370Z - Oil Consumption TSB

Japanjay · 08-28-2012, 01:41 AM

Funny, because today I jsut entered my used 2009 in for this. I bought the car thinking it was all original. Carfax can back spotless, even took it to the dealership doing the test and nothing came back in the service dept. Pulled the trigger and bought it.

Hit 3k miles and took it in for the first oil change. Changed everything to royal purple: rear diff, trans, engine with a K&N oil filter. Got to the next 3k change and scheduled for a monday morning, decided to check it the friday before.... Was no oil on the stick!!!! I WAS LIKE WTF???? It was only 3k miles, no way should it be any close to that low. I got super lucky, no noises. Immediately went to the store got 3 bottles of royal purple. Only got me to the half way point. Good enough to make it to monday.

Got the oil changed and this time went with Amsoil and a purolator. Set the maintence alert to go off in 1.5k. Again super low, almost 2 quarts, but still on the end of the stick. Reset the alert, and again almost 2 quarts for the second 1.5k miles.

Went down to the dealership with paper work my neighbor Tim, owns a 09 Z too, sat on my front door with the print out on the Bulletin. Confronted them about, and they did some digging. Come to find out the whole long block was changed out exactly one month prior to the service bulletin. June 29th 2010, bulletin came out on july 29 2010. They are still waiting on the faxes from the dealership with all the details, ie: why customer brought it in, what the techs found, ...

Had them do the $110 using the Ester oil so as there is no, "Well lets try using the better stuff..." While there spoke with their master tech, has been for something like 10 years or so. Actually he was pulling the trans out of a GTR while I talked with about the consumption issue. He stated it is something he has only seen in the 6spd manuals. I had been taslking to various people in different car communties and we all were concluding severe blow-by. Their tech concured that was what was actually happening, but I was thinking it was happening in the upper regions of the RPM band, 5.5k and up. He stated that is was actually during a hard down shift that the pre-2010's created a very strong vacuum that pulled oil out and was blowing it through the intake.

Which lead me in to one of my major concerns, if it was indeed blow-by, if he could have the tech pull the intakes off and check the throttle bodys for residue build up. He said that when I brought it back in for the 1k mile measurement that they would pull them then and check.

Spoke to him about my second major concern, which since it is severe blow by, it is greatly reducing the life span of my cats. He stated that if it did fail he personally see that those would get replaced even if they are not listed in the parts list bulletin. He agreed that would be clogged muuch sooner and should be replaced.

Last but not least brought up my concern that since this has already happened once obviously, and it didnt get corrected, even with the first replacement being a whole long not short block, would it even make a difference if it was changed again. His respone was that the few he has been involved with the consumption issue was resolved....

Well folks I got about 950 miles before the first check and I intend to drive it just as hard as have been to get a true reading on what I have been experiencing. Will keep this updated as it progresses.

Side note: I hope I dont have to deal with the horror of not haing the car for a month or so. I guess I do have the rainy season fast approaching on my side and dont intend to drive it in the rain. Will be driving the other car so maybe it wont hurt as bad not coming home to it....

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08-28-2012, 01:41 AM	#10 (permalink)
Japanjay Track Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Puyallup Posts: 856 Drives: 09 Nissan 370z MB M6 Rep Power: 14	Funny, because today I jsut entered my used 2009 in for this. I bought the car thinking it was all original. Carfax can back spotless, even took it to the dealership doing the test and nothing came back in the service dept. Pulled the trigger and bought it. Hit 3k miles and took it in for the first oil change. Changed everything to royal purple: rear diff, trans, engine with a K&N oil filter. Got to the next 3k change and scheduled for a monday morning, decided to check it the friday before.... Was no oil on the stick!!!! I WAS LIKE WTF???? It was only 3k miles, no way should it be any close to that low. I got super lucky, no noises. Immediately went to the store got 3 bottles of royal purple. Only got me to the half way point. Good enough to make it to monday. Got the oil changed and this time went with Amsoil and a purolator. Set the maintence alert to go off in 1.5k. Again super low, almost 2 quarts, but still on the end of the stick. Reset the alert, and again almost 2 quarts for the second 1.5k miles. Went down to the dealership with paper work my neighbor Tim, owns a 09 Z too, sat on my front door with the print out on the Bulletin. Confronted them about, and they did some digging. Come to find out the whole long block was changed out exactly one month prior to the service bulletin. June 29th 2010, bulletin came out on july 29 2010. They are still waiting on the faxes from the dealership with all the details, ie: why customer brought it in, what the techs found, ... Had them do the $110 using the Ester oil so as there is no, "Well lets try using the better stuff..." While there spoke with their master tech, has been for something like 10 years or so. Actually he was pulling the trans out of a GTR while I talked with about the consumption issue. He stated it is something he has only seen in the 6spd manuals. I had been taslking to various people in different car communties and we all were concluding severe blow-by. Their tech concured that was what was actually happening, but I was thinking it was happening in the upper regions of the RPM band, 5.5k and up. He stated that is was actually during a hard down shift that the pre-2010's created a very strong vacuum that pulled oil out and was blowing it through the intake. Which lead me in to one of my major concerns, if it was indeed blow-by, if he could have the tech pull the intakes off and check the throttle bodys for residue build up. He said that when I brought it back in for the 1k mile measurement that they would pull them then and check. Spoke to him about my second major concern, which since it is severe blow by, it is greatly reducing the life span of my cats. He stated that if it did fail he personally see that those would get replaced even if they are not listed in the parts list bulletin. He agreed that would be clogged muuch sooner and should be replaced. Last but not least brought up my concern that since this has already happened once obviously, and it didnt get corrected, even with the first replacement being a whole long not short block, would it even make a difference if it was changed again. His respone was that the few he has been involved with the consumption issue was resolved.... Well folks I got about 950 miles before the first check and I intend to drive it just as hard as have been to get a true reading on what I have been experiencing. Will keep this updated as it progresses. Side note: I hope I dont have to deal with the horror of not haing the car for a month or so. I guess I do have the rainy season fast approaching on my side and dont intend to drive it in the rain. Will be driving the other car so maybe it wont hurt as bad not coming home to it....