Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement Cost

Your camshaft’s actuator is a small device placed on the end of the engine and on the camshaft, itself. Its job is to change up the timing of the camshaft as it turns. It may cause it to open or close to get it in synch with the rest of the engine.

Replacing this part of the engine can be expensive. In a lot of cases, you will have to pay for multiple parts which can cost $1,000 or more on high-end cars. Since it can take hours to replace the actuator, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars in labor, usually starting at around $300 and going up to $1,000 or more. It all depends on how much work has to be done to get to the actuator and place it. The entire cost can run you as much as a couple thousand, but in older cars, it may only cost a few hundred.

Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement Cost Comparison

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What Is Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement?

Replacing the actuator can be very intensive, takings several hours. In some high-end cars, it can take ten hours or so, while other cars will only take a couple of hours. It often requires a variety of tools that many people don’t have on hand and may even necessitate removing the engine to get at the actuator. Expect to have to leave the car with the mechanic all day for this replacement, and in some cases, you may have to pay for multiple parts to be replaced or repaired.

Benefits of Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement

By taking care of this problem, you can better tell when there is a problem with your engine. The camshaft actuator is an important and expensive part, but there are other, more expensive parts to the engine that can be damaged and you may not know about if the engine light is constantly on.

If you get this problem fixed, you can rely more on the indicators that your car uses to tell you about problems. You will also have a more fuel-efficient car, and one that will run like it is supposed to. The actuator going bad can lead to all sorts of problems, so the sooner you address this issue, the better off you will be.

What Is Done during Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement?

Your technician will want to diagnose the problem, which in some cases can mean taking out the engine to get a better look at the actuator. That can be costly right there, and you want to get a second opinion about any expensive procedures the mechanic is trying to do to change your actuator out. While some of them may be necessary on some cars, there is also the chance that the mechanic is trying to get you to pay for services you don’t; need or artificially inflate the price, and you need to take precautions.

The mechanic will need to take off the actuator, inspect the area around it for any further damage, then replace it with a new part. The technician will then need to put any parts they took out back into place and test out the engine. They will be looking for a working engine indicator light and checking to see if the car has any trouble starting up.

When to Get a Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement

There are lots of ways that your car will indicate there is an issue with the camshaft position actuator. The problem is that the same indicators are used to denote all sorts of other problems with the camshaft, its various parts, and the engine. The engine light may come on inside the car, the car may sputter or have trouble starting, or the car may ride roughly once it gets going. These tend to be symptoms of fuel injection issues, which are related to the camshaft and its timing.

You’ll want to get this problem fixed as soon as you notice it. You will enjoy better fuel efficiency and a car that’s reliable and won’t cause you trouble when you try to start it. You will also be able to prevent and know about engine problems if the camshaft actuator is fixed.

How to Save on Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement

If you are the kind of person who likes to fix car problems on your own to save some money, you may want to forget that money-saving technique in this instance. While it’s certainly, doable for the average person who knows something about cars, it’s a long and intense process that can come with a lot of complications. It is better left to the professionals.

Because this procedure can be so expensive, your best bet for saving money would be to compare prices among mechanics around you. Call up a few of them and see what price they quote you. You may find some that the engine needs to be taken out when others say it can stay in. It’s worth searching for a good deal on a procedure this expensive, and you can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars if you find an honest mechanic willing to do the job.

Sample Camshaft Position Actuator Replacement Costs