Z Owners, check your oil, post mileage and how far "down" it is...

Chupacabra

manufacturing date: 10/08
serial #: 401157

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Where are my aluminum pedals?

dad

Has anyone asked this question?

Is your car, a manual or automatic?




2006 350's had this oil consumption problem, but it was only the ones with manual transmissions!

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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

awesomez

This may be the reason I never experienced it in my old 350 or the new 370. They were both AT.

chris410

Interesting...I have an AT and I'm at 1000 miles, oil level is where it was the day I brought it home. And I checked it as soon as I pulled up to the drive way while I was checking over the engine.

Although, why a manual would consume more oil VS an auto is curious...

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Chris
Current: 2014 WRX Stage I + SPT / 2013 Hayabusa 202HP
Former:09 370Z 7-AT PW/Ark Type 2 exhaust/Evo R lip/TSW Nurburgring carbon

kannibul

Yeah, it is pretty odd.

I should start a new thread and have this one deleted...


Maybe do something of a 'form'

davidyan

Here are some thoughts concerning oil burning:

Variable Valve Timing:
I have noticed that cars with variable valve timing and lift tend to use a little more oil than cars without however. I also have a 00 Celica GTS that uses something called VVTL-I using the oil pressure to control the intake cam timing position and lift function. It burns about 1 quart per 1000 miles. I've accepted that its part of the cars normal operation. I have great compression in all cylinders. It takes much more oil pressure to operate an engine with variable valve timing.

Oil Temps and Oil Burning:
Our cars have a tendency to run high oil temps. Higher oil temps mean that the oil will burnoff a little bit. Even if you're one of the lucky people who don't get above 220F, its still hotter than most cars. High RPM driving, tight engine clearances, and high oil pressure combined will result in higher temps. 370Z owners deal with all three.

Oil Capacity and Oil Burning:
The standard rule of thumb that auto techs and repair manuals have been citing is that up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is normal. I would tend to think this is too general of a rule. If your car has a 3.5 quart capacity, one quart per 1000 miles would seem significant. For a large V8 with an 8.5 quart capacity, 1 quart usage over 1K wouldn't be.

Also, that standard 1qt/1K mi rule of thumb came out decades ago when engines were a lot bigger than they are today and used more oil. I remember seeing that rule of thumb one of my old auto shop teachers 1970's textbooks that he had lying on the shelf. It surprises me that the auto industry hasn't updated their recommendation based on newer engine designs, oil capacities, etc. Less warranty claims?

cab83_750

David,

You have a good point. However, I believe that Nissan should come forward and state this. And I mean they should have stated this before and should reiterate it again NOW! The Oil Consumption issue should be addressed by Nissan similar to how they addressed the temp-issue: come forward and officially state the parameters; I, for one, have calmed down once Nissan responded to AK about the cooling parameters.

My point is that Nissan should officially address the Oil Consumption issue like the Cooling Issue:

1. If Nissan said that 260 is OK, it 'would' be fine with me.
2. If Nissan said that 1 qt every 1000 miles is OK, then we would have a guideline.

Nissan's way of not laying out the cards (specs, characteristics, parameters, etc.) has been causing all the confusion to all of us.

Let's put it this way:

1. If I had known that at 260, I go into limp-mode, I would not have bought the car.
2. If I had known that the car will use 1 qt every <1000 miles, I probably would 'not' have bought the car.

In summary, I was not concerned about the oil consumption issue as I have owned Porsches and I know that it 'would' be normal for a 911 to use 1qt/1K miles (on a side note, my Porsche do not use 1qt/1K miles). However, as for the 370Z, I am starting the oil consumption test as the dealer themselves stated that, "the car is using oil more than I am confortable with. Let's start a test and we will call Nissan." (i.e., the dealer, themselves, don't know the parameters).

I rest my case.