I’ve got the infamous leak on the timing cover. Newport just quoted me $8,050. Labor alone will be $7,500 on 25 hours. I don’t drive the 2013 v8v that often so wondering if I could get away with not doing this job? Has there been owners who just lived with it and did the oil leak damage your engine or other parts over time?

Are there independents in the Southern California area in Orange County that could do the job for cheaper? Not Raging Bull as I haven’t heard great things about them. Oh no, so bummed out right now.

Has anyone heard of British Motor in Orange?

https://britishmotor.co/aston-martin-service-repair-newport-beach-costa-mesa-orange-county/

 

I don’t want to sell my car. Anyone know if AM techs that maybe started their own shop in southern CA, please PM me.

 

25 hours seems a little on the high side, but probably not by much. I recently had the timing cover done on my DB9. While I also had a Velocity power pack and water pump done at the same time, a lot of the hours were in common and came out to about 25. The shop rate for that dealer though...

 

Since I can’t find any Indy shops, does it vary from AM dealer to another AM dealer?

 

Your labor estimate is about spot on. Front end of the car pretty much needs to come off to access what needs to be replaced. When I had it done in 2022 the parts were a few hundred - the vast majority was labor (~ 24 hours total).

 

I’m also noticing even within Aston Martin dealers, quotes are different. One is quoting 25 hours and now I’m getting another estimate which states it’s 12 hours. That’s a big difference.

 

I don’t see how they could do this in 12 hours.


https://bernardembden.com/am/timingcover/index.htm

 

I questioned this myself. I sent this article to the AM service team at Beverly Hills AM. They state they are very experienced at doing this and they are a busy shop so they can do it in 12 hours. Newport quoted me 25 hrs. Would you guys trust them?

 

Yes, if they are an AM dealer.

 

The worst purchase I ever did was at Beverly Hills Aston Martin buying a new V12S in 2017. I've been a loyal Aston Martin owner since 1988! I know these cars and these guys were the worst, treating me like a midwest Minnesota dimbo. However they had the perfect new V12S - options and colors. I have never bought a product of any type in my 70 years that I was treated so bad. That stated, they do have an excellent shop for service. In fact they caught that the new car's clutch was defective before delivery and replaced the clutch for me, of course at no charge. Not sure another dealer would have caught the problem. The service I would trust. In 2015 I had a V8 GT with a leaking timing cover under warranty. I made the mistake of visiting the car midstream in the service. Pretty much the entire suspension was spread out over 3 bays as the engine was dropped from below to access the cover. That 25 hours I think was on target. The rubber seal was pinched at the factory - so much for engines made by an individual. If you have a seepage, many V8 Vantages have that problem, I'd live with it. If it's a leak it may be a bigger issue. Even if you fix it, it might eventually seep. It's English after all.

 

You never should have sold that car.