opps, to late!! Binky has already been released!!:yup:

Valve cover replacement pays 3.0 hours of labor. If you replace the valve covers instead of just the gaskets you are going to have about $200.00 in parts. If you just replace the gaskets it's less than half of that...

Here's the service procedure for the left side, right side is similar... Nothing special involved

Camshaft Cover Replacement - Left

Removal Procedure

Remove the intake manifold.
Remove the left ignition coil.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105930036

Disconnect the following from the front of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe bracket.

The camshaft position (CMP) sensor connector
The left knock sensor connector (1)
The vacuum pipe retainer
http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105930058

Disconnect the heated oxygen sensor connector (2) from the rear of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe (3).
Remove the bolt securing the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe to the engine rear lift bracket and position aside.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105930057

Remove the left camshaft cover bolts (1).
Remove the left camshaft cover (2) from the cylinder head.Important: Ensure all 8 sealing O-ring seals (4) are accounted for. The O-ring seals (4) may stick to the camshaft bearing caps or they may fall into the oil return journals in the cylinder head.

Remove the left camshaft cover seals (3).
Clean and inspect the cylinder head sealing surface.
Clean and inspect the left camshaft cover.Installation Procedure

http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663120

Lightly coat the new O-ring seals with clean engine oil prior to installation to assist in holding the O-ring seals to the camshaft cover.
Install the camshaft cover seals to the camshaft cover.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663121

Apply a thin coat of silicone sealer GM P/N 12346286 (Canadian P/N 10953472), to the corners of the front and back of the seals.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663123

Apply a 3 mm (0.12 inch) bead of silicone sealer GM P/N 12346286 (Canadian P/N 10953472), at the front and rear of the camshaft cover between the seals.http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663080

Position the camshaft cover (2) to the cylinder head, aligning the datum with the hole in the cylinder head.Notice: Refer to Fastener Notice in Service Precautions.

Install the camshaft cover bolts (1). Tighten the camshaft cover bolts to 8 Nm (71 inch lbs.) .
Install the bolt securing the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe to the engine rear lift bracket. Tighten the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe bolts to 9 Nm (80 inch lbs.) .http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663124

Connect the heated oxygen sensor connector (2) to the rear of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe (3).http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V50143533~C37078~R0~OB0~P3R0H~N/0/89012112/89012113/89012114/89012117/34853741/100411974/34853743/56514176/34854736/113006900/105736148/105663125

Connect the following to the front of the throttle body heater inlet hose/pipe bracket.

The CMP sensor connector
The left knock sensor connector (1)
The vacuum pipe retainer


Install the left ignition coil.
Install the intake manifold.

Damn James, what happened to your nice illustrations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not to worry! Binky has mellowed in his dotage. He's more interested now in finding signs of spring.

Here's the service procedure...

This guy just got enough free info to justify becomming a supporting member.

This guy just got enough free info to justify becomming a supporting member.
:yeah:

Valve cover replacement pays 3.0 hours of labor. If you replace the valve covers instead of just the gaskets you are going to have about $200.00 in parts. If you just replace the gaskets it's less than half of that...

I can't thank you enough, this is just the information I was looking for. I wish we had a dealer around here with someone like you working for them!


I am going to have to ask this service guy what exactly was included in the $1,200 estimate he gave me.

This guy just got enough free info to justify becomming a supporting member.

I thought I was being supportive while I was waiting a minute and a half for the 75 sponsor ads to load with every page. lol :hmm:

I thought I was being supportive while I was waiting a minute and a half for the 75 sponsor ad's to load with every page. lol :hmm:

You are the one being supported:thepan:

Don't you think this is better then shelling out $1200.00?

Anybody individual subscribed to the alldata website, if yes do you think it's worth the money?

Ok, I picked up the car tonight. I wasnt able to talk with the "advisor" who was on dayshift that worked on my car. But this other advisor looked at his notes and said 8hr of labor, and $400 odd in parts. Lindsay, was that 3hr estimate and parts cost for one side or both?

I also question him what was the breakdown of the price of $210 for a battery when the battery itself was $140. He started stammering about "testing" and a half hour of labor..yada yada. I'm sure there was a recycling fee in there somewhere. But still $70 in labor and other fee's seems silly. I should have asked him why it takes a professional technition 30 minutes to swap out a battery when the pimple faced teenager at batteries plus was able to do it in 10. lol

You are the one being supported:thepan:

Don't you think this is better then shelling out $1200.00?

I was just busting your chops. Are you implying that if noone would have responded here I would have just blindly went ahead with it? lol


But still, I really wish people wouldn’t get harassed about donating every time they post. I hadn’t posted here in over six months and the first thread I make, a mod is trying to get money from me! Isn’t this a community board supported by the knowledge and experiences of its members? This site would be nothing without the members. I'm not saying the owner doesn’t deserve money for his effort in creating this environment, but save the donating speech for the vendors who want to advertise their product that the rest of us buy. Believe me; I've heard a few things about Google ads, and in-text ads. This site gets a fair amount of traffic. I wouldn’t doubt it if he is turning a hefty profit even after covering his monthly hosting fees. Not including the supporting member/vendor revenue, and rest of the ads. Yes, there are even bloggers out there who make 6 figures from their in-text ads alone. Like this guy. http://www.problogger.net/archives/2004/09/23/adsense-tips-for-bloggers-1/ According to site statistics these caddy forums get more traffic then this blogger.

