Dirty gritty drained oil when I did the oil change today

semtex

You're checking your oil level when your engine's cold, right? (Or at least give it 20-30 mins after turning off so that the oil drains into the pan.) If you check your oil when your engine is hot, it may read artificially low on the dipstick because all the oil has yet to drain back into the oil pan. So then you go and add oil, and presto. You just overfilled.

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dlmartin81

^^ Yeah, I know to wait some time. I was in Pep Boys for about 15 mins before going to the car and reading the dipstick and adding more.

ZForce

With that kind of oil consumption… ½ qrt or more within 600 miles on the current OCI, then I would suggest:

Get your oil sample sent out with lab you have chosen to go with; dyson or blackstone.
Check the oil when the engine is cold (sat over night).
If you are indeed consuming ½ qrt within the next 600 miles.

Then:

1) Get the car to the dealer and request that an oil consumption test be started. Make sure you have them document on the service order “customer states engine is consuming excessive amounts of oil”. Be sure you are present when they take the dipstick reading and that they let the car sit on a level surface for 20 minutes before taking the reading. They may want to change the oil and they might want to (it varies between dealers) tie off the drain bolt and filler cap during the test.

2) Talk to your service mgr and let him know you will be contacting NNA to open a case on excessive oil consumption. If you got a lemon, the sooner you report it to NNA the better for a case later on depending on the Lemon Law for your state of residence. By all means treat the service mgr well and do not piss him off because it will be his call when NNA contacts him on a recommendation to replace the engine or not.

This is just a heads up, if you find yourself going down that road, hopefully not though. I have been there and done that with the bro's 06 Z33 6MT and it’s not a fun experience.

phantom21

Are those metal shavings or air bubbles coming out? First pic looks like shavings, second angle looks more like air bubbles. I would lean more toward water contamination. I just did my first RL change at about 3600 miles on it and the oil did have a different hue to it than normal dyno or Nissan Ester oil, but not as milky as yours was...no flakes or grit. IF its not flakes, hope its water bubbles. I would get some temp up in the motor and drain the oil. Then get that oil analyzed.

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dlmartin81

FuszNissan -- Could you have one of your service department guys to take a look at these pics (1st page) and get their opinion?

dlmartin81

Thanks for the advice.

I checked the oil level this morning before going to work and it was about 3/4 from the low to high marker on the dipstick. And my driveway is pretty level. I know Semtex had a concern that I may have misread it and overfilled the other day. That wasn't the case. It really did loss oil.

The oil was definitely gritty and those copper looking specs where not bubbles.

I have already requested a testing kit from BlackStone. I'm still waiting on its arrival.

kannibul

Did you take that oil and put it in a clean container? If not, then its contaminated.

Otherwise, I guess you could drain some out from what you have in the pan, and note the amount of oil you added on the form.

dlmartin81

The old oil is contaminated, yes. I did two oil changes in one afternoon, mine and my wife's, and mine was last; otherwise, I would have kept it aside.

When I receive the testing kit, I plan to drain whatever is needed and then top it back off.

gumpy

Even if it is comtaminated isn't it worth getting at analysed? they could at least tell you about the presence of certain metals right... and you can be 90% sure it's from the z... From the picture if that orange stuff is metal then your readings are going to be off the chart...

really hope there's nothing wrong with your engine, hope it is just a bit of water like the others have metioned...

dlmartin81

Yeah...I hope so too.

But to be honest, I don't know what I should do first. Too many options...too many paths to take. I've thought about sending the contaminated oil like you said, but I want to get an accurate report of my oil and my engine's 'wear'/'oil consumption' so I can take to the dealer as proof. Yes, I could get two analysis done but that would mean extra time (because I'd have to order another testing kit) and I don't want to spend more time on the road than I have to. I would have taken the car to the dealer by now but I'm waiting for the testing....so I can have proof.

j.arnaldo

Considering the fact that the oil filter element's the core an oil filter, it figures that the better the filtering element is, the less contaminated the oil's gonna come out at oil-change time. But, I'm the first the admit that I'm neither an engineer nor a mechanic, so just ignore my logical conclusion, which may not have too much logic at all due to my lack of expertise on these issues. Mostly, I depend on guys like you and your experiences and related searches.

kannibul

The particles that drained out the pan were too heavy to get picked up and filtered.

I imagine when he drains it again for the test, he should get some more, as draining it once likely didn't get it all.

j.arnaldo

Now THAT sounds serious. I hadn't picked that part up. Nasty situation. If the Z's under warranty, he needs to go to the dealership ASAP.

dlmartin81

^^ Will do....as soon as I get my oil analysis done. The kit has still to arrive at my doorstep.

IDZRVIT

Have you considered getting an oil filter debris analysis? Maybe BS does this?

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