Everyone with oil temp issues
 

I encourage everyone with oil temp issues to speak up and call Nissan as I did. It's extremely frustrating to see that in the February Car&Driver their test car has "optional oil cooler $500" & "Optional differential cooler $500" Yet these parts do not exist for the 370z the dealer cannot even order them. If you're car even pushes extreme oil temps in traffic this could be an issue for you and does concern you. At the track I could barely do 5 laps on a 2 mile road course before overheating.

We did not purchase brand new cars with zero endurance, we bought sports cars that are built to handle and outperform the competition at half the cost. The Z is an icon.

I know some of the forum vendors do have oil coolers and I think its great and I might have to order one if this isn't resolved, but I believe we have to fight to get what we paid for. This is what a car forum is all about everyone make some noise and get in their ear about it, or they wont think it's a consumer problem. I will provide the contact info for Nissan North America, those with the base model and moving seat problem I suggest you do the same.

nnaconsumeraffairs@nissan-usa.com
1 800 647 7261

Hi Mu,
I noticed an increase in my oil temp but haven't really figurred it out cause the weather is still a little cold and just started pushing my car because I just done with my break-in. Anyway can you tell us what temp. are we gonna be watching and does it go higgh even if the car is driven on the streets or freeway not being tracked?

Joeyz10 thanks for the question. Once the oil temp starts getting close to 250 under normal driving conditions this is abnormal. On the track mine hit 300. What's even more alarming is the outside temps where only about 55 degree fahrenheit.

What you will notice happening is your rpms start becoming restricted by the ecu in some sort of safe mode. First to 6500 rpms then down to about 3500 rpms.

I also want to add that the car can begin to cool itself if you can keep the revs as low as possible and cruise.

http://www.the370z.com/track-autocro...eally-bad.html

Here's a link to a thread with what other forum members have experienced.

I can understand the higher oil temps with a turbo car, but why with this N/A V6?? That makes NO sense to me.

On this engine the oil is water cooled. The typical water temp is 200 degrees which means there just isn't enough heat transfer between the two given the only slight difference in temp and limited surface area contact.

With an external cooler you would have a much greater temperature differential, resulting in more heat transfer (depending on cooler surface area of course).

Thx ChrisSlicks.. makes sense now...

i couldn't agree with you more. to include such equipment in press cars means that they knew they would need them in that context. to make them available to the press and not to the public is misleading at least, outright deceptive at worst.

there is no shame in bringing an oil cooler to help a high-performance engine, a la bmw 335/135. i am guessing that there is some problem for them in bringing the oil cooler to market, such as crash testing or other certification. otherwise, why not?

as an occasional tracker, track durability is a sine qua non for my next car. i hope this gets addressed very soon.

Okay Mu, we will cooperate with you and make this a group complaint to Nissan.

Excellent! I'm going to scan the page from car & driver and post it for everyone to see.

i disagree. When driving normal in stree, you're right - there is not enough temperature difference. However, as you drive the car hard and the oil temp starts to climb towards 300, that should create enough temp difference for the cooling system to do some good......but it doesnt.

So does anyone know what oil temp's the 350z usually ran? Under normal conditions?

I hate to say this but if the car can survive normal day to day street driving with no ill effects then this may be a tough hill to climb with Nissan. However if those in the West have temperature issues in normal driving/parking on the freeways then that is a new ball game.

It appears that tracking will result in the same issues the non oil cooler equipped 335's had. To that end I will either build my own cooler or purchase one from one of our vendors here on the forum.

On a positive note the $500 each price point noted can already be beaten by the forum vendor/sponsor group. So if we can get the job done for less than a grand we may be ahead anyway. Assuming Nissan doesn't void the warranty for helping the car. Sounds strange but I could see it happening.

Assuming Nissan doesn't void the warranty for helping the car. Sounds strange but I could see it happening.[/QUOTE]

As they already have made abundantly clear... And you're missing my point; we shouldn't have to buy aftermarket oil coolers, should be stock or at least have the option to purchase nismo. I've spoken to Nissan North America a couple of times already and have been working with the dealership on a resolution. For some of us it's not about the money it's the principal. I bought the car outright and I don't need this aggravation. I didn't buy a sports car with no endurance, no actually I did and now I'm sorry I did.....

Hey Mu, okay i read the car and driver that you posted. Thanks. But does this mean if we will complain to Nissan we have to pay them 500 dollars for the oil cooler? and another 500 for the differential cooler if we want? This should be free because why would Nissan produce a car that a oil temp would go up?

