Increased oil consumption at ~65K miles?
 

(I hope this same question hasn't come up recently; I did a search and found nothing, but it could be hidden in a thread with an unrelated topic)

I just spent $$$ having the oil gaskets replaced on my 2010 (my DD, but with only 66,000 miles). I am very, very lucky that I was able to get her fixed up before any engine damage occurred.

The guy at the shop (not dealership) told me that low oil levels are what led to the gaskets basically disintegrating, and that Zs start using more oil at around 65,000 miles. That last bit was news to me. I bought my car used in 2013, and for the past six years I haven't needed to check the oil between changes...or, at least, I thought I didn't. Now I will start checking it every 2,500 miles or so. The guy also recommended adding a cleaner called MOA at subsequent oil changes.

I'm probably a dumbass for never checking my dipstick between oil changes, but it is really a thing that our cars suddenly start using more oil at ~65K miles??

And what about MOA: worth the $25 each time?


(I had an RX-8 two cars ago, and am not thrilled about the idea/discovery of having another oil-eater...but, I ♥ my Z and will do what I can to keep her healthy for as long as possible.)

How long in between changes? I change every 3k miles. It wouldn't surprise me if the VQ consumes more with increased mileage; these b*tches are oil hungry to begin with.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

How low was your oil? All cars burn oil to an extent, some more than others, but if your oil was low enough to dry out your gaskets, then youve got some problems!
Whats your oil change intervals, what type of oil do you normally use? Do you have an aftermarket oil cooler? Are you sure you dont have a leak?

My intervals are every 2500 miles using Mobile1. I can probably extend it to 3k or 5k, but to me, an oil change is the cheapest thing to keep your car running fine. I also use K&N filter. Ive never used any oil additives on any of the cars I have ever owned. I think as long as you stick to regular maintenance, you should be fine. Check your oil level everytime you fill up at the pump, it takes just a minute or two.

Oh, to me, your mechanic sounds like hes upselling you.

That mechanic sucks at upselling. The time to upsell is when the timing chain cover is off - "since we're in here, you could really use an upgraded oil pump, maybe some aftermarket cams..."

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Well, a 50 dollar oil change DID turn into whatever it costs to change the oil pan gasket... and planted the Additive in his ear for future revenue! lol

Lol truth... but is OP talking ab the galley gaskets or the permatex sealing the pan?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

First off, you need to check you oil more often than every 2500 miles. I recommend that you check at every fill-up or two. Engage the latch on the pump handle and pop the hood. That's with any vehicle, not just a Z.

If you are talking about the oil pan gasket, you probably got screwed. Gaskets that are under almost no pressure seldom fail. When the engine is running, oil gets sprayed around so that the gasket won't dry out (not that modern gaskets can dry out). And oil gets sloshed around when you accelerate and make turns.

If you are talking about the oil galley gasket, that another story. If you ran very low on oil, you may have damaged the engine. :(

If you use high-quality oil and filter (MANY threads on this site about which to use), no additives are needed.

Edit: You may want to run a Used Oil Analysis (UOA). That should tell you if you did any damage. Search is your friend.

do i have the only Z that doesnt really eat oil?

just cracked 76k miles and i cant remember the last time if ever i had to add oil between changes. i think i put a dash in before zdayz for the higher/longer temps/run times and whatnot to be safe.

Same here.

At the time I brought her in, the oil level was fine; I'd just had it changed less than 1,000 miles prior. I have no idea what the levels were like before then. I'd never had a mechanic express surprise at the oil level or anything.

5W30 synthetic.

Not installed. I've had the part sitting on a shelf for a few years, from back when I thought I might want to track her.

The oil galley. The shop even sent me a pic of some gasket remnants that were in the galley.

I'll ask my shop about running one at the next oil change; thanks!

i dont track mine and i run a 34 row oil cooler. i'll hit the drag strip and hit some runs in mexico typically. mostly its my daily in the summer to work.

hits 90s here in summer and if you sit in traffic it keeps the temps down.

I've got over 100K DD miles on my 2011. I used Mobil 1 5w30 almost exclusively with a 5K mile OCI (couple times let it go over 6K). Never noticed the dipstick level drop much and certainly never had to add oil. No oil system modifications.

Those oil galley gaskets have me worried and are definitely a priority to replace before I get her out on the track. I purchased an oil pressure gauge also. If you plan to keep the car, that is definitely a good thing to have done. But the answer to your question is no, you should not expect oil consumption issues based on mileage.

