Oil Consumption PARANOIA?!?!?!?!?!
 

Alright fellow members. Please help ease my paranoia..... I think I am overthinking this.... but..........

This weekend, I got back from a week long vacation. Z was sitting that entire time. I check the oil (checked it previous times too of course, and level was at 3/4 like my previous oil change = no issue) before heading out for some errands, and I notice it's a little low. I *thought* it was at 1/2 stick. I had low lighting, was rushing, etc...thought nothing of it. Added some oil to tip of H, came out to be 1/2 quart.

Then I do more research then of course I read up on ALL the issues, plus the TSB, etc etc. So of course, now I am all worried that I have a consumption issue. I didn't properly measure (as I stated above) before I topped it off this weekend.... so was it REALLY at 1/2 stick?........ can adding 1/2 quart really make it reach the tip of the H??? or was it really still at 3/4 and I'm just retarded at reading sticks that afternoon. Grrrrr....

So anyways, I am thinking about having a Nissan dealer to an oil change to do a baseline check for oil consumption. I switched to Mobil 1 at about 270 miles. Did the oil change myself. She now has 1800 miles. Dealer has to do an oil change and record the levels for an "official" baseline check. So questions...

1) Do I EVEN HAVE AN ISSUE to begin with? Or is paranoia setting in?

2) Do I go forward with having them do an oil change? or just measure the oil myself (very accurately this time...lol) over a period of a few hundred miles and reschedule with dealer if I do indeed see a decrease in oil levels? I just don't like taking it to a dealer if not necessary. I like doing all the work myself, but obviously Nissan won't warranty (if indeed I do need it) consumer work.

3) If I do have them do an oil change, should I have them keep using Mobil 1, or have them switch to Nissan Ester to aid with warranty claims (even though it shouldn't make a difference)? Aren't there going to be issues with switching from Mobil 1 back to Nissan oil in terms of not being good for the engine itself?

I feel like option 2) is the best for peace of mind... but just the idea of taking it to the dealer sucks.... esp when I can measure it myself (accurately this time). Then again, I could be worrying about it the whole time I wait... :(

Thanks for advice guys.... I hate worrying.

p.s. I checked for engine noise, none exists. No issue with my car whatsoever in the past. Ever.

1. OC more than a quart every 1000 is considered high. I don't know if this applies to you, had difficulty parsing out the info

2/3. For the oc test the dealer will need to do the oil change and monitoring. Obviously you can't add oil while testing is in progress. Mobil1 shouldn't be an issue, my dealer uses this by default.

I had a bad oc problem on my 350Z. I still have some oc on the 370 but nothing scary. I have to add about a quart every 2-3000 miles. What I do recommend is to set the oil reminder on your dashboard to 1000 miles and check it at that interval and top off as needed.

When I used Mobil 1 for my prelude the oil would disappear. Because of this I used dino oil for my 350z. For my 370z I used Nissan ester then switched to redline. You should switch back to Nissan ester and see if it still burns oil. I personally wouldn't use mobile 1.

You need to be able to state how much oil was consumed in a given number of miles (1,000). So write down the mileage at which you topped off the oil to H, then watch the oil level until it goes down to, say, the mid-point (or even the L point) on the dipstick, then determine how much oil it takes to top it off back to H and record the odometer reading when you do top it off. Then you'll know what the rate of consumption is, and that is what will tell you if it meets or exceeds Nissan's "excessive" amount.

I thought the oil was supposed to be half way between Hightower and low but not topped of at high?

Sorry if unclear, I added no more than 1/2 quart to top it off to tip of H. However, after my oil change initially earlier this spring, I was at 3/4 stick. Which means.... I probably only added 1/4 quart this weekend, after 1500 miles.

Interesting. I was worried about switching from Synthetic back to Dino.... but yeah, I've heard bad things about Mobil1. I might switch to Redline or Amsoil. Any thoughts on where I can buy either?

Yeah I think I am cancelling my appointment.... I think I am overthinking this. I called several dealers across the country and talked to the master techs.... they said more than likely no issue, and just monitor. I think I will do that first, and if I see any evidence of increased OC, I will schedule another oil change at dealer at that time. I will also be SURE to record accurately the level of the stick in accordance with the miles.