This kinda **** pisses me off. It really shouldnt matter if it drives fine in normal traffic situations, its a sports car, that how Nissan ADVERTISES it. Thats your key statement. They cant tell you that its a vehicle for use on the street only when its advertised as a sports car that people are obiously going to drive hard and take to events, were the car is going to be exposed to high revving for longer periods of time. IF NOT, then why did nissan outfit the car given to magazines for testing with oil coolers? This issue has to get resolved, and there are ways to argue that we are right.

I never had this issue with my 06 lotus elise. It was just bulletproof from the start even when I pushed the engine 99% of the time I drive it.

If we have a lawyer on this forum then maybe we can start a class action lawsuit.

Exactly, and why wasnt it an option from factory? Why sell a sports package with out it?

If we woulve had the chance to add it as an option when we pay $30k + for this "sports car", then nobody should be crying about it. But since it wasnt offered, that tells the costumer that this car doesnt need an oil cooler if your driving it like it was invented for, no one here is running a 24 hours of le mans in a stock 370Z.

Hi all, I sent the following email to Nissan Consumer Affairs and the NHTSA Complaints Dept. on our behalf (hopefully we'll receive a response!):

Hello, a number of Nissan 370Z owners are reporting issues with unreasonably high oil temps and overheating, both in normal driving conditions and on the track. Please offer a solution to ALL owners to FULLY rectify the situation. The 370Z is a sports car that is built to handle and outperform the competition at half the cost. The Z is an icon. If a recall is necessary, please issue a recall.

Also, a number of Nissan 370Z owners have issues with their seats moving under braking, acceleration, and cornering. The seats should NOT be moving at all while driving. Please investigate this issue immediately and FULLY rectify the situation. This is a VERY LARGE safety matter. If a recall is necessary, please issue a recall.

Thank you for your time.

P.S. To investigate these claims, please view the following links:

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...mp-issues.html
http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...e-driving.html

i can already see something happening but not til summer when the westcoast peeps see ~300 on their gauge sitting in 100+ degree traffic on the 405 fwy with ac on full blast. Nissan will for sure do something given that 1. there WILL be a huge concentration of Zs in Socal, 2. they know news travel FAST especially when so many people are affected by it. Until then, i dont think nissan takes it very seriously.

They should ante up the parts and put them on under warranty. Once the car is warmed up the fluctuation in oil temps should be minimal. It's unacceptable and we will not stand for it! I really appreciate all of the forum support. It takes more then one person to make a change, especially since the car has just come out they need to know there's a problem.

If the car got really hot after 30 minutes on the track I'd be ok wit that, but after 5 laps which is about 10 miles? What was the point of the synchro rev matching also if they didn't want to stand out as sports car? It helps you to drive harder! Anyway back on subject.....

I'm sending a letter today as well. I've seen the temp climb to over 240 after just 5-10 minutes of somewhat spirited driving ON THE STREET!!! This was in 80 degree weather. I hate to think what's going to happen when we get over 100. (I'm in Texas.)

yeah Johnny go get em.

I'm guessing they may make a change on the new model year. In the meantime how many would pay the $1000.00 to have the coolers noted in Car and Driver? Remember they stated what they thought the options would cost above sticker.

How many would pay less than that for a better solution?

High quality parts are available on line to build the kits. Several vendors have kits either ready to go or in the final stages.

I'd rather Nissan let us install our own solution and not play with the warranty. The solution to this may be done for about 1/4 the price of set of new wheels and tires.

Hi everyone, AK370Z told me I should add this link to the thread so that any Nissan people looking at the thread (as a result of my message to them) will have a link to the original oil issues thread. Here is the link:

http://www.the370z.com/track-autocro...eally-bad.html

Thanks

Alan I understand your pov but please understand mine. For some of us it's not about the money, It's about the principal. About not getting what we paid for and Nissan trying to cover it up. Then on top of it them threatening not to warranty me if I use aftermarket. I bought a sports car thats supposed to be able to be competitive against cars that cost 2x as much, not be embarrassed the first time I take it to the track!!!!

Also Alan, the parts being listed on the C&D page are proof of the cover up it's not the dollar amount, Nissan knows the cars run hot and can overheat they didn't want to get bad press and simply made up the figure. A lot of Z owners will start having problems in hot and humid climates when pushing it a little on the favorite back road, etc. It's not just a track thing and not a dollar thing. They should issue a recall. Overheating should not be a concern. Think about that.

I appreciate your efforts.

You guys remember the premature tire wear / alignment issue with the 350Z when it first came out? Didn't it take Nissan like 2 years to even acknowledge the issue, let alone address it? I love Nissan cars for the most part, but when it comes to owning up to issues/defects they can be real pricks, which is unfortunate and frustrating. :mad:

That's a very good point Semtex, I do remember that.

Well I figure give it my best effort and if that doesn't work put a bad *** aftermarket one on at the same time as my other mods.

