[darien87]

This morning I noticed when I turned on the A/C that I smelled exhaust for a few seconds. Then the smell went away. I noticed it again a couple more times thoughout the day.

I drove home with my music loud as usual. When I got home I turned the music off before stopping the engine and I noticed a loud clicking coming from the engine. Sounded like valve train noise. (I tried to post a video but the site doesn't seem to like mp4 files).

I made an appointment at Infiniti to have it looked at on Wednesday. The only change I made to the engine bay was adding a Z1 oil catch can. Do you think Infiniti would use that as an excuse to deny any possible warranty claim?

2018 Luxe.

 

[Ddnspider]

Pull the catch can.

 

[SkylineDreamz]

Dealerships will do whatever they can to NOT do warranty work. They don’t make any money on it and don’t want to do it. Pull the catch can.

 

[darien87]

Ugh. I was afraid of that. Putting that thing on was a complete nightmare for me. I'll have to see if I can borrow some tools from a co-worker.

 

[21QSig]

Dealerships will do whatever they can to NOT do warranty work. They don’t make any money on it and don’t want to do it. Pull the catch can.

Dealerships make plenty of money off of warranty work -- it often keeps them in business if they sell new cars. They make no money, though, if the warranty claim is denied after they do the work.

 

[SkylineDreamz]

Dealerships make plenty of money off of warranty work -- it often keeps them in business if they sell new cars. They make no money, though, if the warranty claim is denied after they do the work.

I’m not saying they don’t get paid for warranty work, but there’s no profit in it. They’re reimbursed for the actual cost of the parts and a reduced labor rate. Because it’s through the people that make the parts and build the vehicle, they can’t work in a few bucks here and there for an actual profit. It keeps them in business only as a customer care point. If you buy a car from a dealership and something goes wrong, but they refuse to fix it, you won’t buy from them again. Any honest dealership will tell you, the service depart is for Public Relations, new cars are to bring customers in, F&I and used cars are where the money is made.

 

[21QSig]

I’m not saying they don’t get paid for warranty work, but there’s no profit in it. They’re reimbursed for the actual cost of the parts and a reduced labor rate. Because it’s through the people that make the parts and build the vehicle, they can’t work in a few bucks here and there for an actual profit. It keeps them in business only as a customer care point. If you buy a car from a dealership and something goes wrong, but they refuse to fix it, you won’t buy from them again. Any honest dealership will tell you, the service depart is for Public Relations, new cars are to bring customers in, F&I and used cars are where the money is made.

If a dealer isn't making a profit from warranty work, they're doing it wrong. The manufacturer pays a set amount of time for each repair. Most good dealers make sure the guy they have doing the warranty work either doesn't get paid much, or works fast. In either case the dealer wins. Recall campaigns can be especially lucrative, because a couple of techs can get very good (and fast) at a repair, but it continues to pay the same flat rate.

Everything I've ever heard or read clearly indicates that the primary profit center for most dealers happens in parts and service.

 

[SkylineDreamz]

If a dealer isn't making a profit from warranty work, they're doing it wrong. The manufacturer pays a set amount of time for each repair. Most good dealers make sure the guy they have doing the warranty work either doesn't get paid much, or works fast. In either case the dealer wins. Recall campaigns can be especially lucrative, because a couple of techs can get very good (and fast) at a repair, but it continues to pay the same flat rate.

Everything I've ever heard or read clearly indicates that the primary profit center for most dealers happens in parts and service.

Fair enough, but I’m going off my experience working at a few different dealerships, in different roles (tech, auto body, sales). Perhaps the handful of dealerships I’ve worked at subscribed to the business model I described, but we’re none the less outliers in the industry. After all, every dealership is, or was for the most part, independently owned and can therefore conduct business however they see fit within the bounds of the law and automaker accords.

 

[jcb]

We have guys getting turbos and engines replaced bringing their car in with tunes, but a catch can is going to be a problem? Agree the inconsistency with how these warranty claims are handled warrants taking it off to be safe but what a PIA! A catch can can do nothing but good, assuming no vacuum leak. Even then harmless rough idle that is easily fixed.

