North Star valve cover leak - update (final update)

[skregal]

My GXP is leaking oil from the valve cover gaskets and burning it off
on the engine, or probably exhaust manifolds because the smell is very
strong for a minute then goes away.

I think I read that this was fairly common. I can't remember now with
all the other leaks, mounts, clunks, etc, that these cars have.

Anyway, it looks like replacing those gaskets will be considerably more difficult
and time consuming than the 95, which I did with the LIM gasket a few years back.

Do you have any ballpark numbers of what Mr. Goodwrench will charge to replace
these? Or comments about doing it myself.
I haven't really done very much work on the N* and frankly don't want to.
The thing is just too tight and complicated the way they installed it in these bonneys.

[00Beast]

I know dpnewfie did his. Maybe try snugging the bolts a little?

[skregal]

Well I just got a call from the dealer. The engine is leaking just a little
from the valve covers but the big leak is from the main seal. He was
trying to explain how the engine has no gaskets and why they leak, but
all I heard was "pull the transmission, about $4000 job."

Rant coming:
This car is just the biggest piece of crap. I'll never touch a North Star again.
This is the second time the tranny has to be dropped, and the third time the
repair bill has been in the thousands. Luckily my extended warranty covered
the first two. We'll see if it covers this one as well.

The car just turned over 80,000 miles. That's nothing! My ext. warranty goes
until 100,000 miles. Then this car is gone, no matter what, even if I have to
give it away on a trade.

[harofreak00]

Ya, fitting the N* in the Bonneville seemed like a good idea at first, but since you can't really work on it while its in the car, its not very mechanic friendly.

Exactly why my GXP is getting the L67 in place. Best of both worlds.

[00Beast]

While the Northstar was a good idea, GM didn't really get it right. Like CMNTMXR has said, it's a size 5 engine in a size 2 dress...

[dpnewfie]

Yup, I did the valve cover gaskets. NOT fun at all. However, I have done worse. It has eliminated the oil leak. I had the trans shop check, while the trans was out, for a leaky main seal, and it was fine.

[repinS]

Luckily every single (relevant) gasket on my motor is practically new

[dpnewfie]

Luckily every single (relevant) gasket on my motor is practically new

That's an understatement!

[skregal]

There should never be a $4000 repair bill on any car with only 80K miles on it, period.
That's totally unacceptable. If GM can't engineer something better than that, we shouldn't be buying their products.
It's a epic fail, and they should be embarrassed.

Funny, the service manager said "Your car has one of those old Northstars".
I'm not sure what that meant. It's only 6 years old. Did GM stop making them?
Are there newer, better ones? If there are, I still don't think I want one. And I really wanted a CTS for my next car.
I hope it has something better.

[00Beast]

Ugh, dad's VC's are leaking...

[repinS]

Maybe 'old' because the basic design of the motor came out around 1991, with only minor changes along the years. Production ended in 2010.

It's a great, fun motor when you pick it up used when somebody else has already footed the major repair bill...

[Jrs3800]

Now we see why I don't own one.....

[skregal]

I wanted to give you guys a good laugh (or maybe cringe) when you read the
$3000 repair bill from the dealer. I shall quote ---

"Customer reports oil leak and odor of burning oil.

Checked and found oil leaks from the following: Oil pan gasket,
lower crankcase seals, rear main seal, front cover and crank seal,
oil pressure and level switches, and both valve cover gaskets.
Also found excessive play in both front hub bearings and A/C line
leaking dye from the condensor to the compressor."


IS THERE ANYPLACE ELSE ON AN ENGINE THAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAK OIL?

Yes, I am yelling if anyone was wondering. I can't believe it only has
80K miles on it.

Also the tech broke a main bolt and had to replace it. And they found a coolant
leak at the crossover gasket, WHICH THEY JUST REPLACED LAST YEAR AT A COST
OF $2950.00 (WARRANTY PAID, THANK GOD) Sorry, I was yelling again.

Well, Northstar, you have now taken first place as the biggest lemon I ever owned,
beating my 1986 Corvette which broke daily for the six nightmare years I had it back
in my younger days.

[Jrs3800]

My 3800 SLE has had 2 issues in 85K..

Lower gaskets and upper intake( common ) and the ABS/Track pump died.. internal short..

8 years old.... No oil leaks at all... still bone dry.. Ac has had 1Lb added recently( September ) only time the AC has been touched...

