Paid $750 for service, now my C14 is the freakin Exxon Valdez

[maxtog]

It could be just me, or a trick of lighting, but the liquid appears to have a green cast to it.  That would tend to mean coolant.

[VirginiaJim]

Yeah, as in valve cover leak? You don't own the PiP English to idiocy dictionary?

You mentioned an exhaust leak out of the blue.  Should have nothing to do with the valve check.  Was it already leaking or you just want to tighten up the exhaust header nuts?  They do get loose, especially right from the factory as they were never tightened correctly in the plant.  Getting to them is a PITA, but it can be done without total disassembly of the bike.

[clogan]

I feel for the OP...got a botched job, and it cost him $750.

But I don't know if I'd want the same hacks going back into my bike that botched it the first time...it might turn out even worse than before.

Regrettably, with rare exceptions, the only real solution is DIY.

[PlaynInPeoria]

You mentioned an exhaust leak out of the blue.  Should have nothing to do with the valve check.  Was it already leaking or you just want to tighten up the exhaust header nuts?  They do get loose, especially right from the factory as they were never tightened correctly in the plant.  Getting to them is a PITA, but it can be done without total disassembly of the bike.

No clue why I said exhaust leak, that was a brain fart.   I have no exhaust leak.

[gPink]

Isn't a fart, brain or otherwise, an exhaust leak?

[VirginiaJim]

    

[PlaynInPeoria]

I've spoken with about 20+ different CERTIFIED Kaw service facilities, about process of valve inspection, roughly 50% actually told me that during the INSPECTION they are required to record the clearances they find, to document the decisions on adjustment to Kaw.
The rest said "Oh, we shove the feeler in there, if it fits its good, why should we record WHAT didn't fit,"?

I found a Mama Kaw customer service #. I am going to contact them and ask them, "When I get my valves adjusted, what should I walk out the door with, per Kawasaki policy?".   If they say, "a bill/service record AND a clearance map", I will hold the dealer's feet to the fire and get it for free.  If it's not in fact policy, then that is kinda on me for not making it clear up front that I wanted that.  I would think that they would make it when doing it (I know I would), but that's just my opinion and they are not duty bound to to do things that I didn't tell them up front I wanted, they're not mind readers.

I would do it today but you have to have the VIN to do it, and I don't have that here at work.   If it is NOT a requirement by Mama Kaw, I will try to get them to check the valves again and provide a gauge map.  It's the least they can do for failing miserably on the work.   They may try to weasel out of it and I may offer to pay them for half an hour of labor.

That opens another can of worms.  They say the valves were fine.  Hypothetically, if in fact they were not fine and the mechanic I like just didn't feel like doing it, now what's to stop them from just making up numbers?  Because if in fact, now they are out of spec, they have to adjust them and that's egg on their face. Plus they would have to come back to me for more money, which would not make my day as I already paid them for it.

Yet another example of why I avoid dealerships.

Something just occurred to me.  I have a friend who works for Honda as a warranty rep.   He approves or denies warranty work and this shop is in his territory.  I will ask him what the Honda policy is and what his expectations would be.  Not sure he will even know, his line is warranty, not everyday service.  And he's Honda, not Kawasaki.  Plus, he's another 'friend' and now I am putting him with my friendship on one side and the place that pays his mortgage on the other.  Dammit.

[VirginiaJim]

We're pretty sure that they went into it as they left something not right.  I get my valves checked with a dealer and it cost me about $350.  Of course they aren't replacing shims and they do give me the shim map, but then I asked for it before the service started.

[MAN OF BLUES]

don't get me wrong here, I did not say they were obligated to give you a copy of the map, but they were obligated to record those numbers on the work order during the service, how else could they as a dealership for Kaw, coverthemselves if valves or cam damage occurs?
you do get my point?

just make sure to purchase an extended KPP warranty plan,

cheap insurance at this point, and you will not have to worry if it grenades....

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=225.0


you paid them already for the valve inspection, that is clear by the $$$$ you were charged, and they most likely did remove the cover, clearly evident by the massive leak, they are responsible for fixing this free of charge, and id press them to make a map while repairing their botch, out of compensation for the botched job already, as you say, doing the map should only take a half hour.... its just sticking feeler gauge and writing the numbers down, even at a snails pace of one lobe per two minutes, its a half hour.

[PlaynInPeoria]

Maybe the extended warranty is another topic entirely but mine was at least $600 every time, like $500 for one year, $600 for 2 and etc, I forget the actual numbers.   That's not cheap? I threw them away.