Also, I heard it's also good to flog her more often... so I will try to drive a little more aggressively now that she's 1800 miles in. That should help seat the rings even better.

Thanks for then inputs thus far. Any other thoughts?

He already topped it off to H. Besides, anywhere on the dispstick between L and H is fine.

You can buy redline from z 1 they sell it with the washer and filter.

i posted this several times somewhere but when my car was brand spankin new it kept burning oil when at the high mark. it would go down to about 3/4 and then stop burning. so kept it at that mark for 3k miles just adding a little bit at a time.

now near 6k i can top off to the high mark and no consumption. this was the same way on my G 7yrs ago when i bought her new.

Mobil1 is an exceptional oil and is fine to use in your car -- if you have a problem, M1 is NOT going be the cause. I put it in my 2011 370z at about 800 miles, and now almost 3000 miles later, it looks like *maybe* it might be down 1/10 of a quart. That is great for a brand new engine, and consistent with the Mobil1 performance I have seen using it in my other cars for the last 250,000+ miles / 20 years.

Also, if your consumtion rate is anything less than 1qt every 1000 miles, it will not be considered an issue from a manufacturer point of view. Sounds like your burn rate is somewhere in the 1 quart every 4000+ miles or so.

Do your recheck carefully, but from the data you have shared so far, there is not a issue.

Cheers,
Kent

Why did you change the factory fill at only 270 miles? With only 1,800 miles on the ODO and ~1/4 quart of consumption I wouldn't call that an issue. I ran the factory fill until about 1,700 miles (3.5 months) and have about 1,950 miles now. I just topped off this weekend with approx. 1/4 quart of oil to bring it to the H mark. Might not have filled it all the way to the H mark after the oil change, but I know it was close.

As with any new engine (up to approx 7,500 miles) I check the oil weekly regardless of how much I drive. I suggest you do the same and if you find that you need to add oil all the time record how much and how often.

It's not paranoia if THEY are really after you! It was 5000 miles before I stopped watching the dipstick twice a week and I didn't have any signs.

My friend is the only Nissan tech that touches her other than me... and that is because we used to race together and I know and trust him. And he knows that I know where he lives. :ugh2:

Anyway, he told me the first time we spoke about oil that they were instruced in their "Z training" to fill to half way between the high/low marks.

Keep an eye on your oil and if it falls below half way, have the dealership take a look. Keep records of what you see.

I agree... after researching and talking more about it, I think adding .25 quart for 1500 miles (at 1800 total miles) is nothing to worry about it. I will just continue to monitor it VERY WELL and VERY ACCURATELY. Will revisit dealer if issue arises at that point. I don't want to take it to a dealer if I don't have to. Besides, I will probably switch to redline or amsoil with the next change. Any preference on either?!?!?

hi Thumper... I changed at 270 because that was 6 months after I bought it... since it sat over winter. I just wanted to start fresh with Mobil 1 right away for this driving season. Planning to switch to Amsoil/Redline within a month or so tho...

Oil cools and contracts, collects in an oil-pan, etc.

I have adopted a method with my 'vette that is more strict than most because of the dry-sump.

I check the oil at EXACTLY the same temp/time after shut-off every time. If I do not, the variance can be huge. As in, a quart, easily.

With the regular cars I have owned, the difference was usually 1/4-1/2 quart or so.

I suggest checking the car 1 hour after shutting it off from running it with the oil at a certain temp.

Record temp and level.

Then next time you check it, make sure that you shut it off at roughly the same temp (+-5*) on a similarly ambient temp. day, and wait the same amount of time and check it.

Make sure you part in the same spot in the same orientation.

This should eliminate any variables attributed to anything but consumption/lack thereof.

*With a dry sump system, you are to wait 5-15 minutes, not an hour, but I presume your Z has an OEM oil system. I would wait 1 hour to let a decent amount of oil drain back into the pan.

How did you break the car in and seat the rings? What driving method did you use? This business about the car already being broken in when you get it, I have found to be total BS based on my experience with my Z06.