If this really proves to be an issue you need not wait two years for Nissan to acknowledge it. All you will need is one lawyer who owns a 370Z stuck in LA summer traffic to start the ball rolling!

i just called nissan consumer affairs....i told them all about the problem and about my opinion but i couldnt get a chance to submit the concern after talking to the rep for 30 minutes because i'm not an owner of the vehicle yet. The people are very helpful - I ADVISE EVERYONE TO CALL IN. IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME AND WITHOUT RAISING AWARENESS WE WILL BE STUCK WITH THIS!

Ok, I have 2000 miles on my 370Z now. It's been exactly 1 month since I have owned it. Temp in Oceanside is around 75 F in the afternoon and around 48 F in the evening and mornings.

I have notices that around town under normal, grandma style driving the oil temp is around 180 F. When I am driving aggressively or on the freeway it goes up to 220-240 F.

This is with driver only, no other passenger or loads in the back. Mine is a touring, sport, 6 spd.

Also, considering our tires are soft 140's I do notice that in the morning they are a bit lop-sided from sitting in the cold outside overnight. It usually takes about a mile of driving to warm the tires up and get them back into their proper shape.

The other thing I have noticed is that the shifter is a bit mechanical or grindy from 1-2 and 2-3 but this does not happen always. Sometimes very smooth other times it feels crunchy but not in a bad-way more of a very mechanical feel. I have noticed that this feels goes away when the ambient outside temp is above 80 F so it could just been that the gear oil is not viscous enough and needs time to warm up for it to feel proper.

On a side note, the engine I think is finally broken it and it feels way smoother than when I just got it. Average fuel economy is hovering between 20-22 mpg depending on how much city driving and aggressive driving there is in the mix. I know this is totally off subject, but I was on a roll from describing the oil temp. :D

Haha when you're on a roll go with it! lol. I'm assuming 75 with low humidity...

I've been to Japan a few times and let me tell you in Tokyo it gets HOT and really HUMID starting in may. Was just thinking about that earlier, and was wondering if the Japan cars came with oil coolers???

Actually, this is an excellent question.

I live in Sylmar I get off work @ 2:30pm I take I-5 north from Burbank in oil temp reads 210-220 and it's not summer yet.

and that's not even with aggressive driving either rite?

I'm planning to put an oil cooler on mine even though I probably won't track it much (if ever), I'm just waiting for a good kit from a reputable vendor (did I see elsewhere that Stillen has one coming soon?). Houston gets insanely hot and humid during the summer and early fall, and between that and me being a bit aggressive at times, I know this oil cooling thing is going to be an issue.

Weather here is pretty mild right now (highs in the 70s, overnight lows anywhere from 40s to 60s). If I drive like a grandma, the car stays around 200-ish on average. However even a few minutes of "spirited" driving pushes it up to 220-230-ish and it takes quite a while to come back down closer to 200. If I tried, I'm sure I could hit 250 even in this weather.

Musashi,

I appreciate your points on the manufacturer knowing that the oil could overheat and the idea of principal.

On the point of over heating Nissan has acknowledged it in the implementation of the RPM reduction when it hits 300F. My guess is that they do not think the typical driver will run into this issue. Remember that the people on this list form a small population of the total customer base. To that end there will have to be a significant number of people complaining 'after' they have experienced this issue. If I encounter this issue, trip to Mid-Ohio in about two weeks, I'll write a letter with return receipt and make a phone call.

For those that have read about the oil temp issue and then purchase the car I think those people will not have the proverbial 'leg to stand on'.

Having posted on this you may think I don't care, I do. I also know there are two solutions:

1. Make phone calls/write letters and hope for a solution.
2. Remedy the situation on your own.

Number 1 may not happen and number 2 may be made to happen by the individual. Number 2 might lead to a warranty issue. But there is some ammo on the part of the owner. The fact that the magazines noted the presence of oil coolers on the press vehicles and the fact that the vehicles were presented to the press at a track. There is a certain enticement for track/spirited driving presented by the manufacturer.

Will Nissan step up and introduce a mid model year change and add a cooler, don't know. How about their making a retrofit of an oil cooler? Nissan's cost would most likely be less than $200 per cooler in their quantity. Give the dealer 2 - 3 hours to install it and your out the door for about $500 per car times the total cars manufactured to date. Maybe this would be the right, principals, route to follow for the manual sport models. We'll have to wait and see.

Rest assured that I will post my experience on this board when I encounter an over heating issue.

There are other considerations to note as well: Typically manufacturers reserve the right to modify or change specifications at any time without notifying the customer. Nissan might very be doing just that in the 370Z production today. You simply will not know until time allows.