I’m just a poor consumer with a family to feed and a 4yr old car to fix.
:hide:

This forum and the FAQ's require the work and support of many people.

Obviously, you figure because you can get on the internet, everything is free, and your somehow special or exempt.

If you can afford $1200.00 in repairs, you can afford to support the forum.

I resent your insinuation that we "make money off of you".

Get a clue how it works.

This forum and the FAQ's require the work and support of many people.

Of course it does, and I applaud whoever is donating their time for the good of the caddy community. Do you think all 260 some post that I’ve made were all questions? When I frequented more often awhile back when I was doing a nav swap I contributed my own experiences and help others who where in the same process. I didn’t ask for a handout, or bill the forum for my time.


Obviously, you figure because you can get on the internet, everything is free, and your somehow special or exempt.

Oh yes. If everything was free we wouldn’t have to wade through the massive amounts of advertisement just to have a discussion with fellow Cadillac owners. Hey guess what, the network television that magically appears over the air into your home isn’t free either. You know, the 3 minutes of commercials you have to sit through every 10 minutes just to watch a half hour show? Yeah, those pay for the shows. Much like the advertisement on this site supports the forum. I can deal with that. What I was contesting in my previous post is harassing "non-paying" members who only frequent every few months.

If you can afford $1200.00 in repairs, you can afford to support the forum.

If you can afford a 05 maggied CTS-V and a 03 maggied Z06 you can $upport the forum for everyone. :histeric:

I resent your insinuation that we "make money off of you".

This forum makes money, I don’t know who is making it, nor do I care. It’s a great place, as long as it’s supported by its great members in whatever way they wish. Asking every common joe who stops in for a question for a handout, especially when you have advertisements and supporting vendors. (you know, the people who ARE making money from the userbase) is kind of a turnoff.

Get a clue how it works.

I think you are attempting to insult my intelligence here so I’m just going to say that I’m pretty sure I know how “it” works. I’m also pretty sure that you don't know the difference between “your” and “you’re”.:p

Shaft,
I know where you're comin' from..really. So say Sal makes big bucks from the Forum, So does Bill Gates from his business. Bill is a billionaire but I don't expect him to give me free software. I have a business that has supported me well for the past 30 years. Profits are OK.:thumbsup:

But my feelings are that this Forum and its membership has helped me alot. In turn I've helped others alot. I feel a subscribtion of 16 cents a day is one hellava bagain!:yup: With 19,000+ posts Sal may be losing money on me:D

Sure These Forums are free but I kinda feel cheap not paying my way. 16Cents a day won't even buy 1/3 cup of coffee that I buy from the billionare McDs.

What ever you think Shaft it's OK by me. I don't think you should get beat up over it.

and I spell it U'R ;)

I think someone took a light hearted remark a little too seriously earlier in this thread. It happens all the time.

I think someone took a light hearted remark a little too seriously earlier in this thread. It happens all the time.

Yup.....but not to me. I don't get in the middle of that crap!:rolleyes:

I thought I was being supportive while I was waiting a minute and a half for the 75 sponsor ads to load with every page. lol :hmm:

go somewhere else then.

In regards to Google ads and blogs making money - it really depends on the topic of the ads. For example, if this were a site about "Attorneys", the ads would be returning a much higher profit per click. Being the site is about "Cadillac", it's a very low profit per click. There's a site somewhere that goes over this and gives a good idea what the pay-per-click amount is based on keywords. I can assure you that automotive clicks are amongst the lowest in the industry - especially on forums where click-throughs are Extremely low - in the area of 0.5% and lower on average.

Otherwise, yes. This site has seen a few months in the green. We actually had money in the bank for our last server issue which paid our server admin promptly. If we can stay in the green instead of the red, we can continue to move onward and upward (new servers, applications, etcetera). We have lots of ideas for new and innovative things/ways to make your experience here informative and enjoyable. They all require money, however..

I have given up a lot of personal time with this site.. So have our team members, past and present. I've even given up a good-paying part-time night job as a direct result of needing to maintain this place. Over a year's time, that's a good chunk of money out of my pocket. I certainly wouldn't complain if this place ever made enough to replace that. It's not like I worked two jobs because I didn't need the money...

The bottom line is, you don't Have to support the site. But some of our members and team members are very "close" to our little community here. It's not "just a forum" to most of us. It's a virtual world where we've not only learned a lot about our vehicles, but have actually made good friends (virtually and in the real world). Asking other members to help out is just a way of showing how much we appreciate what we've (all) built...

I'll leave the discussion closed as I found it...