Saturn Ion 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 Saturn Ion Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $672 with $175 for parts and $496 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
2004 Saturn IonL4-2.0L Turbo	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$1008.49	Shop/Dealer Price$1091.74 - $1376.95
2007 Saturn IonL4-2.0L Turbo	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$990.99	Shop/Dealer Price$1081.56 - $1372.26
2006 Saturn IonL4-2.2L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$894.81	Shop/Dealer Price$973.61 - $1230.05
2004 Saturn IonL4-2.2L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$910.81	Shop/Dealer Price$1003.84 - $1270.96
2006 Saturn IonL4-2.0L Turbo	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$939.99	Shop/Dealer Price$1030.04 - $1320.35
2005 Saturn IonL4-2.0L Turbo	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$990.99	Shop/Dealer Price$1081.56 - $1372.26
2006 Saturn IonL4-2.4L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$1055.57	Shop/Dealer Price$1167.73 - $1510.94
2007 Saturn IonL4-2.2L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$895.37	Shop/Dealer Price$972.34 - $1227.74

Show example Saturn Ion 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 Saturn mechanics

Real customer reviews from Saturn owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(292)

Rating Summary

272

9

2

3

6

272

9

2

3

6

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Benji

23 years of experience

309 reviews

Benji

23 years of experience

by Dwain

Saturn Ion L4-2.2L - Cruise control is not working - Chandler, Arizona

Great, Knowledgeable, Straightforward

Alfredo

22 years of experience

123 reviews

Request Alfredo

Alfredo

22 years of experience

Request Alfredo

by Jennifer

Saturn Ion L4-2.2L - Check Engine Light is on - Winter Springs, Florida

He called and asked if he could come early, which was perfect! When he arrived, he was so personable and very friendly. Great conversation, which it made it that much more comfortable. He was very patient with my car and let me know exactly what was wrong, verbally and physically. I will be seeing him again tomorrow to get my car worked on and I am that much more comfortable with that happening. I work Mon-Friday an hour and half away from home, so this idea was perfect! Thank you so much! Will be using from now on!

Tien

24 years of experience

903 reviews

Tien

24 years of experience

by John

Saturn Ion L4-2.2L - Coolant is leaking - Oakland, California

Very helpful in diagnosing the problem with the coolant.

Bereketeab

8 years of experience

110 reviews

Request Bereketeab

Bereketeab

8 years of experience

Request Bereketeab

by Corey

Saturn Ion L4-2.2L - Oil Change - Sacramento, California

Very good

Excellent Rating

(292)

Rating Summary

272

9

2

3

6

272

9

2

3

6

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

P0449 OBD-II Trouble Code: Evaporative Emission Control System Vent Valve/Solenoid Circuit Malfunction

P0449 code definition P0449 is a general OBD2 diagnostic trouble code indicating an issue with the EVAP vent control circuit. This code...

How to Prepare for the Nebraska Driver’s Written Test

Being Being able to drive means freedom, and if you’ve been dreaming of the day that you could actually get behind the wheel, you know that the state of Nebraska requires a few things before you can actually drive. Namely,...

Oldsmobile Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Car Program

If If you are in the market for a used Oldsmobile vehicle, it may be that you have considered a Certified Pre-Owned, or CPO, vehicle. CPO programs allow owners of used cars to drive with confidence, knowing that their vehicle...

Why Isn't My Car Door Locking?

Remote car door lock problems can also be due to a variety of issues. Five of the most common reasons for a car door lock not working properly are a dead battery in the key fob, bad programming in the...

After a fuel injector/throttle body cleaning, my Idle goes up and down constantly in park. When in gear it doesnt.

Hi DeShon. Thanks for contacting us today. Usually, when a mechanic cleans a throttle body and fuel injectors with a chemical additive, it's seafoam; which can be rather harsh on sensors and other fuel system components. This is often the...

My truck turns off even after i have started it

You haven't said whether it can be restarted and driven, so I don't have a lot to go on. But one thing you can easily check for is vacuum leaks. Any air that gets into the engine without going through...

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