[MAN OF BLUES]

Maybe the extended warranty is another topic entirely but mine was at least $600 every time, like $500 for one year, $600 for 2 and etc, I forget the actual numbers.   That's not cheap? I threw them away.

yes, the thread I noted above is for a greatly reduced price, thru a dealer in Richmond Va., and personal friend. He has extended this offer to us at $383, for 36 months, and it is the bonafied kawasaki KPP plan.
You can get two extensions total, giving you covereage for a total of 9 years from original bike purchase, this is only available if you have a current warrenty, i.e. it has not expired.

I worked with him to get this for us, and he has been great at keeping the price low now for many years. take advantage of it.

[VirginiaJim]

A very good deal indeed.   Doesn't cover maintenance, though.

[PlaynInPeoria]

Update:

Square 1, I'm out of warranty, so no extended warranty for me.  I found it last night and it was nearly $700 for 3 years, that's no deal.

Just talked to dealership, they will fix it and give me a gauge map, $0.  Now I just gotta ride it 50 miles over there in 30 degree weather tonight.  I could wait for better weather but I want it done so I can ride it. Plus, if they screw it up again, I have plenty of time to fix it someway before actual IL riding season hits.

Updates to follow. I may wimp out tonight, I have to have a riding buddy follow me over. We could trailer it, but that has its own downsides, that sumbitch is heavy and trailering always has the risk of damage.

I may ask about extended warranty deal now that I have them over a bit of a barrel.

[gPink]

What dealer you using?

[PlaynInPeoria]

What dealer you using?

World of PowerSports in Bloomington IL, formerly Sportland.   WOPS owns dealerships in Bloomington, Peoria and Decatur IL. They started in Decatur.

You're not from my area, are you?  I've actually had good luck with them (this mechanic) on things I am too lazy to do myself.   I had to have some fork tubes replaced from crash damage on my old FZ1, bird hit me in the head.  They also rebuilt some dirt bike forks and bled some stuff a while back before I learned about speed bleeders.

[gPink]

Many years ago. Don't get up there any more.

[MAN OF BLUES]

Update:

Square 1, I'm out of warranty, so no extended warranty for me.  I found it last night and it was nearly $700 for 3 years, that's no deal.

Just talked to dealership, they will fix it and give me a gauge map, $0.  Now I just gotta ride it 50 miles over there in 30 degree weather tonight.  I could wait for better weather but I want it done so I can ride it. Plus, if they screw it up again, I have plenty of time to fix it someway before actual IL riding season hits.

Updates to follow. I may wimp out tonight, I have to have a riding buddy follow me over. We could trailer it, but that has its own downsides, that sumbitch is heavy and trailering always has the risk of damage.

I may ask about extended warranty deal now that I have them over a bit of a barrel.

I guess you did not grasp what I noted about extended warranty, and where to buy it from...
as you did not state exactly when your 2012 was purchased, ( i.e. 2012, 2013 or 2014?) I can't say for sure your original warranty is expired, as it begins day of purchase from dealer.
If it is expired, you can't get an extension, if it was purchase less than 36 months ago, you can, but do so from the link I gave... it ain't $700 there...

The only reason I mentioned extended warranty, was because they hosed up the seals, and we don't know they really did the valve inspect and valves were truely within the range, which if they weren't, you would be the brunt of their word against yours on the adjust. best of luck,

[PlaynInPeoria]

I rode over and dropped it off tonight, the service manager was basically bowing and scraping.  He saw my crappy rim protector Shinko rear I got in Arkansas last year when I ran out of tire and wanted to replace it, offered to give me a deal.  He's gonna quote me a PR2, they yank the wheel, mount and balance.  We'll see. I think they just need service business this time of year.

I asked him about a deal on extended warranty, he said he would check into it.  I bought it in January of 2013 and it has just over 36k on it, so we'll see how that goes.  He said if they have to yank the valve cover, I get a gauge map.  If it doesn't require yanking the cover to fix, I won't.  More to come.

Quote from my Honda buddy:

"The Honda policy is the valve clearance should be checked and adjusted if necessary at certain mileage intervals. For shim adjustment valves there is a range the clearance should be between. If the minimum clearance feeler gauge fits in the clearance and the maximum gauge does not it is good. No actual measurement is taken. If it is out of range the shims are changed to get the clearance within the range. There are charts available to record measurements but they are more for calculating adjustments than recording actual clearances. Let me know if you need more. "

The Kaw service manager said pretty much the same thing.

[PlaynInPeoria]

FYI, I picked it up Saturday.  It was a valve cover bolt at the very top, so no valve cover removal required, per the service manager.  That means I got no shim map, c'est la vie.  It was nicely washed, $0.  Reasonably happy ending.

They tried to sell me a tire and something else, they couldn't touch my internet price obviously, so nothing there.