 

[21QSig]

Fair enough, but I’m going off my experience working at a few different dealerships, in different roles (tech, auto body, sales). Perhaps the handful of dealerships I’ve worked at subscribed to the business model I described, but we’re none the less outliers in the industry. After all, every dealership is, or was for the most part, independently owned and can therefore conduct business however they see fit within the bounds of the law and automaker accords.

Here's one article about it, but maybe things have flipped a bit during Covid because of people's reluctance to bring their cars in for service combined with ridiculous used car prices.

We may just be talking about two different things - gross sales v. gross profits.

 

[SkylineDreamz]

Here's one article about it, but maybe things have flipped a bit during Covid because of people's reluctance to bring their cars in for service combined with ridiculous used car prices.

We may just be talking about two different things - gross sales v. gross profits.

It’s also entirely possible that the business model has changed anyway. Last time I worked for a dealership was in early 2015. I’m sure a lot has changed in the years since.

 

[darien87]

Listening to my video again, the noise kinda sounds like a vacuum leak. This morning I started the car and the noise was even louder than yesterday. But after about 10 or 20 seconds it went away, like when the car revs a little higher upon start up and then settles down in about 10 seconds. Really weird. I drove the car around the block and I could hear it the whole time I was driving.

Sound seems to be coming from the right side of the engine and the catch can is on the left.

Does anyone know how to upload mp4 videos to this site? I'd really like to post the video so you guys can hear it.

 

[darien87]

We have guys getting turbos and engines replaced bringing their car in with tunes, but a catch can is going to be a problem? Agree the inconsistency with how these warranty claims are handled warrants taking it off to be safe but what a PIA! A catch can can do nothing but good, assuming no vacuum leak. Even then harmless rough idle that is easily fixed.

The car seems to idle and run fine. It's weird.

 

[SkylineDreamz]

Listening to my video again, the noise kinda sounds like a vacuum leak. This morning I started the car and the noise was even louder than yesterday. But after about 10 or 20 seconds it went away, like when the car revs a little higher upon start up and then settles down in about 10 seconds. Really weird. I drove the car around the block and I could hear it the whole time I was driving.

Does anyone know how to upload mp4 videos to this site? I'd really like to post the video so you guys can hear it.

I don’t know how to upload here, but you upload to YouTube or Rumble, you can link to the video on that platform

 

[darien87]

Car noise

Noise coming from my 2018 Infiniti Q50. Is this valve train noise or a vacuum leak?

youtube.com

 

[Avedis53]

Car noise

Noise coming from my 2018 Infiniti Q50. Is this valve train noise or a vacuum leak?

youtube.com

I don't think that's a vacuum leak. Sounds a lot more serious to me, like engine internals.

 

[darien87]

I don't think that's a vacuum leak. Sounds a lot more serious to me, like engine internals.

Yikes. Guess it's pulling the catch can tonight and towing to Infiniti tomorrow. Crap-balls.

So lame. A catch can couldn't have any affect on engine internals, right?

 

[Avedis53]

Yikes. Guess it's pulling the catch can tonight and towing to Infiniti tomorrow. Crap-balls.

I'm just spit-balling based only on an audio recording but if I were you, I'd be taking it in. That just sounds wrong to me.

 

[darien87]

I'm just spit-balling based only on an audio recording but if I were you, I'd be taking it in. That just sounds wrong to me.

Oh I'm definitely taking it in. I'm just pissed about having to take the catch can off since it was a complete fiasco for me to put on. But I'm borrowing some specialty tools from a co-worker that should make it easier, (allen key swivel sockets and stuff).

 

[twin_snails]

Does anyone know how to upload mp4 videos to this site? I'd really like to post the video so you guys can hear it.

Upload to YouTube and post the link. The site does not, to my knowledge, allow posting video .mp4 files.