Tail-pipes were sooty as hell for 2-300 miles, and I didn't check the oil from the factory (should have :( ) but when I finally did at 585mi, it was 1/2 qt low. By then I had seated the rings properly, changed the oil, and in 2000 miles since it hasn't burned an amount that could be seen on the dip-stick and even after hundreds of miles the tail-pipes are not sooty.

My method:

Gentle around-town stop and go driving until I got to the freeway.

On the freeway: Cruised up to speed limit, put it in 4th gear, let it drop town to 20 under (with noone around) and then accelerate strongly, but without flooring it, to 20 over (I don't advocate this...). Let it coast back down.

Anyway, I did that a good bit over a few hundred miles, passing people, playing with it, etc. and after a while began using 3rd gear, etc.

The main thing is to load the rings through acceleration and deceleration in-gear without going much over about 4-4500rpm or so. This is plenty sufficient to seat the rings.

Yup, that's might be the way to go.

Thanks Import.

Yes, I will also record oil temps before I check the dipstick, and check it 30 mins to an hour after I park. And yes, I park the same way all the time, so no issue there.

As for the engine breaking-in period, I followed what the manual said, and tried not to rev about 4k rpm for the first 1200 miles. In fact, I set the rev limiter light at 4k rpm. Occasionally, it would jump to 5k rpm just because it's impossible to keep it under 4k ALL the time. I did that probably a handful. When I drove on the highways, I downshifted a lot, to pass, etc... so I let SRM do its magic. So the revs were varied throughout. Could I have done this MORE? yes... probably.... but I think for the most part, it was sufficient.

I also downshift when coming to a stop light/sign, so again, SRM does its magic. So I would *think* that my rings are seated pretty well, but since I only have 1800 miles, I'm sure there's still some "seating" going on in there. So I will continue to vary accel and decel / engine load as much as I can, and avoid using cruise control.

Any other suggestions?

Sounds like you did it right.

FWIW, the GM tech that took my car onto the rollers at Bowling Green got it up to 4400rpm, and he wasn't a weenie about getting it there, either. Got it up to 83mph, too, from what I recall (in my manual, some BS about 55mph=max for break-in).

You did all you can do to "do it right" it sounds like.

Don't forget though, perhaps even more than the engine, you are breaking in the axles, wheel-bearings, clutch surfaces, brake surfaces, rotor surfaces, flywheel surface, transmission internals, etc. This is all important, too. Whatever you do, do NOT "shock" the drive-line until it is worn in. My Z06's manual says "No HPDE's until 1500+ miles".

Good advice imo.

___________

If you determine that you are using too much oil for your taste, by all means, begin the process with Nissan.

I agree with all you said. I "hope" I don't have an OC problem... the master techs I spoke said that the OC problem is very very very rare. Most folks will go through some OC, but goes away... just need to monitor it. I hope I am not the statistical outlier....lol.

I have a 2009 and when I had 2,000 miles I had no oil then I took it to the dealer they did the oil consumption test. At 10,000 miles they changed the short block, now I have 18,000 and still same problem and they said is normal to burn oil. I can't wait to get rid of it I will never buy a nissan again.

Ouch... that's a little extreme in both your situation and comments! :ugh2:

How did you end up with no oil? You must not have been checking the stick often... granted yes, you shouldn't lose oil like that, and it sounds like your car was one of the OC issues. And if replacing the shortblock didn't work, they will have to do a long block swap.

Are you still under warranty? Have them take care of it.

And how is it you ended up with no oil? How did you drive to the shop if you had no oil? Where did the problem begin? What did the dealer say?

09's had some issues. It was the first year and those are the chances you take. If you still have warranty then get it fixed. If u have an 09. Why are you still in this issue in 2011. Be more proactive

Good idea on the oil change at 6 months. :tiphat:

Looks like I have OC problems as well. I have an 09 with 13k miles. I bought the car almost 3 months ago, did an oil change with Mobil 1 the day I got it home. After about 1k or so miles I noticed I needed to add about half a quart. Decided I would keep an eye on it before I jumped to conclusions. So I drove my Z to Cali (live in Texas) to visit family for the holidays. My mom has a garage so I'm going to leave my car here while I travel for work the next few months. Anyways, before I left on the trip, I checked my oil and was about 3/4th the way full. Drove 1k miles, got to Cali and checked oil again,.. was about 1/4th about the low mark. Needed to pour an entire quart in to bring it back to full. I'm going to the dealership on Monday and see what happens.

