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Old 11-05-2011, 07:13 PM   #1
IS300
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Default Dealer service says exhaust valves tight $4500 to repair

Is a valve job necessary? Wouldn't a valve adjustment be the first step?
Does this sound right?

Dealer says exhaust valves are tight, $4500 valve job to fix.
Price includes new exhaust valves, valve seats, valve guides, valve guide seals, and gaskets.

2002 WRX, manufacture date, March, 2001, 145,000 miles, original owner, no mods, all stock, well maintained.
Car runs great except for a check engine light that has come on three times in the last 5000 miles. Code P0304 cylinder 4 misfire.

Valves last adjusted at 102,000 miles, for preventive maintenance, by the same dealer or at least I paid for them to be adjusted. The dealer performed a leakdown test recently when diagnosing the check engine light to determine that a valve job is now necessary, at $4500. They didn't provide me the leakdown test numbers.

What would you do?
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Old 11-05-2011, 07:35 PM   #2
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You can't adjust the valve without taking the head off. The 02s have shims so you need to change the shims to adjust the lash; the newer models just have buckets with different thickness. Your lash isn't causing your CEL. Check your coil pack and replace the spark plug before dropping 4.5k.
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Old 11-05-2011, 08:05 PM   #3
TheBussman
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sounds like BS, if your valve are too tight they need loosed up, not replaced. what's your cyl compression? tight valves can cause low compression. Go somewhere else for a second opinion.
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Old 11-05-2011, 09:55 PM   #4
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If it's going to cost 4,500 dollars, get a new engine which should be less $$
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Old 11-05-2011, 09:59 PM   #5
69subaru360
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Find another dealer. What's happened is that the valves have worn into the seats tightening up the clearance. On an 02 all you need to do is adjust the valve clearances with thinner shims. There is a dealer only special tool that lets you replace the shims without head or cam removal. It's about a 2 hour job and shouldn't cost more than a few hundred.
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Old 11-05-2011, 11:42 PM   #6
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It's going to take a little more then 2 hours to take the valve covers off and properly check all the valve clearance and to swap out shims even with the dealer tool. Then hope the dealer even has shims in stock. If not they'll have to order them. Go to a different dealership.
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Old 11-05-2011, 11:48 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 69subaru360 View Post
Find another dealer. What's happened is that the valves have worn into the seats tightening up the clearance. On an 02 all you need to do is adjust the valve clearances with thinner shims. There is a dealer only special tool that lets you replace the shims without head or cam removal. It's about a 2 hour job and shouldn't cost more than a few hundred.
this...no doubt

talk about a HUGE rip off


Quote:
What would you do?
id call SOA and tell them what is happening........
________________________________________

post up the dealers name so we can boycott the ********
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Old 11-06-2011, 01:21 AM   #8
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Are you sure he didn't say the #4 exhaust valve was burned? A leakdown test, numbers and where the air was going would result in a pretty good diagnosis.
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Old 11-06-2011, 02:28 AM   #9
apache
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Whatever the case, that's entirely too much money for a valve job. Take it to an independant shop. F*** the dealership.
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Old 11-06-2011, 07:26 AM   #10
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Go to another dealer /shop.
If you get the same diagnosis, just spring for an engine rebuild with the mileage that you have.
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Old 11-06-2011, 09:03 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by apache View Post
Whatever the case, that's entirely too much money for a valve job. Take it to an independant shop. F*** the dealership.
No way, dealer or subaru specialist shop only. Half these independent shops scratch their heads at anything subaru. I wouldnt trust them doing a job like that.
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Old 11-06-2011, 09:07 AM   #12
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Plus independent shops won't have the special tools that they will need and chances are, they will improvise and **** something up. A dealer or a Subaru specialty shop.
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Old 11-06-2011, 10:07 AM   #13
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$4500 is a rip off for a valve job. For that price you could pretty much replace the engine. Definitely shop around, find another Subaru dealer nearby, more than likely this shop is hurting for business and trying to take you for a ride, I used to see it all the time when I worked for dealers.
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Old 11-06-2011, 07:15 PM   #14
IS300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-l View Post
Are you sure he didn't say the #4 exhaust valve was burned? A leakdown test, numbers and where the air was going would result in a pretty good diagnosis.
Yes, he said tight exhaust valves. I will ask if they have the leakdown test numbers.

