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

NeedforZ

No noticeable oil usage on the factory fill. Maybe 1/8 qt since the first oil change (1300 miles ago). So if I'm looking at < half a quart between oil changes then I'll be happy.

g96818

mine is just over 450 mi and it's a quarter way down from the H dot. oil is also seeping out the rear passenger exhaust, driver's side exhaust has suit (spelling?)

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ConchZ2

Exhaust suet

cab83_750

I am at the dealer this minute trying to start an oil consumption test. This test is going to take a while, obviously.

Btw. This thread is amazing as I started one months ago and my thread did not mutate. I guess all the cars are pretty new back then.

tooohip

Bla bla bla! I'll just keep my mouth shut then... Sorry to bother you.

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av370

Totally violated the break in rules, did not use a drop from 1 to 3600 miles. just took it in for its first service and will watch this close.

Philipp

Coming from a rotary world, i can state that burning less than a quart of oil per 1K km is very close to nothing...
My Z has 1000km so far and hasn't use ANY oil!

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2009 370z, MT & Sport package.
DynoPack (stock): 268.8WHP & 224.4 Torque//K&N filters//Air cabin filter//HPS Tubes//Tune to come when VVEL...

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?

tbonesteak

Oil does NOT burn off due to high engine temps. That would be catastrophic.

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.

tbonesteak

man....this is getting ridiculous. Until you guys are at 20k+ miles and still burning a quart every 1k miles, you do not have any case. What's with all the fuss?

kannibul

Rotary engines have to burn oil otherwise they die a quick death - for those it's the nature of the beast just to keep that engine running. It's a part of the design.

A reciprocating engine, for the most part shouldn't burn oil (or any meaningful/measureable amount - not with the tolerances we have today...

Philipp

Kannibul,
I was just putting things into perspective regarding oil consumption... On track days with my previous Rx8, i would easily burn 1 quart of oil per 40-50miles (which is normal for a rotary engine).
Now my breaking-in period is almost completed (1500km), so we will see the numbers. So far, no oil level changes...

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DynoPack (stock): 268.8WHP & 224.4 Torque//K&N filters//Air cabin filter//HPS Tubes//Tune to come when VVEL...

bluzman

FWIW, just got back from a 4,500 mile "road trip" that took me back and forth (several times) over the Rockies in the US and Canada. My current mileage is 16,767. My Z was broken in according to the manual. I'm running Mobil 1 and a stock Nissan oil filter. The last oil change was at ~10,400 miles. I checked the oil level prior to, during and at the end of the trip - no oil consumption.

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tbonesteak

^^There you go. Now ppl that have oil sipping cars. Get over it. It'll be fine. 16k has to be the highest mileage car here. There's living proof.