URGENT advise needed on 2007 Granturismo timing variator solenoid?

Hi all,

I had a yellow check engine warning light on my dashboard while on a holiday in scotland - the car is with Grey Paul Edinburgh now while I have to take a train back to london...

Anyway the dealer called and said the warning light is due to "Rh timing variator solenoid valve dis-connected", so they need to replace a soleniod valve. The quote i got is £107 on parts and £754 on labour!!!

Is this sort of price i should expect from a maserati dealer? and would you suggest any good independent dealers around Edinburgh?

thank you very much!

Seems very expensive.

What car is it and did the car stop running as normal despite the light?

If not, I would decline the fix and take it home. Most garages could remove and refit an engine for £754 so I am wondering just where this part is positioned???

http://www.pksupercars.com Whin Park Industrial Estate, Prestonpans, Cockenzie, East Lothian. EH32 9SF

Sorry to hear of your troubles.....try the guys above, tell them you heard of them on this forum, tell them whats what see what they say


P

thanks conaero - it is a 07 GT 4.2

the engine can't run normally as it sound almost cut off at low rev - i don't know where is that thing fit but it is used to control the time of vavle opening time to make sure it has correct air/gas mix (sorry i might be wrong as i am complete new to this area of the car - much more confident on just drive it )

as i can't drive it and the bill to tow it from edinburgh to london gone be very expensive - so ideally i can find a local garage in edinburgh to fix it and then drive back to london

does anyone in here heard about this kind of problem in engine before?

If car not running within normal parameters, technically speaking you're entitled to call your breakdown recovery people, however they may pressure you to take it to the nearest garage, or an indie specialist?


P

Hi. Just my Two cents. I had both my variator solenoids replaced. The part price seems correct. However I paid £150 to have both fitted at a specialist. I looked over their shoulders when they did these and to be honest you could this easily. I have the PDF if that helps. I would get the car recovered

thanks v much Parisien and nkotecha! i can't believe they are charging me £760 for a £150 job!!

i am trying to have my warranty company to cover that cost but if necessary i would use the specialist Parisien mentioned. thanks for all your help in here!!!

nkotecha - would you know why the variator solenoids was broken? could it be a sign that the condition of the car is bad? i just got the car from a local dealer for 1 month and i am losing confident on the quality of it... although i love to drive it so much..

Hi , if its only the solenoid that they are replacing you should be able to do this for around £200+vat

Marios

CK....early builds maybe not as well sorted as slightly later...stand to be corrected........please don't loose faith in your pride and joy, sometimes theres a period of settling in, so to speak.

Someone mentioned this as an issue on QPs, perhaps same engine, but its not been terribly highlighted on GTs........I know there was a thread about this on Maseratilfe, assuming its the same thing, will post up for you so you can check relevance

P

http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/quattroporte/18438-suspect-variator-issue.html

P

Agree with Parisen. Dont lose faith and hope - this is an electrical part and as with any electrical part on any car - can easily fail! -

I had a little rattle when i started mine up - it turned out i did not need the Solenoids, BUT had them done anyway - Mine was the OIL Accumulator, which holds OIL when you switch the engine off, so that when you restart, there is a reservoir ready to feed parts - Mine failed as it was dropping back therefore taking its time to fill hence causing chatter like the mother in laws dentures!!!!

Personally I would do two things:
-ask Graypaul if they are charging the labour rate for cars out of warranty as it is normally a fair but cheaper; and
-phone two or three SE England dealers and ask what they would charge for the work.

Personally I doubt whether PK have much experience of the GranTurismo but I might be wrong.

Maybe not BB...but they are now 6 yrs old....indies were dealing with endless 4200s/GS at that age....plus 3/4 times the number of GTs out there in comparison


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Parisien said:

Maybe not BB...but they are now 6 yrs old....indies were dealing with endless 4200s/GS at that age....plus 3/4 times the number of GTs out there in comparison


P

Click to expand...

I agree with the logic completely but I'm not convinced that it is happening.

....neither am I! So perhaps just better build quality and more robust specs has helped


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Parisien said:

....neither am I! So perhaps just better build quality and more robust specs has helped


P

Click to expand...

I think that is the point Frank together with two year servicing if miles are under 6250 pa and the first cars being auto - few dealer visits required.

Not sure of the next bit but are we on SD3 or SD4 for the GranTurismo? Do most indies have these?

hey all, thanks for your advises - i was really panic but much more calm now after reading your posts in here

i will wait for the response from my warrantee company first, and if they can't cover that - i will do what bigbob suggest.

a bit experience to share in case other people has similar issue in the future. i definitely had the "can of beans" noise from engine 1-2 days before the warning light on the dashboard, the noise not only happens when i have cold start, also when the car is running and last for quite long (could be more than a few minutes, i actually don't know when it stopped). i had the yellow check engine light on after i started the car but didn't wait it to reach the normal operating temperature and pressed the gas very hard (big mistake i guess...) when the aa mechanics come to check the car, he got a few misfire error code on the reader, he then cleared the error code so the car can rev high and sounds normal, but when the rev dropped the engine sounds almost gone cut off.
scared of ruining the engine i asked aa to tow the car to grey paul Edinburgh which is the nearest maserati dealer i know, cost me 400 quids to just move it to the garage... and i am in the middle of my holiday in scotland!! really frustrating, by the way the car also had a flat tire 3 days before the warning light - not the best holiday i had for sure

These things happen. Just as likely with a six year old top end Merc etc.

ckstorm said:

Hi all,

I had a yellow check engine warning light on my dashboard while on a holiday in scotland - the car is with Grey Paul Edinburgh now while I have to take a train back to london...

Anyway the dealer called and said the warning light is due to "Rh timing variator solenoid valve dis-connected", so they need to replace a soleniod valve. The quote i got is £107 on parts and £754 on labour!!!

Is this sort of price i should expect from a maserati dealer? and would you suggest any good independent dealers around Edinburgh?

thank you very much!

Click to expand...

Hum, this is not the first instance of this sort of practice I have heard from this dealer. My GS was serviced by the Nottingham branch and had just had a recent warranty clutch. The previous owner opted to pay for a new bearing whilst it was all out (very sensible) and showed me the receipt for sonething like £400 from memory. I spoke to Maserati UK during my ownership and ended up going through the history only to find the bearing had be supplied with the clutch as part of the warrant claim. Make of that what you will!

When i first got my 3200 I was full of good intentions and planned to book it into Grey Paul Edinburgh as the only official Maserati dealer in Scotland and get a major service done including timing belt and they quoted me £2800 for a service not including any additional items. I didn't do it. They struck me as being real expensive, i would also suggest MP supercars, have never used them myself but heard very good things about them.