Chevrolet Spark 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 Chevrolet Spark Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $242 with $46 for parts and $196 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
2020 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.4L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$697.76	Shop/Dealer Price$780.81 - $1008.90
2018 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.4L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$317.03	Shop/Dealer Price$347.75 - $434.16
2016 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.4L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$317.03	Shop/Dealer Price$347.79 - $434.22
2014 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.2L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$296.71	Shop/Dealer Price$322.39 - $393.58
2015 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.2L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$296.71	Shop/Dealer Price$324.45 - $397.19
2013 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.2L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$486.49	Shop/Dealer Price$514.97 - $588.26
2017 Chevrolet SparkL4-1.4L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$317.03	Shop/Dealer Price$347.81 - $434.26

Show example Chevrolet Spark 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 Chevrolet mechanics

Real customer reviews from Chevrolet owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(108)

Rating Summary

103

2

1

1

1

103

2

1

1

1

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Breck

21 years of experience

681 reviews

Breck

21 years of experience

by Matthew

Chevrolet Spark L4-1.4L - Spark Plugs - Spring, Texas

Breck was awesome! He was early for his appointment, got right to work, and was very professional. He went above and beyond going the extra mile, way surpassed my expectations of excellent and superior customer service. And he has thorough automotive experience and knowledge and shows in his excellent work ethic. I would undoubtedly have Breck work on my vehicle again!

Matthew

34 years of experience

1438 reviews

Request Matthew

Matthew

34 years of experience

Request Matthew

by Adrianna

Chevrolet Spark L4-1.2L - Oil Change - Newport News, Virginia

Matthew arrived on time and was very professional. I got an oil and filter change. He did an excellent job. My drain plug was stuck and he took the time to remove and replace it. I highly recommend him

Chuy

15 years of experience

503 reviews

Chuy

15 years of experience

by Joseph

Chevrolet Spark L4-1.2L - Brake Pads Replacement (Front) - Chicago, Illinois

Chuy was awesome. Very friendly and professional. Got my repairs done in a very timely manner.

Rigoberto

12 years of experience

739 reviews

Request Rigoberto

Rigoberto

12 years of experience

Request Rigoberto

by Michael

Chevrolet Spark L4-1.2L - Noise from engine or exhaust - Bolingbrook, Illinois

Excellent diagnostician who got to the point quickly and helped make decisions easily.

Excellent Rating

(108)

Rating Summary

103

2

1

1

1

103

2

1

1

1

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

What Is the Shelf Life of Motor Oil?

If you plan on storing your oil, it's good to know how long motor oil lasts. Store your motor oil in a cool, dark place to make your oil last longer.

Insurance Requirements for Car Registration in Kansas

The The state of Kansas requires that all drivers carry liability automotive insurance, or “financial responsibility,” in order to operate a vehicle legally and maintain vehicle registration. The minimum financial responsibility requirements for drivers under Kansas law are as follows:...

P2182 OBD-II Trouble Code: Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor 2 Circuit

What What the P2182 code means? P2182 is an OBD-II generic code for the engine control module (ECM) detecting the engine coolant temperature sensor (ECT) #2 does not correlate with ECT sensor #1 at cold engine start up. What causes...

Thudding and thumping during acceleration from a stop and steering vibration at highway speed on a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder

If it's happening when you stop or accelerate, it is often a broken motor mount (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-engine-mount) or transmission mount. I've got a video "how to change bad motor mounts on your car (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4VqDmlR9Oc)" that shows you how to check it....

My car wont start; haven't oil change in 6,000 miles. Is that the problem?

Just because you have not had the oil changed it would not cause no start unless you let it run out of oil and seized the motor. You should turn the crankshaft by hand to see if engine turns and...

2014 Ford F150 getting system starter fault.

This is a known issue with this generation Ford F-150 and your truck may have open recalls. Often times, this issue is related to the shift selection range sensor, which may also cause other problems related to the backup camera...

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 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com