I just went through a quart of oil in the last 1,000 miles :rofl2:

If you are using a good quality synthetic motor oil you will not need to use an additive in your motor oil and I would advise against using any motor oil additives. You should lessen your mileage on your oil change intervals and begin using a thicker weight motor oil. Although a bandaid and not fixing the oil consumption issue it will help the motor oil consumption issue slightly. Unless you are using the wrong weight motor oil you will never really know the root of your oil consumption issue unless you began a engine tear down. Having known several people how owned Mazda RX8’s they have a much worse motor oil burning/motor oil consumption issue than the Nissan 370Z ever did. You are fortunate that you replaced your oil galley gaskets when you did it more than likely would have costed you an engine. I don’t ever remember any of the Z’s I have ever owned to start consuming motor oil. You can start using Mobil 1 5W40 Euro I have seen that it will help slightly try it next oil change.

I went from an ‘07 Z (traded at 81k miles) to an ‘09 Z (traded at 76k miles) and now a ‘13 Z (currently at 33k miles). Oil change intervals at 5k. Any oil consumption, if any, was very minimal and had to add oil here and there, even with the higher mileage previous models. I check my oil level once a week (my Z sits in the garage 6 days/week). Not normal for any car to burn so much oil suddenly.

no oil consumption issue with 370z and g37s with M-1 5w-30 full synthetic.

I check my oil every time I fill up my car...however how did they know that the galley gaskets were failing?

I will start doing these. When the guy at the shop recommended the MOA he said he didn't want to go so far as to recommend that I start using Mobile 1, but I think I just might. Makes for expensive oil changes, but cheaper than a new engine/car.

Yep; in moderate weather I'd keep an extra quart or two in my tiny trunk. :)

It just didn't sound right when he said that oil consumption increases dramatically around 65,000 miles. I mean, why would it?

The oil pressure light started flickering last month. At first I misunderstood the light and thought it was for the oil level, so I got an early oil change, but the light kept flickering from time to time so I finally checked the manual and searched here and realized it was the pressure. :eek: I got it to the shop immediately. They hoped it was just the sensor, but discovered it was the gaskets.

Umm... definitely get a used oil analysis. You may have engine damage.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Hope your engine is still good... I would send in a sample of your oil to Blackstone for analysis like BettyZ mentions. The oil pressure light coming on at all is typically a sign of doom for the engine because the light doesn't come on until the pressure is ridiculously low. Hopefully you were just idling in the parking lot or something like that and not on the highway when the light came on.

It doesn't have to be expensive. An oil change with Mobil 1 provided by a shop is often upwards of $90 :eek:

My oil changes are about half that with Mobil 1 if I take it to a shop because I can always find 5 qts of Mobil 1 at Walmart for $25-28. BYOOil to your favorite shop and you should only have to pay labor - typically between $10-15. Add a few more $ if you don't bring your own oil filter.

Yep, already planning to.

It tended to flicker during long drives that included a lot of stop-and-go, and then also sometimes during idle (while at a light or something). It wasn't coming on during every drive.

Yeah, the guy at my shop said a Mobile 1 change would run about $100. If I switch, I'll definitely look into bringing my own oil. :) Thanks!

Make sure you trust the shop or at least tell them you need to keep the empty oil container. That way you can at least be pretty sure they used the actual oil you provided. I've heard of the shop guys keeping the Mobil 1 for themselves and just tossing in whatever oil is cheapest.

:eek: :mad:

The shop I use is close to where I used to work, but is 16-17 miles from where I live and work now. I've used them regularly for the past few years, after problems with both the local dealership and a local Meineke. I was relieved to feel like I'd found a good place: as a woman who doesn't know much about mechanics (and sees no point in trying to act like I do) it can be hard to find a shop to trust, and it's been worth the 30-minute drive a few times a year. But now I'm wondering (a) why the guy said the thing about the car using more oil after 65,000 miles, and (b) why no one there mentioned the possibility that my engine could be damaged. Might be time to head to the Mid-Atlantic Region forum and see if there are any recommendations for shops closer to me.

This just makes me want to swap that useless clock or battery gauge to an oil pressure gauge even more now. Good luck on the oil analysis, keep us updated!

Another M1 user here, 10w30 and when I traded in my 09 with 107k miles it never used a bit of oil between 4k changes. And I heat the ghost out of that car. I think it's luck of the draw, regardless of oil brand or even variations in viscosity. Mass produced or hand built every engine is different in it's own microscopic way. Just keep up with checking it and don't worry about it. Now my girlfriend's 05 DE, that's another story lol...

This right here is grounds for an @$$-whoopin’. It’s sad what society has become. I’m sure there are hard-working/honest mechanics still around, but the ones that give them a bad name will either:

1. Half@$$ the work
2. Do the work, but break something else and scare you into fixing what is already working to begin with
3. Claim and charge the work was done, but really wasn’t
4. Take your car for a joyride

I remember there is a member on this forum who would tell stories about how they worked at Nissan as a mechanic, but had that “not-my-car-so-idgaf” mentality.

