Nissan Pathfinder Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Costs

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

See availability

Customer Ratings

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Service

How much does a Valve Cover Gasket Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Nissan Pathfinder Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $198 with $44 for parts and $154 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
2012 Nissan PathfinderV8-5.6L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$258.76	Shop/Dealer Price$284.79 - $353.95
2011 Nissan PathfinderV8-5.6L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$248.85	Shop/Dealer Price$272.93 - $340.64
2010 Nissan PathfinderV8-5.6L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$248.85	Shop/Dealer Price$272.96 - $340.69
2009 Nissan PathfinderV8-5.6L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$248.85	Shop/Dealer Price$272.96 - $340.68
2008 Nissan PathfinderV8-5.6L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$248.85	Shop/Dealer Price$274.58 - $343.52

Show example Nissan Pathfinder Valve Cover Gasket Replacement prices

What is a valve cover gasket and how does it work?

Each cylinder head on your car’s engine has an aluminum or plastic valve cover bolted to it. Between this valve cover and the cylinder head, there is a gasket that keeps engine oil from leaking out. The valve cover bolts keep the gasket compressed, thus preventing leaks. Over time the gasket becomes brittle from the engine’s heat or the bolts loosen, creating an engine oil leak.

When to consider replacing a valve cover gasket?

Look for these signs of oil leakage at the valve cover gasket:

Oil seepage or dripping. Should the joint between the valve cover and the cylinder head fail, oil often becomes visible on the valve cover or cylinder heads. Usually, the oil will attract and hold dirt.
Oil accumulating inside the spark plug well. The spark plug tube seals are part of the valve cover sealing system. If the tube seals are leaking, you will see oil on the spark plugs or wires. The valve cover gasket and tube seals are all replaced at one time if either fails.
Oil leakage at the rubber grommets. The bolts holding the valve cover to the cylinder head sometimes have rubber grommet seals under the bolt heads. If these seals are leaking, you will see oil seepage around the bolt heads.

How do mechanics replace a valve cover gasket?

Remove engine cover. Some engines have plastic covers over the entire top. The plastic engine cover is removed to access the valve cover(s).
Remove components. On 4 cylinder engines, the valve cover is usually readily accessed once any electrical components and emission control tubing are removed, plus any accelerator linkages that might be in the way. On 6 or 8 cylinder engines, depending on which valve cover gasket is leaking, removal of the air intake plenum might be required, as well as additional steps.
Remove valve cover. Once the valve cover(s) is accessed, the cover retaining bolts are removed and the cover pulled off. The valve cover sealing surface is checked with a straight edge to be sure the cover is flat and thus reusable.
Install new gasket. The new valve cover gasket is applied along with new rubber grommets under the retaining bolt heads. If there are spark plug tube seals, these are replaced as well. In some applications, oil resistant RTV (room temperature vulcanization) sealant must be applied to specific segments of the sealing surface, along with the new gasket, to ensure a complete and effective seal. The cover is bolted back on, using a calibrated inch pound torque wrench, and all other components are restored to their original position.
Check for leaks. Finally, the car engine is run and a visual check is made for oil leaks.

Is it safe to drive with a valve cover gasket problem?

Yes, as long as the amount of oil leaking is small, and there is no leak onto hot engine parts such as the exhaust manifold, it is safe to drive your car until you have an opportunity to fix it.

If you notice oil leaking on to the ground beneath your car after it is parked, you do not have a small leak, and it needs to be found and repaired as soon as possible. Any leak, of course, means your oil level is dropping as you drive the car. If you have a leak, be sure to check your oil more frequently than usual so you do not run low on oil and damage the engine.

When replacing a valve cover gasket keep in mind:

The mechanical components of a car engine will typically outlive the gaskets used to seal the engine. However, many of these gaskets, including the valve cover gaskets, are relatively easy to replace.
Never add stop leak type products to engine oil or other vehicle fluids. Not only are these materials not approved or specified by the original equipment manufacturers, but they also can create additional problems that may be costly to repair.
Often, if a car is old enough to have a valve cover oil leak, there will be oil leaks elsewhere on the engine, so you should request a complete leak inspection. It may be more cost effective to repair multiple leaks during one service call.
Often, the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve is inserted into a rubber grommet in one of the valve covers. An old rubber grommet is a potential leak source, as well as connections to the PCV valve. These components should be inspected and considered for replacement while there is access to the valve cover.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee

Meet some of our expert Nissan mechanics

Real customer reviews from Nissan owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(13)

Rating Summary

12

1

0

0

0

12

1

0

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Jonathan

30 years of experience

503 reviews

Request Jonathan

Jonathan

30 years of experience

Request Jonathan

by Bill Panouses

Pathfinder 2008 - Valve Cover Gasket - New Port Richey, FL

Great person and mechanic on time performed excellent work! Courteous and honest.

Tabitha

14 years of experience

318 reviews

Request Tabitha

Tabitha

14 years of experience

Request Tabitha

by Bri Gilstrap

Pathfinder 2007 - Valve Cover Gasket - San Diego, CA

Second appointment with Tabitha was awesome. She took great care of my car.

Chris

10 years of experience

31 reviews

Chris

10 years of experience

by Niki Bluemel

Pathfinder 2013 - Brake Pads - Ogden, UT

I was worried about booking a mechanic online. Chris was very professional and knowledgeable. I will definitely be using him again.

Chris

10 years of experience

31 reviews

Chris

10 years of experience

by Niki Bluemel

Pathfinder 2013 - Axle / CV Shaft Assembly - Ogden, UT

I was worried about booking a mechanic online. Chris was very professional and knowledgeable. I will definitely be using him again.

Excellent Rating

(13)

Rating Summary

12

1

0

0

0

12

1

0

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

Do I Need to Change My Motor Oil for Hot or Cold Weather?

Outside temperature can change how motor oil works. Multiviscosity motor oil makes it easy to keep your car running efficiently all year around.

P0623 OBD-II Trouble Code: Generator Lamp Control Circuit

P0623 means there is a voltage problem between the ECU and the generator control module due to bad battery or alternator, or a weak or dead battery.

How to Register a Car in Washington

The The process of moving can be a very stressful one. If you are in the process of moving to Washington, then you will need to make sure that you get your car or cars registered with the state. There...

White, puffy smoke from tailpipe

Hello! There may also be an internal engine issue with the valve seals, or piston rings causing the smoke; this can be verified through a compression test. To verify if the turbo is leaking, I suggest a visual inspection of...

Just bought a 2011 CR-V yesterday, and now I'm noticing a very loud grinding noise when backing up and turning left. Any ideas?

It is possible that something could be rubbing against your brakes or wheels as you are backing up. In this circumstance, I would recommend having your brakes inspected by a qualified professional to determine the exact cause of the sound....

I need a part identified

The part in the picture looks like it is the PIP sensor also called cam sensor. The sensor is located in the top of the engine in front of intake manifold and is used to provide a cam signal to...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com