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Just asking. Picked up my new 2017 GS last week and noticed it has metal valve stem caps, which is not a problem, but the caps have a very distinct green dot on the center of the caps. Are these OEM or just replacements added.
Just asking. Picked up my new 2017 GS last week and noticed it has metal valve stem caps, which is not a problem, but the caps have a very distinct green dot on the center of the caps. Are these OEM or just replacements added.
I noticed those on Corvettes in my dealer show room too...The green means they have put nitrogen in the tires, but I am not sure if they came from the factory that way or dealer did it... Note, you do have to be cautious with metal caps that they do not cause galvanic corrosion.
My factory caps in 2014 were also small gray caps.
I had a couple "disappear" in the parking lot so I had to round up some duplicates...BTW, you can buy the same gray caps on Ebay for less than 1 cent each, but they sell them in lots, probably just to be able to recover the shipping cost.
Motor Week's Goss' Garage recommends Dielectric Grease to help mitigate the effects of galvanic corrosion on aluminium valve stem treads if you use metal caps
To the OP, if you bought the car new I assume there was an additional charge for the nitrogen fill? Was that something you requested or just another example of dealer profit add-ons? I would at least ask for your OEM caps back.
My GUESS is that N2 is from the factory. I'm not sure why a dealer would install N2 if not required to for other reasons (my dealer had to replace all 4 tires because my car sat in sub-freezing rail yard for 3 weeks before delivery).
^ I don't know about the OP, however my C7 GS came with the above valve caps (photo) with no additional charge or any indication that caps or the nitrogen was dealer installed.
I can't imagine why a dealer would let the existing air out of the tires and re-fill with nitrogen and exchange the valve caps? I assume the nitrogen and valve caps came from the factory.
Unless things have changed, the factory does NOT fill with Nitrogen. There is no incentive for the factory to pay for Nitrogen vs using compressed air that, hopefully, has a dryer to remove water vapor. Many dealers do deflate and refill with Nitrogen. They the put on their own caps. Many try to charge for the Nitrogen service, some do not. My Cadillac dealer provides Nitrogen fill for free and has for several years.
Here's caps that came on my 2017 GS chrome wheels new (I assumed from GM) indicating nitrogen.
No GM does no even recommend nitrogen for personal auto.
They do not install it at the factory either. OEM caps are now a thin gray plastic type. Not good. What you have is some type after market type.
No GM does no even recommend nitrogen for personal auto.
They do not install it at the factory either. OEM caps are now a thin gray plastic type. Not good. What you have is some type after market type.
Like I said they came on it, like others on the dealers lot, I kind of like them.
Last edited by Kevin A Jones; 12-11-2017 at 02:52 PM.
The green and N2 caps are not factory. Those and the nitrogen fills are dealer adds, and usually there's an extra charged added. The plain gray caps are OEM.
Unless things have changed, the factory does NOT fill with Nitrogen. There is no incentive for the factory to pay for Nitrogen vs using compressed air that, hopefully, has a dryer to remove water vapor. Many dealers do deflate and refill with Nitrogen. They the put on their own caps. Many try to charge for the Nitrogen service, some do not. My Cadillac dealer provides Nitrogen fill for free and has for several years.
That's interesting some dealers would go through such effort and expense and not even mention it. For example my GS was the 174th C7 my salesman had sold just through the end June, so that's quite a bit of $$$ consider what the dealership's yearly C7 sales must be.
Of course anyone can put those Nitrogen caps on & then charge for the upgrade w/o actually putting in Nitrogen. I know, what dealer would do such a thing! They should use Helium, then all the track guys would be happy their car is lighter.
12-11-2017, 10:01 AM
ValveStem Caps
They should use Helium, then all the track guys would be happy their car is lighter.