I heard about a guy who had it happen to him. He called out the shop on the oil switcharoo and got a refund. But he wasn't happy about being out the 5 qts of oil he bought. So later that evening, he drove over to the shop with tools and did an oil change on his car in the parking lot right in front of the shop entrance. I drove by and saw the results the next morning. He didn't bother to use an oil pan when draining the oil :eek:

A refund? "Looks like you caught us trying to cheat you, I guess we'll refund the $15 in labor."

I like his retort; I would have brought a couple extra gallons of cheapAF oil and dumped so much their parking lot looked like Deepwater Horizon II.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Yesterday afternoon I was 10 min early to an appointment, so I hung out in my (running) car for a while. After 5-6 minutes, the idle got rough/low and the car shook a few times. Like, if I'd had a drink it would have spilled. It nearly stalled but didn't, then it smoothed out and went back to a normal idle. I've had some times in traffic when the idle would get a little low for a second or two, but never the shaking thing -- that was new.

A (different) guy from the shop called yesterday to check on things, but I wasn't able to call back before they closed. I'll be calling him today, and asking about the possible engine damage thing, mentioning the curbside shaking, and asking about the other guy's comment that this car starts needing more oil at 65,000 miles.

(Oh, and did I mention that when I picked her up there was a washer fluid hose sticking out from under the hood? I had to wait for them to put that back where it belonged. And they hadn't bothered to reset the automatic windows, so they had her parked in the rain with the windows not all the way up. *sigh*)

The shaking episode made me a little nervous; between that and the concern about possible engine damage, I'm wondering if I should scrap plans to take my nephew to Baltimore this weekend (50 miles away; I don't want to have a problem on I-95/with him in the car). I might need to take my Gray Lady back to the shop instead.

I'm also wondering if I need to start thinking about getting another car...ugh. :(

That shaking is a badness thing. I'd do some research on here for reputable shops that can check the motor - "check for engine damage" to most shops is code for "charge 2k in labor and say we didnt find anything."

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

A good MAF and Throttle Body cleaning might help with the rough/low idle issue. I've had mine shudder a bit when the idle dropped really low and cleaning the TBs solved the issue. But serious shaking is not a good sign.

I would put a few miles on it and do another oil change and get an oil analysis asap to determine possible internal engine damage. Trip to Baltimore might be a good opportunity to put those miles on it. But if you're really concerned or can't risk the possibility of something happening, then you may want to cancel and take it back to the shop.

Also, if you have any issues with your airbags show up in the near future, it's likely from rain getting in when the windows weren't up.

Yeah.. about that rain.. I know the OP said she likes the shop but I take leaving a car outside with the windows cracked as a general sign of IDGAF.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Agreed.. perfect example of an incompetent shop.

If there is follow-up work to be done, I'll use the same place (for continuity and so I don't get charged anything more). But I've already started researching other shops.

Smart move on both counts. Sorry this is happening to you.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Is the SES (check engine light) on? Id ask them to check for any codes. Try to do the throttle body/MAF cleaning like Jar mentioned, and get that oil analysis done.

Nope. I've only ever seen that light twice, and both times it was because I hadn't tightened the fuel cap enough. :facepalm:

OP, as others have stated, I would do an oil analysis before jumping to conclusions. Though I don’t know the entire story/history behind your car, based on what you have said, I don’t think the engine itself is damaged, but do know there is some maintenance work to be done to it. You’d be surprised how tough Japanese engines are and can take quite a bit of abusive and still run like a champ.

I'm much calmer now. :D

I talked to the shop, didn't need to bring the car back, and did some solid driving both Friday and Saturday with no problem (including some significant idling in hot weather). I think last week I was maybe having a little PTSD from my RX-8 experience. I'll get the next oil change a little sooner than usual, and will have a used oil analysis done then -- just to know. But I'm not worried about my car at the moment, and am hoping to get many more miles out of her. :)

The idle issue returned yesterday, at a drive-thru. I was in neutral, right foot on brake, left foot not touching the clutch. Suddenly the idle got super low/rough with shaking, and she nearly stalled a couple times, and I noticed the battery voltage went from the usual 14 down to 12 (I don't know if that also happened last time). Lasted only maybe a minute or so, but she was so close to stalling that I didn't wait to see if the issue self-corrected: I goosed the gas a little, and as soon as I did the engine smoothed out and the voltage went back to 14.

I'll bring it back to the same shop next weekend; I can't get there today/sooner. Again, both for continuity and because if they didn't tighten something properly (or whatever) I won't pay for the fix.

*sigh*