High oil temp and high oil consumption

cramcram

I've got a 2010 Roadster Sport with two problems.

The first is high oil consumption. It loses about a quart or so every 1500 miles. Fairly consistent since I got the car and it now has 11K miles on it. And yes, it is in the range of VINs listed in the TSB.

The second is more serious. The oil temperature runs hot. And this is in the CA Bay Area where we've had a really cool summer (sorry midwest + easterners). I got a temp of 245 just a couple of days ago with the ambient temperature being only 81. No, I don't drive it on the track, strictly commuting. Oddly enough the water temp seems fine (2 dots below mid scale) on the led display.

The problem is that the car just basically turns into a Prius towing a motor home at about 225-230 degrees. The car scares the crap out of me when I have to make a left turn across freeway traffic from a dead stop (Hwy 17 for you locals). It just barely moves for about the first two seconds then will usually leap forward. I'm going to get T-boned this if this doesn't get fixed.

The dealer doesn't seem to know what to do. They claim to be contacting Nissan about it but I never get a response back from them (the dealer). They weren't even aware of the TSB until I showed them a hardcopy of it. They are doing a 1K measurement of the oil consumption but now that it is getting warmer here I'm getting concerned about getting hit driving the car.

Is there any correlation between the oil consumption problem and high oil temps? Any chance this is a simple as having a bad oil temperature sender? At this rate I'll either cook the engine or my own goose if nothing is done.

Thanks.

TreeSemdyZee

First off, I'd find another dealer.
How much oil do you put in the car when you get the oil changed? The reason I ask is that if you overfill the oil, it will foam and cause you to burn oil. The foaming can also cause temps to rise.
I'd be thrilled for you if it is this simple. It's a place to start anyway.

cramcram

I do the oil changes myself. I deliberately under fill and wait about 1/2 hour. I try to get it to the upper H circle. I let it stand overnight and then add a little more if needed.

Kirkster

Ouch on the consumption. I made sure my engine was not having consumption issues before I put the SC in the car.

I also fill mine up to the upper H circle.

My engine always ran hot. would hit 240° just tooling around the beltway at 65 to 70 mph in light traffic. I also put in an oil cooler when I did the SC. now my temps are around 205° most of the time. Though the 100°+ temperatures around her have pushed it up to 220° in light traffic.

Sounds like you will need an oil cooler, good luck with the oil consumption test. Hope they get Nissan to swap in a new motor for you...

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vividracing

+1 on new dealer. Unfrotunately, I'd stay away from adding an oil cooler... I can see Nissan claiming it to be the source of the problem IF you can ever get them to actually address the issue.

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red6spd

First off the Oil Temps are normal. Sucks to say but its the way the car is and you should invest in an Oil Cooler. I use to run about 220-240 on normal drving. After the oil cooler I barely get over 180 even on 90+ days. Once I start to pust that right pedal down more and more the temps rise. Even on the Dragon in NC I only hit about 220-235. Now for the oil consumption, you might have to have the motor replaced by a Nissan dealer. Let Nissan do there test and they will let ya know if it needs to be done. I have to add a little oil here and there but not much. Now the feeling of a "prius towing a trailer" you get is because of the high oil temps. When the temps get high the computer cuts timing, I still get it from time to time. If I'm drving around in traffic for a while on a very hot and humid day the car almost goes into to like economy mode and forgets its a sports car. I get a really bad hesation (not in the engine its like in the gas pedal) but after a little of normal drving the car goes back to its normal fast self.

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cramcram

I understand but I'm getting high oil temps on days that would be considered cold on the East coast right now. Today with 85 degrees outside I hit 250 degrees doing 50 mph in 4th gear. The lack of performance is dramatic. $37K for a car that I'm scared to make a left turn against traffic with is beyond the pale.

Another poster mentioned the oil temp going down when the car is moving. I'm seeing the opposite effect. In stop and go (< 10 Mph) traffic it actually cools down to 220. Moving along I'm at 250. The oil temp is tracking engine revs more than anything else and I'm talking 3500 rpm, not red-line track use.

Honestly, do you think Nissan could give a way a sports car that has to be driven only in cool weather??? I think there's something wrong with my car that is in excess of what some others are seeing. I can't imagine driving this car in say, Phoenix.

Jordo!

Time for a new shortblock.

They should cover it under warranty.

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TreeSemdyZee

Unfortunately, it does sound like you have an uncommon problem. It's been running mid to upper nineties here and I don't even get close to the temps that you're speaking of.
Piece of advise. If you do get Nissan to replace the engine, DEMAND that they have a master tech do the install. I won't go into the specifIcs, but I fought with an install by one of the hacks at my dealership on my 350.

red6spd

The higher then normal temps has to do with the oil consumption I'm sure. Your probably going to need an new shortblock as mentioned before. Bring it to Nissan, there is a TSB out for it. Then when she is all fixed up get a oil cooler. Yea its stupid that you need to go and modify your car just to have fun in it but oh well.

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2010 Base+Sport 6spd: Stillen G3, FI Non-Resonated CBE, FI Non-Resonated Test Pipes, UpRev Tuned, Custom 24R Oil Cooler, JDM Rear Fog-OEM Harness.
???Whp ???WTQ (Will find out come spring time)