I will request a valve adjustment from another dealer.
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Old 11-06-2011, 11:33 PM   #15
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worth a shot, maybe throw some Sea Foam through the intake manifold to remove some of the carbon build up. Slight chance the carbon is creating the problem (small, but plausible).

Stephen
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Old 11-11-2011, 03:26 PM   #16
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The dealer agreed to a lower price for the valve job repair and I let them proceed. I went and took a look at the condition of the exhaust valves and cylinder heads at the dealer service dept.
Both cylinder heads were cracked at the spark plug like so many are and the exhaust valve faces were rounded so shims wouldn't solve the problem.

The dealer diagnosis was correct. The price is just expensive.

Since they are now ordering new heads, why not get a new short block I thought. Even though they said compression on the good cylinder head was was 95% and they didn't recommend a new short block.
I had them order a new short block. Maybe I can get another 150,000 miles on this car. Was this a stupid decision? Fair game.

I now have a good used short block for sale.
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Old 11-11-2011, 03:28 PM   #17
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So they got you hook line and sinker.
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Old 11-11-2011, 03:32 PM   #18
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A short block would not include cylinder heads. Did they say why the #4 exhaust valve burned?

This dealer mechanic thought cracks from the spark plug hole to the valve seat is not ok. Is that the consensus on this board?

Where is this dealer located if you don't mind my asking.
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Old 11-11-2011, 04:47 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 69subaru360 View Post
So they got you hook line and sinker.
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Old 11-11-2011, 09:20 PM   #20
IS300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-l View Post
A short block would not include cylinder heads.
Thank you.

Quote:
Did they say why the #4 exhaust valve burned?
He said the valve was tight due to wear from pounding and heat. It wasn't visibly burnt, and he showed me some slightly eroded areas on the face, nothing dramatic.

Quote:
This dealer mechanic thought cracks from the spark plug hole to the valve seat is not ok. Is that the consensus on this board?
The mechanic wasn't sure so he sent it out to a machine shop for evaluation and they didn't recommend rebuilding them due to how extensive the cracks were.



I thought you might find this interesting. 2011 U.S. Government test on engine wear from high ethanol levels. See PDF page 28 for the good stuff.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/52909.pdf
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Old 11-11-2011, 09:58 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IS300 View Post
Thank you.


He said the valve was tight due to wear from pounding and heat. It wasn't visibly burnt, and he showed me some slightly eroded areas on the face, nothing dramatic.


The mechanic wasn't sure so he sent it out to a machine shop for evaluation and they didn't recommend rebuilding them due to how extensive the cracks were.



I thought you might find this interesting. 2011 U.S. Government test on engine wear from high ethanol levels. See PDF page 28 for the good stuff.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/52909.pdf
oh my ****ing g0d....you got bent over and assraped

most of the early 2.0 wrx's heads have been cracked for a long time....no problem

you LET yourself get assraped

you invited an assraping
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Old 11-11-2011, 10:57 PM   #22
CosmoTheCat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IS300 View Post
The dealer agreed to a lower price for the valve job repair and I let them proceed. I went and took a look at the condition of the exhaust valves and cylinder heads at the dealer service dept.
Both cylinder heads were cracked at the spark plug like so many are and the exhaust valve faces were rounded so shims wouldn't solve the problem.

The dealer diagnosis was correct. The price is just expensive.

Since they are now ordering new heads, why not get a new short block I thought. Even though they said compression on the good cylinder head was was 95% and they didn't recommend a new short block.
I had them order a new short block. Maybe I can get another 150,000 miles on this car. Was this a stupid decision? Fair game.

I now have a good used short block for sale.
Hmm.

Check your PMs.
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Old 11-12-2011, 01:41 AM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Scotty View Post
oh my ****ing g0d....you got bent over and assraped

most of the early 2.0 wrx's heads have been cracked for a long time....no problem

you LET yourself get assraped

you invited an assraping

Never seen A$%%$Rape so many times in one post
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Old 11-12-2011, 11:16 AM   #24
rick-l
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It occured to me that a short block and two heads = 1 new engine Is that what they are selling you?

how much for the 145,000 short block?
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Old 11-12-2011, 11:21 AM   #25
IS300
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See PM
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