Between 6-7k oil changes, Redline (engine & tranny), I probably top up 1.5 quarts total, if I've been driving it hard. Higher loads will increase consumption. Not a concern at all, only must remember to check and top off once a month. I had a Camaro SS that burned quite a bit more the whole time and it ran wonderfully to 160k miles (when I sold it) and never got worse. So, even with usage on the high end, if it never gets worse I would not be concerned. Keep a quart in the car somewhere, in a plastic bag, and you'll never need worry.

Wow, I've pretty much decided to never buy another car EXCEPT a Nissan again...good thing they offer the GTR for my next purchase, as I've found the car to be by far the best quality and well engineered product with wheels I've ever owned. My car has 37k miles and not even a bad squeak has gone wrong. I've never had another car that did not go back to the dealer at least 3 times during the warranty.

In the Z it's recommended that we don't go over about 4K during break in for the first 1200 miles. If you varied your driving during the first 1200 miles your rings / break in should be just fine. You'll probably notice a quart or two of oil to be burned during break in. I noticed about 1/4-1/2 quart when I replaced the Ester Oil at 1800 miles. Waiting to get 5K on her now for some Am / Redline Oil / Mobil 1 stuff. My Maxima with 35VQHR went through the exact same process.. as did my 350Z and Pathfinder. All vehicles burned less than a 1/2 every 3000-4000 miles. I replace the oil at those mileage marks because it's cheap insurance and only takes about 15minutes to do at home. ;-)

With owning turbos and superchargers early on in life I realized that clean oil is the best thing you can do for your car and it's less than a tank of gas every 3000-5000 miles. You really can go 5000 miles on syn changes... even longer... But, I like doing oil changes because it gets me under the car to check out all the other stuff while I'm there waiting the the oil to drain.

:excited:

I have about 24k miles on my 09. Put 2 quarts in between my last oil change and the one I had done yesterday. Told the dealership about it and they are having me come back in 1k miles to check oil levels to determine if there is an oil consumption issue. I was told they'd replace the engine if it's eating oil.

OP: As someone who has had his short block replaced, just drive it for awhile and if it needs a replacement Nissan will. I may have a second OC problem, as I am still using oil. It slows with time and mileage. I still have months to go on my warranty.

Do not forget that the engine warranty is 60,000 miles (I think).

Just dumped another quart of Mobil 1 into the bee... :icon14:

I bought my '09 new. It consumed about 1.75 qts. between 5k OCI's for the first 10,000 miles. It seems to be settling down. I now have about 21,000 miles on it, last oil change was 5K miles on Redline 05W30 and used about 1.25 qts between changes. I keep a close eye on it and never let it drop more than 1/4 qt. below full. In fact I check the oil and the air pressure in the tires and inspect them for nails about every other weekend. Just an old habit that has served me well. I would hazard a guess that the VQ37 that burns less than a quart every 5,000 miles is the exception rather than the rule.

Wow I didn't know my thread still has traction.



Thanks Mt Tam... yeah, good thing I don't have to worry about this potential issue anymore. I haven't had my Z now for a couple months. My 5 oh has 350 miles now, and so far, no consumption issues. Sorry to hear of others that have this issue... keep watching it and have it replaced if need be.

Hey onzedge!!! What's up??? Hey what happened to your HDR thread???

Hey, Mustang-boy!!! :tiphat: How you been? My thread is alive -- here:

http://www.the370z.com/photography/4...scussions.html

thanks Onz... I updated it with some pics.

:tup:

Ok, so now I'm confused. I thought I had an OC problem but now I'm not sure. I drove my Z to Cali from Texas (1k miles) for the holidays. When I left, my oil level was about 3/4th the way full. Drove all 1k miles in one day, checked the oil level the next day...was about 1/4th above the low mark. Had to pour an entire qt in to bring it back to full. So I drove it for the next two weeks, was able to put about 500 miles on it.. Checked the oil and the level is the exact spot from when I last checked it after I put that qt in. Still full...

So why would I burn oil on a long trip like that but when I just do normal everyday driving I'm not losing any?