I have worked on the N*'s before and hated it... I have seen some go 150k without issue... and other never even get close..

[94SilverSSEi]

My 3800 SLE has had 2 issues in 85K..

Lower gaskets and upper intake( common ) and the ABS/Track pump died.. internal short..

8 years old.... No oil leaks at all... still bone dry.. Ac has had 1Lb added recently( September ) only time the AC has been touched...

I have worked on the N*'s before and hated it... I have seen some go 150k without issue... and other never even get close..

This x2. I've seen/heard the same thing. It seems like from what I've seen/heard. The car that get used and abused are the ones that last a long time. This Northstar is made to put out the power and if not used it has lots of issues (grandma owner cars), even if they are maintained properly.

I know I read somewhere on the Cadillac Forum you are supposed to redline the car once a week.
I don't think that would make the tranny too happy after a while though....

Wow. That seems ridiculous. Is the car really leaking from all those places? Or is the dealer just trying to screw GM?

Sidenote: But the dealer told us our supercharger needed a new coupler (at about 118k) but he would just replace the whole thing ($1600) and just charge it to GM since it was still under warranty.

[00Beast]

And I really wanted a CTS for my next car.
I hope it has something better.

Well, no CTS has a N*, the -V's have the LSA and some others have the Direct Injection 3.6L with 302 HP. THe base engine is like 260 HP, IIRC.

Did your warranty cover it?

[skregal]

Yes, the warranty covered it. It is amazing, I spent $2300 for that warranty and I
have had over $8000 in repairs and still counting.

[94SilverSSEi]

Yes, the warranty covered it. It is amazing, I spent $2300 for that warranty and I
have had over $8000 in repairs and still counting.

WOW! Normally they say the extended warranty is a waste of money but it looks like you got your money worth.
(We got our money's worth on the '94's warranty too...)

[skregal]

I bought the extended warranty on my 95 and never used it once. As a matter of fact it only had 1 repair under the factory warranty which was the transmission gear shift indicator on the console shorted out or something. That was it.

Now that I think of it, the 95's reliability is what made me buy the GXP

[BlownNitroPontiac]

I bought my 2005 GXP 18 months ago with 72,000 miles for $10,700 from a Chrysler/Jeep stealership. It had lots of little things wrong with it at the time, including a leaky rear valve cover, which they replaced. From what I could tell, the radiator and oil cooler lines were replaced sometime prior to 72,000 miles. I have since replaced only a leaky A/C hose, #4 ignition coil ( or more accurately, all four in that bank since General Mistake only sells them as banks of four. You can't even replace just the faulty coil either, as the pigtail that connects the coils together in one bank have different ends between the original and the replacement coil packs) and, since I already had the rear coil pack removed, I replaced all 8 spark plugs at 90,000 miles with platinum AC/Delco plugs, forgoing the more expensive brands.

I drive a combination of local and lots of work-related highway miles. I change oil every 6,000 miles with Wal-Mart 5-30 synthetic and an AC/Delco PF-61E filter. I changed the transmission fluid when I bought the car and should probably do it again.

The car has 102,000 on it now and on a trip from Philly to Pittsburgh last month, I pulled 27.3 mph driving at 74 mph.

Of course, some of the bulbs are out on the radio controls on both the dash and on the steering wheel.

I put a set of Hankook Ventus 245/45/18 Ventus 4 tires that were on sale on it and I've rotated them twice now in 16,000 miles. They were under $90 apiece, total.

I also threw a set of Wagner rotors and pads on it this summer, as my friend owns a garage and gets a pretty good deal from the local Advance Auto Parts store.

The transmission sometimes shifts hard when it's raining.

The moonroof leaks air now, since for some reason, one of the forward rubbing blocks in the track has broken off and seems to affect how the roof sits in its parked position.

This is my daily driver that I rely upon for my work vehicle and if I couldn't rely upon it starting every day and taking me between New York, Philly, Harrisburg and Baltimore, I'd get rid of it. But I can. I think the car had a lot of highway miles on it when I picked it up at 72,000 because the windshield has that sandblasted look to it which only comes from extended high speed highway driving.

I looked at a 2008 Toyota Avalon Touring yesterday as a potential replacement, but the stealership that had it would prefer to wait until they can find a sucker who will both pony up the full asking price AND will take it in the shorts on his trade. I'll do neither.

So, I keep driving it and beating on it, as it really owes me nothing.